Internships
You Can't Change History, But It Could Change You™
Join our Summer Internship & Fellowship Program! You might plan a garden with heirloom and native plants, design an educational program about archaeology, learn the art of marketing a living history museum, play 17th-century games with summer campers, help us make collections accessible online...the possibilities are endless!
“It was such a life changing experience for me. I had the opportunity to curate my first exhibit with a fellow intern… made lasting friendships, and learned so much about museums" - Amanda Morgida (Smith College)
By participating in the Internship & Fellowship Program at Plimoth Patuxet, you will:
- Gain invaluable professional experience while applying your chosen field of study in a unique museum setting
- Explore Plimoth Patuxet’s unique approach to public history and the humanities through seminars, fieldtrips and group projects guided by staff experts and historians
- Make life-long friends and expand your professional networks
- Participate in a vibrant, residential living-learning community at the Center for 17th-Century Studies at Plimoth Patuxet
My internship at Plimoth Patuxet not only gave me international experience (I came over from the UK) but practice carrying out consultancy style ethnographic projects. I was able to directly apply the skills I had learnt through my Social Anthropology degree at the London School of Economics. It inspired me to begin searching for jobs in visitor analysis ... which I believe is a direct result of the responsibilities I was given, and lessons I learned at Plimoth Patuxet." - Amelia Mulcahey (London School of Economics)
2023 Summer Internships
Program Dates: June 1 - August 4, 2023
Application Deadline: March 31, 2023
All internship or fellowship candidates must submit an online application including an updated resume or CV, writing sample or work portfolio, and letter of recommendation by March 31, 2023.
Due to a high volume of applications, only those internship candidates selected to interview for the program will be contacted. All candidates can expect notification regarding their status in the week following the application deadline. Paid and unpaid internships are available. Please check internship descriptions for details. Housing and academic credit are also available.
Archaeology Collections Internship
The Archaeology Collections internship offers advanced undergraduate or graduate archaeology students experience cataloging and analyzing archaeological collections, helping with collections care, and designing a digital exhibit. The Archaeology Intern’s daily responsibilities include cataloging artifacts, photographing objects, and creating accurate digital records to ensure public, online access to archaeological data. Additionally, the Archaeology Collections Intern will rehouse objects, reorganize assemblages to promote safe object handling and accessibility, and assist with database record standardization.
This position will teach archaeological methods and techniques, 17th-century colonial and Indigenous material culture, and collections management practices. The Archaeology Collections Intern will be trained in best practices in collections digitization. The position will require review of field records, photographs, slides, and paper records of the objects associated with this project. The Archaeology Intern reports to the Collections Manager & Staff Archaeologist.
The Archaeology Intern is directly responsible for completing various digitization tasks including:
Inventorying, cataloging, and rehousing an archaeological assemblage
Photographing objects and processing images for publication on PastPerfect web-edition database
Adhering to the artifact catalog standards for archaeological sites in the Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ online database, PastPerfect Web-Edition
Writing content, collection summary, and finding aid for collections webpage
Creating a small online digital exhibit that highlights objects from the assemblage
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
Ideal candidate is a bright, self-motivated advanced undergraduate or graduate student with attention to detail and experience working with archaeological artifacts, either in a field school or laboratory setting. Applicants interested in Indigenous and Colonial material culture from New England are preferred. They should be open to exploring the intersection of technology and archaeology to make the Museum’s collections available online. Experience with collections management systems (CMS) software is not required, but preferred. The ability to work independently, stay organized, and communicate professionally with staff is crucial to the successful completion of this internship. Must demonstrate ability to be task- and detail-oriented and self-motivated in a collaborative environment.
Full-time (35 hours/week), Monday through Friday. Part-time hours are also available.
This is an unpaid internship. Housing and university credit are available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Collections Care Internship
The Collections Care internship offers advanced undergraduate or graduate museum studies students experience in preventative preservation practices and collections management. The Collections Care Intern’s daily responsibilities include inventorying objects, organizing accession files, photographing objects, and constructing custom storage containers for rehousing objects. Additionally, the Collections Care intern will help reorganize collections storage spaces to promote safe object handling and accessibility. This position will teach collections management methods and techniques. The Intern will be trained in best practices in preservation care. The Collections Care Intern reports to the Collections Manager & Staff Archaeologist.
The Collections Care Intern is directly responsible for completing various tasks including:
Inventorying collections objects and verifying storage locations.
Assess completion of object record data. Create condition reports as needed.
Photographing objects and processing images for publication on PastPerfect web-edition database.
Organizing and digitizing accession files and catalog cards associated with collections objects.
Rehouse objects in custom storage containers and cavity mounts with archival quality materials.
Practice safe object handling.
Adhering to the artifact catalog standards for archaeological sites in the Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ online database, PastPerfect Web-Edition.
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
Ideal candidate is a bright, self-motivated advanced undergraduate or graduate student with attention to detail and experience working with museum collections. Applicants interested in cultural heritage and institutional history collections are preferred. They should be open to exploring the intersection of technology and preservation to make the Museum’s collections available online. Experience with collections management systems (CMS) software is not required, but preferred. The ability to work independently is crucial to the successful completion of this internship.
This is an unpaid internship. Academic credit and housing are available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Museum Education Internship
Plimoth Patuxet Museums is looking for dynamic, team-oriented educators passionate about engaging learners of all ages to assist with planning, developing and implementing Plimoth Patuxet’s educational programs for youth and family audiences, particularly PPM’s Summer Adventure Camp and Museum Theater Academy. These programs involve indoor and outdoor programming at the Museum’s main campus, including the 17th-century English Village, the Historic Patuxet Homesite, Mayflower and Plimoth Grist Mill. Interns will also develop an individual lesson plan or activity to pilot during camp sessions in consultation with museum staff. PPM Education Department staff will provide interns with mentorship, guidance, oversight and support.
Organize, prepare for, and deliver a variety of recreational and educational programs with an emphasis on Indigenous and colonial New England lifeways and history. May provide programs in a variety of contexts including but not limited to day camps, overnights, guided tours, workshops and drop-in public programs.
Be present for every week of summer day camp sponsored by Plimoth Patuxet’s Education Department and assist in all program activities; be able to lead activities by the end of the summer.
Work with PPM Education staff to ensure the health, wellbeing and happiness of campers and provide opportunities that are inclusive for all campers.
interact with the children; ensure the children are safe, comfortable and enjoying the program;
Assist PPM Education staff in writing and implementing weekly schedules and planning activities for day camps. Set up, breakdown, clean up and reset learning spaces.
Assist PPM Education staff in maintaining accurate program records including but not limited to logbooks, daily attendance, and sign-out sheets.
Identify individual projects and personal focus for the internship.
Become familiar with and use the museum’s diverse resources.
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
The ideal candidate is a passionate about learning and teaching with experience in formal or informal settings and an interest in early American history, Indigenous culture, archaeology, anthropology, museum education or other related fields. Qualified candidates must be able to communicate clearly and engagingly, be self-motivated, and work both independently and as part of a team. Reliability, dependability and punctuality, patience, self-control, courtesy, enthusiasm to work with children, and a sense of humor are a must! Previous experience with summer camp is preferred but not required.
Full-time (35 hours/week) and Part-Time (21 hours/week) internships are available. A flexible schedule is require. Occasional evening and weekend events may be required.
This is an unpaid internship. Housing and university credit are available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and fees.
Horticulture Internship
Horticulture Interns will work alongside the Museum’s Horticulture and Historic Patuxet Homesite staff to gain an inside knowledge of how traditional Wampanoag gardens and landscapes are planned, maintained and interpreted for diverse public Indigenous and non-Native audiences. Horticulture interns will hone their horticultural skills in existing gardens and landscapes in the Historic Patuxet Homesite exhibit and behind the scenes with specific emphasis on invasive removal and native habitat and plant restoration with the goal of helping staff develop a sustainable horticulture plan for implementation in 2024. Horticulture Interns will also have the opportunity to work with staff to develop and pilot a related educational program such as a nature/plant/TEK walk. Time permitting, interns may have the opportunity to apply their research and work to other areas of the museum. This internship reports to the Director of Algonquin Exhibits and Interpretation.
Assist with daily maintenance of gardens in the Historic Patuxet Homesite including but not limited to planting, pruning, weeding, watering, organic fertilizing, propagating, plant identification, and historic and modern plant usage;
Engage and educate Museum guests about the plants and horticultural practices used historically by Indigenous and Wampanoag communities;
Guided by Museum staff experts and culture bearers, conduct preliminary research to develop a long-term plan for a natural species introduction and sustainability plan for the Historic Patuxet Homesite
Develop, implement, assess, and revise a family-friendly nature walk program for the Historic Patuxet Homesite that incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) within cultural boundaries.
Assist the Horticulture specialists and Historic Patuxet Homesite staff with horticulture-related educational programs and special projects.
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
The Horticulture Internship is ideal for students who are studying horticulture, agriculture, botany, and/or public history. The successful candidate will have some prior experience in horticulture or a related field. A basic understanding of Indigenous gardening techniques and terminology is preferred, but not required. Candidates should have a willingness to learn through participation and by asking questions to deepen understanding as well as an outgoing personality with good communication skills. Please note that this position requires working outdoors in a wide variety of weather conditions; the ability to climb, lift, carry, stoop, and stand for extended periods of time; and requires a degree of physical strength (lifting up to 50 lbs.).
Full-time (35 hours/week), flexible hours between 9am and 5pm. Some weekend or evening work may be required.
$15/hr. This paid internship is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the New England Farm & Garden Association. Housing and university credit are available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Historical Clothing & Textiles - Production Internship
Reproducing historically accurate clothing in a museum setting encompasses a multitude of skills and processes, including research and development, use of period and modern construction techniques, as well as sharing this knowledge and skill with our guests who visit Plimoth Patuxet Museums. The Historical Clothing & Textiles Production intern will experience the unique day-to-day workings of a wardrobe shop in a museum environment including learning, practicing and applying skills in period and modern construction techniques, pattern drafting, and 17th-century accessories (thread-wrapped buttons, hat making, etc.) Depending on the intern’s course of study, interest, and experience, there may be opportunities to conduct historical research with access to departmental and museum libraries. This internship reports to the Historical Clothing & Textiles Manager.
Learn to construct garments from individual measurements to final fitting and finishing with guidance from Historic Clothing & Textiles staff;
Assist in maintenance of wardrobe issue for the 17th-century English Village and Mayflower II including mending, laundry, inventory tracking, ordering supplies, participating in fittings, etc.
Assist with public programming and projects, as needed (summer camp program, special events, retail projects, knitting group);
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
The ideal candidate will have experience with operating sewing machinery - ideally industrial - as well as hand stitching skills, familiarity with textile vocabulary, knowledge of and/or interest in historic costuming. A successful candidate for this position will also be an enthusiastic, self-starter with good communication skills and a willingness to learn and work as part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary living history team. All candidates must provide either a PDF or link to a work portfolio.
Full-time (35 hours/week) or part -time Monday through Friday 9am - 5pm with occasional weekend events required.
This is an unpaid internship. Housing and university credit is available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Indigenous Traditional Engineering Fellow
Option to start April 2023
The Indigenous Traditional Engineering Fellow will work closely with Historic Patuxet Homesite staff and the Director of Algonquin Exhibit and Interpretation to sustainably build and maintain traditional wetuash (Wampanoag houses). In addition to constructing a wetu using traditional methods and materials, the Indigenous Engineering Fellow will also conduct original research on traditional engineering and structural practices. The end goals will be (1) updating and annotating existing training materials, and (2) developing a preliminary Sustainable Building Plan for all traditional Indigenous structures on the Historic Patuxet Homesite that reflects the realities of climate change, invasive species, traditional practices, and aligns with the Museum’s strategic plan to be shared with Museum staff and community members. This fellowship would be ideal for candidates who are interested in the intersection of structural engineering, traditional design, and humanities-based research. By the end of the fellowship, the participant should be equipped to research, design, build, and maintain a traditional wetu. This fellowship reports to the Director of Algonquin Exhibit and Interpretation.
Guided by Museum staff and culture bearers, learn how to identify, harvest, and apply bark to a wetu using traditional materials and methods.
Use best practices to research and develop a preliminary Sustainable Building Plan for all traditional Indigenous Structures on the Historic Patuxet Homesite reflecting the realities of climate change, invasive species, traditional practices, and aligns with the Museum’s strategic plan to be shared with Museum staff and community members.
Guided by Museum staff and culture bearers, research and annotate equitable and accessible staff and community training resources surrounding traditional engineering and building practices from a decolonized perspective
Time permitting, other projects may include research, identify, and establish relationships for acquiring an appropriate tree to plan a Mish8n (traditional Wampanoag boat) burning for diverse Museum audiences.
Participate in weekly seminars and other personal and professional development activities, including field trips, field work assignments, and final internship symposium.
A highly qualified candidate has a demonstrated interest in or experience with traditional building techniques and methods and will have the ability to speak from experience on matters relating to Indigenous culture and communities. An ideal candidate will also have an interest in cultural research and its application in a museum setting and the ability to communicate skillfully with a wide range of people from different cultural and social backgrounds, ages, language skills, and physical abilities. Strong candidates will be detail oriented, well-organized, able to problem solve, multitask, and work independently on focused projects.
Please note: This fellowship begins April 10, 2023. This fellowship can be full or part time with a minimum of 7 hours/week and a maximum of 35 hours per week, not to exceed 315 hours.
$17/hr. This fellowship is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Housing and university credit are available. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Internship FAQs
Have a question about the Summer Internship Program? You're in the right place. Below are answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer to your question here, please contact us at interns@plimoth.org.
Plimoth Patuxet Museums accepts applications from college-level freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as graduate students. We also accept applications from recent graduates and people making a career change. Our internships are unique opportunities to work alongside skilled, professional museum staff.
Yes, housing for interns may be available in the Museum's Center for 17th-Century Studies residence.
We offer paid and unpaid positions, depending on the internship, as specified in each internship description. Course credit is also available if needed. Please see below for more information about stipends and course credit as it relates to internships. We advise that students also work with their advisor and university to apply for intern stipends offered through their college.
A personal vehicle is strongly recommended, although the town of Plymouth does offer affordable public transportation provided by the Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company (known as G.A.T.R.A). This is a bus service with diverse schedules and stops. Please note that this service can be limited. A bus stop is located at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. The Museum offers interns complimentary parking.
Interns at Plimoth Patuxet receive free admission to all of our museum sites, as well as discounts in the Museum store and café. We also have a great reciprocity agreement with several New England museums and institutions so you can visit them for free (or for a reduced rate) while you are an intern.
Most internships run approximately 9-10 weeks and are full-time. We also offer some part-time internship opportunities. Certain internship opportunities also may require evening and weekend attendance.
Application deadlines are listed along with the internship descriptions. If there is a position on the site that interests you, please submit your materials in a timely manner, as many positions fill quickly.
All applicants who send their materials by email will receive an email confirmation. Applicants who send materials by mail may follow up by email or phone. Please understand that due to a large number of applications received, we are not able to provide ongoing personal status updates to each candidate. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted, and positions will be removed from the website once they have been filled.
Yes, as long as your educational institution allows it. Students are responsible for all paperwork, arrangements and credit fees.
Yes, as long as your educational institution allows it. We can work with students who wish to use their work-study or internship stipends from their school. Students are responsible for all paperwork.
Yes. International students are responsible for making all appropriate arrangements with their universities or home countries and internship program sponsors regarding travel permits and/or visas. Please visit the US State Department's J-1 Visa website for additional information.