Become a part of our team

Get close to the past by interning or volunteering at Historic New England. Whether you are a student or recent graduate looking for hands-on experience in the archives, museum, and historic preservation fields, or a history buff with skills and time to contribute, Historic New England offers a wide range of opportunities to help save and share our region’s past.

Internships

***We are no longer accepting applications for the spring semester of 2025. Please check back in January for information on the summer and fall semesters.***

Overview 

Historic New England offers internships all three semesters each year: fall, spring, and summer. The number and type of internships will vary depending on the projects available. This webpage and the application form will be updated each semester to indicate which internships are available. 

We offer three levels of internships: 

• Undergraduate students
  • Geared towards supporting students on learning about a specific career field and to help students decide if it is a career they want to pursue 

• Master’s and PhD students
  • Geared towards providing almost-professionals with crucial resume-building experience and training on how to transition from school to the job market 

• New professionals (who have graduated within 18 months of the internship start date)
  • Geared towards helping new professionals build their resume and gain targeted experience to help them secure a career position 

Most internships are structured as hybrid positions to ensure each intern gains valuable hands-on experience, though, fully remote positions may be available. If a fully remote position is needed, please indicate this in the “Tell us more” section of the application. Otherwise, the location of the internship will be listed on the application form or labeled “location flexible” indicating that the intern will have multiple locations to choose from. 

For the spring semester of 2025, internships are be available in these areas: 

• Museum Studies & Public History 

• Collections Management & Registration 

• Historic Preservation & Preservation Services 

• Marketing & Memberships 

• Development & Fundraising 

• K-12 Museum Education 

• Library & Archives 

Schedule 

Each intern is required to work 130 hours per semester, averaging 10 hours of work per week (if your university program requires more than 130 hours, please indicate so in your application). Scheduling is flexible and we work to ensure it can fit into each intern’s existing schedule and school commitments. 

Internships run thirteen weeks and follow this general schedule: 

• Fall Semester: the second week of September to the first week of December 

• Spring Semester: the first week of February to the last week of April 

• Summer Semester: the first week of June to the last week of August 

Compensation, Benefits, and Features 

• $16 per hour compensation 

• Extensive professional development training including (but not limited to): resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, navigating the job market, etc. 

• A cross-disciplinary, cohort experience 

• Travel expenses covered for work and activities related to the internship 

• 1-year Historic New England Membership, student Level 

• Historic New England Summit registration 

• On-site field trip experiences 

• Laptop available for internship work if so desired 

How to Apply 

We are no longer accepting applications for the spring semester of 2025. Please check back in January for information on the summer and fall semesters.

For questions, please contact Dr. Alissa Butler at [email protected] 

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, grant number 21MP-256481-OMS-24. 

Study Center Philosophy 

The Study Center at the Eustis Estate is dedicated to deepening and furthering our knowledge and understanding of New England’s stories. It is our goal to become the premier place where new areas of research, stories, and interpretation are uncovered, shared with, and made relevant for today’s audiences.  

It is also the vessel in which we invest in the public historians of tomorrow, providing students and scholars with hands-on experiential and research opportunities that support them in their education and career endeavors.   

Volunteers

Volunteer from home! Help transcribe an important collection from the convenience of your own computer.

Or browse the list of Historic New England sites to find a location near you. Then email us at [email protected] and tell us about yourself and your interest in volunteering. Someone from our staff will be in touch with available opportunities as they open up.

Watch volunteers at work at Phillips House