North Carolina Museum Internships and Volunteer Opportunities

Here is a list of North Carolina museums and historic sites that offer internships and volunteer opportunities. This list is by no means exhaustive, just a launching point for your internship search. These particular sites are mostly in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.
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Charlotte Nature Museum offers volunteer internships to juniors and seniors and grad students for college credit - more information here (Charlotte)

Levine Museum of the New South welcomes volunteers, including tour guides - more information here (Charlotte)

Discovery Place is a science and technology museum connected with Charlotte Nature Museum that also offers internships to juniors and seniors and grad students - more info here (Charlotte)

Carolinas Aviation Museum offers an education internship for students who have completed at least two years of undergraduate work (grad students are preferred) and are studying history, education, or museum studies and possess experience working in camp, childcare, or education - more info here (Charlotte)

The Billy Graham Library welcomes year-round and seasonal volunteers - more info here (Charlotte)

The Mint Museum is an art and craft museum that offers an extensive internship program with applications due in March, June, and November for the summer, fall, and spring, respectively...see the full post about it - more info here and here (Charlotte)

Old Salem Living History town/museum welcomes volunteers, including college interns - more info here (Winston-Salem)

The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem welcomes volunteers who enjoy working with children - more info here (Winston-Salem)

SciWorks Science Center and Environmental Park offer internships, posted here when available (Winston-Salem)

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art welcomes volunteers, with opportunities in exhibits, education, office, visitor services, and gardening - more info here (Winston-Salem)

Burwell School Historic Site welcomes volunteers - more info here (Hillsborough)

Korner's Folly historic house museum welcomes volunteers, offering opportunities giving tours, puppeteering, greeting visitors, assisting with events - more info here

Peabody Essex Museum Internships and Fellowships (Massachusetts)

The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts is a one-of-a-kind medium-sized institution dedicated to interpreting American, Native American, Maritime, and Asian art, architecture, and textiles. The collection began with the souvenirs of New England sea captains and has expanded into an impressive array of art and photography in a state-of-the-art exhibit space. Public programming abounds, including an Art and Nature Center designed to be family-friendly. An extensive internship program is offered for students hoping to enter the museum field and seeking to get concrete project-based experience. Fellowship opportunities for professionals and graduate students of Native American, Alaskan, and Hawaiian background are also offered.

Internship Information:

• Project-based experience
• Professional development opportunities
• Volunteer
• Flexible hours
• Open to undergrad and grad students
• Departments:
• Art & Nature Center (education, exhibits, programming)
• Connected Learning (Education - art focus) - grad student preferrence
• Creative Engagement (events, programming)
• Curatorial/Exhibitions and Research
• Curatorial: Photography Collection - graduate student
• Design Intern/Creative Series (graphic design)
• Development
• Development: Events
• Executive Office (administrative)
• Exhibition Research and Publishing Rights (including experience developing books)
• Exhibition Research and Publishing Editorial Intern (writing, communications)
• Marketing
• Merchandising/Museum Shop
• Fall semester applications are due August 1
• Check the website for due dates for other semesters
• Application, cover letter, resume submitted via email or by mail
• More info here

Fellowship Information:

A Native American Fellowship is offered to graduate students and cultural professionals of Native American, Alaskan, and Hawaiian background. It is a paid, 10-week, full-time opportunity, with application information posted in January. A stipend, lodging, workshops, and travel expense coverage are offered and school credit can be arranged. More info here.

Florida Museum Internships and Volunteer Opportunities

Looking to get away to the land of fun and the sun (and old people)? Here are links to house museums and smaller-size museums offering volunteer opportunities and internships in Florida. It's by no means exhaustive, but a resource to begin your internships search.

• Stranahan House Museum (Fort Lauderdale)
• Bonnet House Museum (Fort Lauderdale)
• Rossetter House Museum (Melbourne)
• Knott House Museum (Tallahassee)
• Museum of Florida History (Tallahassee)
• Ximenez-Fatio House Museum (St. Augustine)
• Hernando Historical Museum Association (Brooksville)
• House of Refuge (Stuart)
• Leu Gardens and House Museum (Orlando)
• Ernest Hemingway House and Museum (Key West)
• The Barnacle House Museum (Coconut Grove)
• Harry S. Truman's Little White House (Key West)
• Key West Art and Historical Society (Key West)
• St. Augustine Historical Society Historic House Complex (St. Augustine)
• Art and History Museums Maitland (Maitland): offers internships for college students and recent graduates year-round:
• Marketing and Social Media
• Education
• History and Art History
• Development
• Rental and Retail
• more information here
• Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach): offers unpaid internships on a "flexible and ongoing basis"; departments available:
• History Education
• Education
• Marketing and Public Relations
• Science and Ecology Education
• Group Sales
• Planetarium
• To apply, email resume and application with required information
• more information here
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates (Fort Myers): offers internships each semester, working 1-2 days/week with possible weekend shifts
• Events
• Education/Summer Camps
• Marketing/Public Relations
• Education/Recreation
• submit a resume, application, signed contract (available on website) 
• more information here
• Vizcaya House Museum (Miami): offers unpaid and paid opportunities in the fall, spring, and summer; internships:
• Learning Programs Facilitators (paid) (10 months, Sept-May, recruit in June-Aug)
• Special Events 
• Horticulture
• Collections and Curatorial Division
• Learning Division

Long Branch Plantation house museum Internships (Virginia)

Long Branch Plantation is a house museum and event venue in Clark County, VA, near Winchester. The Greek Revival mansion sits on acres of rolling farmland, home to a house farm, pond, and plenty of scenic greenery backed by the Appalachian mountains. Long Branch seeks to innovate the experience of a house museum and make it more relevant to today's visitors. It also offers public programming and a horse retirement facility. This undiscovered jewel of a historic home offers internships in a variety of departments.

Internship Information:

• Chance to complete independent projects
• Hands-on learning opportunities
• Create original work to share with public
• Departments available to complete projects in:
• Historic Preservation
• Digital History 
• Social Media
• Archival Research
• Marketing/Community Outreach
• Content Creation: Exhibits, Brochures, and Web
• Event Planning
• To apply, email resume with a short statement of interest
• More information available here

Volunteer and employment opportunities can be found here.

Looking for a Fall semester internship? It's time to apply!

A friendly reminder from Historically Accurate: Are you hoping to do an internship during your fall semester? Most formal internships have applications for fall semester internships due in June and July! Don't worry though...H.A. has you covered! Check out our listings of museums offering fall internships and see which ones aren't due until July, August, or that have rolling admission. Also, check out our tips for making you internship search and application process as successful as possible!

Check back often for more exciting museum internship opportunities, all in one convenient, easily searchable place. And be sure to vote in the poll on the right-hand toolbar to let us know what locations in the U.S. and beyond you want to see internships from!

Best of luck! - H.A.

Amelia Island Museum of History Internships (Florida)

The Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach, Florida is a spoken-history museum, focused on story-telling and the interpretation of local heritage and history. It is a well-respected museum that offers creative, engaging programming, including docent-led tours of the museum and surrounding historic district and changing exhibits. The museum also runs an archive and welcomes researchers. Internships are offered for students and graduates interested in museum work and provides experience with the management of the museum...an excellent opportunity!

Internship Opportunities:

• Unpaid
• Open to undergrad, grad students and recent (within 12 months) graduates
• College credit may be arranged
• Summer, fall, winter
• 30-40 hours/week, 8-12 week period
• All interns will also gain experience:
• Interacting with board members
• Researching grants
• Attending management-level meetings
• Departments available to work in:
• Archival
• Education/Exhibits
• Marketing/Creative (Social Media, Design)
• Volunteer Management/Tours (interpretation)
• More information here

The museum has plenty of exciting volunteer opportunities, including work in archiving, leading tours, maintaining the building and grounds, visitor services, gardening, historic interpretation, etc. Learn more here!

Salvador Dali Art Museum Internships (Florida)

The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida (right on the riverfront!) is dedicated to the interpretation of, well, Salvador Dali sculptures and paintings as well as other surrealist art. The museum offers changing exhibits as well as educational and family programming (even yoga) in their incredible glass dome building. Internships are also available for undergrad and grad students.

Internships Opportunities:

• Unpaid
• Seasonal
• College credit can be arranged with your home institution
• Flexible schedule
• Minimum 2 days/week or 15 hours/week
• Departments available to work in:
• Development
• Digital Media (Marketing)
• Education
• Finance
• Graphic Design (Marketing)
• Hospitality - Events
• Human Resources Management
• Information Technology
• Innovation Programming
• Library/Museum/Archival
• Museum Management
• Video Production/Editing
• Deadlines to apply:
• Summer: March 1
• Fall: July 1
• Spring: November 1
• More information here

Find out about volunteer opportunities here, as well as docent opportunities, which are open to high schoolers as well..