Paid Museum Internships — Collections, Education & Museum Administration

Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove | Monroe, New York
Three-Month Paid Internship | Potential for Permanent Employment

Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove is seeking motivated individuals interested in beginning or advancing a career in museums, public history, education, nonprofit administration, or cultural organizations.

We are offering paid, three-month internships in several areas of museum operations. These positions are designed to provide meaningful, hands-on professional experience rather than observation alone. Interns will work directly with Museum Village staff, participate in active projects, and gain practical experience in the day-to-day operation of a historic museum and nonprofit organization.

Successful interns may be considered for full-time, permanent positions at Museum Village at the conclusion of the three-month internship, based on performance, organizational needs, and available positions.

Internship Areas

Collections & Curation

Interns will gain experience in the care, documentation, research, interpretation, and presentation of Museum Village’s collection and historic resources. Depending on current projects, responsibilities may include:

• Collections cataloging and documentation
• Artifact research
• Collections storage and organization
• Exhibit research and development
• Writing and editing exhibit labels and interpretive materials
• Assisting with exhibition installation and deinstallation
• Historical and archival research
• Supporting collections care and preservation projects

This track is particularly appropriate for candidates interested in museum studies, history, public history, material culture, archives, anthropology, art history, or collections management.

Education & Programs

Education and Programs interns will help Museum Village develop and deliver engaging experiences for school groups, families, and the general public. Responsibilities may include:

• Assisting with school field trips and educational programs
• Developing hands-on activities and teaching materials
• Researching and developing new programs
• Supporting public programs, demonstrations, and special events
• Working with historic buildings, objects, and interpretive spaces
• Assisting with program evaluation and improvement
• Helping translate historical research into accessible public interpretation

This track is well suited for candidates interested in education, history, public history, museum education, interpretation, childhood education, or community programming.

Administration & Marketing

Administration and Marketing interns will gain experience in the business, communications, and nonprofit-management side of museum operations. Responsibilities may include:

• Social media content and scheduling
• Marketing and promotional projects
• Event planning and coordination
• Community outreach
• Website and digital content
• Membership and donor communications
• Grant and sponsorship research
• Visitor engagement initiatives
• General nonprofit and museum administration

This track is appropriate for candidates interested in marketing, communications, business, nonprofit management, public relations, hospitality, event management, or arts and cultural administration.

Who Should Apply?

We welcome applications from current college students, recent graduates, graduate students, individuals considering a career change, and emerging museum professionals.

Previous museum experience is helpful but not required. We are particularly interested in candidates who are curious, dependable, comfortable working collaboratively, and eager to take responsibility for meaningful projects.

Museum work is inherently interdisciplinary, and interns should expect opportunities to work across departments and gain an understanding of how collections, education, visitor experience, programming, marketing, and administration work together.

About Museum Village

Founded in 1950, Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove is a nonprofit educational museum in the Hudson Valley of New York. Our 23+ acre campus includes 34 structures surrounding a central village green and a collection of more than 32,000 artifacts.

Museum Village explores a transformative period in American history from Reconstruction through the First World War, connecting the civic, social, technological, and cultural changes of the past with the world we live in today.

Our mission is simple in purpose: We preserve the past to serve the future.

Internship Details

Length: Three months
Status: Paid internship
Location: Museum Village of Old Smith’s Clove, Monroe, NY
Departments: Collections & Curation; Education & Programs; Administration & Marketing
Career Opportunity: Interns who successfully complete the program may be considered for available full-time permanent positions.

To apply, please submit a resume and brief letter of interest describing your background, the internship area that most interests you, and what you hope to gain from the experience. [email protected]

Applicants interested in more than one department are encouraged to indicate that in their application.

Come learn how a museum works—from the objects we preserve and the stories we tell to the programs, partnerships, and people that make those stories matter.