Internships in History

Looking for more internships in History? Check out the most recent internship postings in History.

Below you'll find all of the companies that we've covered that may offer internships in History. You can also look at entry level jobs in History.

Detour

by on August 28, 2014

Detour Logo

I usually have a really bad attitude about tourist attractions, so when my wife and I were in San Francisco a couple weeks ago I was a little annoyed when she asked me if I wanted to do a self-guided audio tour at Fisherman’s Wharf. I would have said no, but it was through a new startup that her former boss founded, so I figured it was worth a shot. The company is called Detour, and the audio tour was absolutely amazing. I usually hate this kind of stuff, but it was probably the most enjoyable 90 minutes of the entire trip (and that’s including The Serpentarium!). The San Francisco, CA based company set out to offer “immersive, location-aware audio walks,” and they completely knocked it out of the park. They took the audio tour and turned it into something remarkable.

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The Bostonian Society

by on August 9, 2014

The Bostonian Society Logo

I have a thing against Boston. Actually, that’s not true. It’s just Red Sox fans. Boston is actually a pretty cool city. There’s great seafood and a ton of history–it might even be the most historically important city in our country. That’s why The Bostonian Society exists. They’re a Boston, MA based non-profit that “is dedicated to studying, and preserving Boston’s uniquely important history, embodied in materials, records, and structures.” It’s easy to lose our past in the push to create a better future, so it’s good that there are organizations like The Bostonian Society to preserve what’s important.

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Textile Society of America Logo

Textiles have played a huge part in human history. It may not be on the level of agriculture, but they have been truly significant on both a functional and cultural level. That should continue for the foreseeable future, which is why the Textile Society of America exists. They are a Berkeley, CA based non-profit that “provides an international forum for the exchange and dissemination of information about textiles worldwide, from artistic, cultural, economic, historic, political, social, and technical perspectives.”

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Old Sturbridge Village Logo

I swear that every kid who grows up in Connecticut goes on a field trip to Old Sturbridge Village at some point. For me it wasn’t until 10th grade (and we were on our way back from a longer trip to Boston and Plimoth Plantation), but I think most kids go earlier in their lives. If you weren’t lucky enough to grow up within a couple hour bus ride of Old Sturbridge Village (which is based in Sturbridge, MA), you should know that it’s the “largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast” and it “depicts a rural New England town of the 1830s.” It’s the perfect place for immature children to try to get the staff to fall out of character.

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Museum Hack

by on November 7, 2013

Museum Hack Logo

Sometimes I love museums, and sometimes they bore me to death. I’m pretty sure it mostly has to do with how recently I last ate (apparently it’s a faux pas to waltz around most museums while snacking). I know they have those audio headset things that are supposed to give you a guided tour, but I don’t want to be one of those people. I really like the idea of going to the museum, but it usually disappoints. I wish there was a way to liven up the experience and get more out of it. That’s what Museum Hack is working on. They’re a New York, NY based upstart that has developed a “tour to turn one of New York’s most spectacular cultural institutions into a totally unique experience.”

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Handel and Haydn Society

by on November 3, 2013

Handel and Haydn Society Logo

I admit to liking bad music. I don’t listen to music all that often, but when I do, I’m perfectly happy listening to Top 40 stuff. I know that most of it is musically questionable, but I can’t help that I like it. I’ve tried listening to Classical music, but I can’t get into it. Maybe one day that will change. And if it does, I’ll have to check out the Handel and Haydn Society. They are based in Boston, MA, and they are “considered America’s oldest continuously performing arts organization.” They’re coming up on 200 years of excellence “in the field of Historically Informed Performance” (see here for a more in depth explanation). In other words they perform pieces “using the instruments and techniques of the composer’s time.”

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Chicago Architecture Foundation Logo

My dad is an architect. I was dragged on all kinds of architectural tours as a kid, and that hasn’t changed now that I’m adult. Whenever my parents come to visit Chicago, we end up spending an afternoon on some sort of architectural expedition. About half the time my dad comes up with a random place that he wants to see, and we drive around looking for it. The rest of the time, we end up doing a more formal tour–usually through the Chicago Architecture Foundation. It’s a Chicago, IL based non-profit organization that is “devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation.” It all started in 1966 when community members banded together to save the Glessner House (we already did that tour) from demolition. That eventually led to the founding of the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which was then a founding member of the Association of Architecture Organizations.

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Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Logo

One of the worst parts about growing up is that the things that amazed you as a kid are often totally disappointing when you revisit them as an adult. When I was about five, my dad, my friend, my friend’s dad, and I visited the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, NY (it must have been right after the museum opened). As a military obsessed little boy, it was the best thing ever. (And then we went to a dinosaur exhibit. And then we went to a baseball game! It was a truly awesome day.) More than twenty years later I went back to the Intrepid, and I was still blown away. Instead of being disappointed, I was able to recognize how impressive the aircraft carrier and the museum built on it really are. There’s a reason that nearly a million people people visit every year to see “a snapshot of heroism, education, and excitement.”

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Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary Logo

Last year I was lucky enough to spend a day in Yellowstone National Park. It was a short trip, but I saw all kinds of wildlife including elk, bison, and a fox. One thing that becomes obvious almost instantly once you’re in the park is that there are a lot of people coming into close contact with wild animals. This is kind of the point, but it can have bad consequences for the wildlife. Many animals can become injured or orphaned, and that’s when the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary steps in. They’re a Red Lodge, MT based non-profit that is “the only public refuge in Montana to house native animals that cannot be returned to the wild due to injury or habituation to humans.”

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Museum of the City of New York Logo

I grew up about an hour outside of New York City. My parents would take me in a few times a year, and from those experiences I developed an idea of what big cities are like. It took a while for me to realize that New York is remarkable as cities go. It’s huge. It has a prime geographical location. Its people are diverse in a multitude of ways. It’s filled with wealth, yet more than 20% of its citizens live in poverty. There is no other city in the world like New York, and that’s why the Museum of the City of New York must be a fascinating place to visit. They are a non-profit that explores “the past of this fascinating and particular place for lessons about our future” while celebrating “New York’s heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation.”

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United States Capitol Historical Society Logo

Chances are that where you live has some sort of historical society. It’s an organization that is devoted to preserving and researching the local history. They almost certainly have some sort of an archive, and they may have a museum. There are all kinds of historical societies out there, but I was still surprised that The Capitol building has its own historical society called… wait for it… the United States Capitol Historical Society. The non-profit organization is quite obviously based in Washington, DC, and it was founded in 1962 and “chartered by Congress to educate the public on the history and heritage of the U.S. Capitol building, its institutions and the people who have served therein.” The organization is not publicly funded, so they get their money from “individual and corporate memberships, gifts, grants and the sale of educational items such as the book, We, the People: The Story of the U.S. Capitol, calendars, tourist memorabilia, videos and books of general interest and academic research.”

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Historic New England

by on August 11, 2012

Historic New England Logo

One of the best parts of growing up in Connecticut was the history. As a kid, I was always imagining myself back in the Revolutionary era. There were constant reminders of the past, and I found them fascinating. (One of my favorite hobbies was digging holes in my backyard looking for artifacts.) The tough thing is that New England is a thriving part of our economy, which means that there is constant pressure to erase the past so as to build something better. That’s ok to some extent, but history needs to be preserved. Historic New England is a non-profit that does just that. It’s a Boston, MA based “museum of cultural history that collects and preserves buildings, landscapes, and objects dating from the seventeenth century to the present and uses them to keep history alive and to help people develop a deeper understanding and enjoyment of new England life and appreciation for its preservation.”

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Gooru

by on August 5, 2012

Gooru Logo

It’s easy to take Google for granted, but the ability to find almost any piece of information in less than a second is pretty extraordinary. Google’s biggest problem is also its biggest strength: depth. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or distracted by all of the information. Sometimes you need a more focused tool–especially in educational settings. That’s what Gooru is all about. They’re a Palo Alto, CA based non-profit organization that is “organizing free, online education resources into searchable collections, accessible from any web or mobile platform.” By combining machine learning technology with human curation, Gooru is able to provide a resource for students to find what they need without the distractions of other search engines.

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Ancestry.com

by on February 29, 2012

Ancestry Logo

Since we celebrated National Pancake Day yesterday, we’re not going to make a big deal about Leap Day, but if you’re looking for a leapy post, you may want to read our profiles on LeapFrog and TicketLeap. Instead of the calendar, we’re going to talk about family history. I’m lucky in that my family has done a great job of documenting our history. One of the best stories from my family’s past is about William Ker Muir (my Great Great Great Grandfather), who at 24 left his homeland of Scotland to take a job in Canada’s burgeoning railroad industry. Four years later in 1859, he was riding in the last seat of the last car on a train from Toronto to Hamilton. He heard a crash at the front of the train and jumped out the back door. He landed safely on the track as the Desjardins Bridge collapsed and the train fell into an icy gorge killing or injuring most of the passengers and crew. Without those quick reflexes, I wouldn’t be here. It’s stories like those that make investigating genealogy worthwhile, and if you’re going to do that, online tools like those provided by Provo, UT based Ancestry.com can be a huge help. It’s “the world’s largest online resource for family history, with more than 1.7 million paying subscribers around the world.”

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Boy Scouts America

by on January 29, 2012

Boy Scouts of America Logo

Despite my outdoorsiness, I was never a boy scout. I’ll admit that I was a little jealous of the other kids when they came into school with their uniforms covered in patches, but I’m sure I earned plenty of patches as a kid–even if I never actually got patches (now I can buy them from Best Made Company). Still, I have a ton of respect for Boy Scouts of America. They’re an organization that has lasted more than a century by staying focused on a core set of values. They believe “that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society,” and they’ve continuously adapted the way that they’ve helped you to keep current. Boy Scouts of America is headquartered in Irving, TX, but they operate (and have job opportunities) all across the country.

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Martha's Vineyard Museum Logo

I spent at least a week every summer on Nantucket until I was 18. It was also a great time, and it’s where I have some of my fondest childhood memories. Oddly enough, I’ve only stepped foot on Martha’s Vineyard once. I was flying from Nantucket and the plane stopped on the Vineyard. I got out for some fresh air (it was a tiny plane) and got right back on. That means that I’ve never visited the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown, MA, but I’m sure it has a lot in common with the museums that I’ve visited on Nantucket. The museum is “dedicated to furthering an interest in, experience of, and appreciation for the history and culture of the Island and its environs.” That’s exactly what you’d expect, and they do this with exhibitions, collaboritive educational programs, scholarly research, archival collections, and community outreach.

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Art.sy

by on December 9, 2011

Art.sy Logo

I’ve mentioned before that I’m the black sheep of my family because of my lack of artistic ability and appreciation for art. Still, I understand how hard it must be for art enthusiasts to find art that they love. There’s so much out there, and no easy way to explore it in an organized way. That used to be the case for music and movies, but companies like Pandora and Netflix have done a lot to change that by building amazing recommendation engines. Art.sy, which is based in New York, NY is trying to do the same for art. They’re working on “The Art Genome Project,” which is “an ongoing study of the characteristics that distinguish and connect works of art.” It’s based on evaluating works of art “along 500+ characteristics—such as art-historical movements, subject matter, and formal qualities—to create a powerful search experience that reflects the multifaceted aspects of works of art.”

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Chemical Heritage Foundation Logo

When I was a kid, I had my own chemistry set. It was pretty cool–I could do things like change the color of a liquid by mixing a few different powders. Ok, so it wasn’t that exciting, especially after I learned that my Dad would make his own gunpowder and blow stuff up when he was a kid. After having a watered down chemistry set as a kid, I ended up having a completely inept chemistry teacher in high school. It should be no surprise that my interest in chemistry fizzled out, but if I wanted to get the reaction going again, I might look to the Chemical Heritage Foundation. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based non-profit organization that “fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society” by “inspiring a passion for chemistry; highlighting chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and preserving the story of chemistry and its technologies and industries across centuries.”

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Chicago History Museum

by on October 1, 2011

Chicago History Museum Logo

I’m starting to get settled in my new place. After living in two moderately new high-rises in downtown Chicago, I’ve moved into a more historic building–it was built in 1921 and served as a Chinese consulate at some point. Now that I’m starting my fourth year living in the city, I feel that it’s only appropriate for me to start learning a little more about the city’s history. That’s why I should probably make a visit to the Chicago History Museum, which is just a mile down the street from me. Ironically, the museum, having been founded in 1856, “is the city’s oldest cultural institution,” though they pretty much had to start over after the Great Fire destroyed their building and most of their collection in 1871. Three years later there was another fire that destroyed most of what remained. Luckily, there haven’t been any more fires, so the Chicago History Museum has had a decent amount of time to build a new collection.

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Internet Archive

by on September 17, 2011

Internet Archive Logo

Humans are really good at destroying history. It’s not usually intentional, but it’s hard to know what will be historically significant before it’s historically significant. Since most of us are constantly running out of space for “stuff,” it’s nearly impossible not to replace the old with the new. It’s happened with architecture, cars, toys, books, nature, and pretty much everything else we’ve touched, but nowhere is it happening more quickly than on the Internet. Old information is constantly being replaced with new information. It seems like a good thing–and it generally is–but we need to start coming to terms with the fact that more and more of our history is happening online. Luckily, we have the Internet Archive. They are a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that has been “building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form” since 1996. They’ve built an amazing resource, that you can access through the Wayback Machine. You can type in any URL and see what it looked like in the past. It’s amazingly cool, but a bit embarrassing for those of us who had websites back in the day.

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VOICES of September 11th

by on September 11, 2011

VOICES of September 11th Logo

We all have our own September 11th stories. I shared mine last year when I wrote about the National September 11 Memorial Museum. These stories, whether they are from the front lines or from people thousands of miles away, are what will ensure that we continue to use the memory of those whose lives were lost 10 years ago today as a positive force. VOICES of September 11th is a non-profit organization that was founded by two women who lost loved ones in the attacks to serve as “an information clearinghouse for those affected by the attacks through the use of a Web site, electronic newsletter, direct mailings and media outreach.” They are based in New Canaan, CT with a satellite office in New Brunswick, NJ, and they have expanded their mission over the years to include “providing continuity of care to promote resiliency and address the long-term issues” of those who were directly affected by the attacks.

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Nantucket Historical Association Logo

I’m on Cape Cod for a wedding this weekend, so I decided to take my girlfriend over to Nantucket, MA for the day yesterday. I hadn’t been there in 9 years after going there every summer for the first 18 years of my life. It’s a wonderful island that is loaded with history. We walked around all day and made stops at the Old Gaol and the Whaling Museum, both of which are owned and operated by the Nantucket Historical Association. Both are well worth a visit, and so are all of the other NHA properties. If you want to learn about early American history, Nantucket is a great place to visit, and much of the reason is because of the work of the Nantucket Historical Association.

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Lower East Side Tenement Museum Logo

We often forget that this country has been built (and is continuing to be built) by immigrants. For hundreds of years people have risked everything that they had to try for a better life in America. While just getting here is a journey, the first few years of “making a new life, working for a better future, starting a family with limited means” can be daunting. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, NY tells the story of life in America for nearly 7,000 immigrants from over 20 countries who lived in the building between the years of 1863 and 1935. It’s a part of American history that doesn’t get a lot of attention (how many of us have visited colonial era museums?), yet it’s an extremely important part of our national identity.

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Sapphos Environmental

by on March 3, 2011

Sapphos Environmental Logo

It used to be that if you wanted to build something, the hard part would be actually building it. These days the biggest hold up in construction and development is often environmental compliance. There are a multitude of regulations that limit what you can build, where you can build it, and how you can build it. The rules are often complex and they can vary greatly between jurisdictions. Sapphos Environmental is a Pasadena, CA based company that helps its clients resolve “planning, resource management, and environmental compliance issues through the development of pragmatic solutions and exemplary client service.” In other words they offer a range of services that ensure that development projects are done in an environmentally sensitive and compliant way.

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Thomas Jefferson Foundation

by on February 19, 2011

Interested in the intersection of media and public policy? Then you have to check out the Washington Media Scholars Program.

Thomas Jefferson Foundation Logo

It’d be pretty cool to have your home turned into a museum. Not only would it mean that you lived in a pretty sweet place, but it would also mean that you made enough of a mark on history for people to actually want to learn about your life. There’s no better example of someone worth learning about than Thomas Jefferson. Not only did he write the Declaration of Independence, but he was also the third president and founder of the University of Virginia. It’s no surprise that he ended up on both the two dollar bill and the nickel. Anyway, many might expect Jefferson’s Monticello to be run by the government, but it’s actually managed by a non-profit organization called the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA. They’ve been maintaining Monticello and 2,500 of its 5,000 acres for nearly 90 years with a dual mission of education and preservation, which is a great service to our country and its history.

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The Island School

by on January 2, 2011

The Island School Logo

Today marks the end of vacation for a lot of people. Tomorrow morning’s blaring alarm will mean back to work or back to school, and the great feeling of the New Year will start to wear off. I have a couple of days left, but I’m not too excited to go back to Chicago’s predicted 19-degree weather on Tuesday night. But what if going back to work or school meant returning to an island in the Bahamas? That would change some attitudes, which is why you should envy the teachers and students at The Island School on Cape Eleuthra. The Island School calls itself “a mind, body, and spirit journey that takes students away from traditional high school curriculum and invites them to confront authentic challenges” where “classes are designed to allow first-hand engagement with the people and environment of The Bahamas.” It’s most definitely not a vacation, but it’s education in a far more welcoming environment.

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International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Logo

I’m not a big fan of museums unless they’re super-focused on a specific topic. I get kind of bored looking at random collections of stuff, but when a museum or an exhibit tells a story, then I get interested. I’m sure I’d be fascinated at any one of the “Sites of Conscience” that are in the network of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, which is a New York City based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to helping historic sites inspire social consciousness and action.” The sites in the network are “specifically dedicated to remembering past struggles for justice and addressing their contemporary legacies,” and there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with at least one of them. Remembering our history is essential to moving forward on human rights issues, and the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience ensures that our history is accessible and delivered in a compelling way.

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National September 11 Memorial & Museum

September 11th, 2001 was supposed to be a great day for me. I was a senior in high school, and through the intricacies of my school’s scheduling system, I only had two classes scheduled that day. I was going to be out of there before 11 AM. Things didn’t go as planned, as the Head of the School made an unexpected appearance during morning announcements (the school was small enough that we could all meet in one large room). Something terrible had happened, but it wasn’t quite clear how bad it actually was. A couple friends and I immediately went to the beach across the street from our school. We knew that on a clear day you could see the Twin Towers, and September 11, 2001 was as clear as they come. We watched as a mass of smoke obscured the New York City skyline, and we listened to radio reports of what was going on. Luckily, many of the things that were reported on the radio about other possible attacks weren’t true, and the magnitude of the casualties from the attacks weren’t nearly as bad as we first feared (we thought there might be 50,000 dead in New York City alone). Still, there was a feeling of terror that none of us had ever faced before. I spent much of the day with other classmates, some close friends and some not so close. We went to another beach, watched the news at someone’s house, and went to a church service. September 11th is one of the days that has defined the world that I grew up in, and it’s likely that you feel the same way. It’s a day that I will always remember, which is why I am happy to see the National September 11 Memorial & Museum progressing. It’s supposed to open a year from today, and I’ll certainly visit once it’s open on the Ground Zero site.

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Daughters of the American Revolution Logo

Happy Independence Day! (And Happy Birthday Mom!) Today we’re celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Though I’m sure you’re showing your patriotism, chances are that your celebration includes some combination of barbecuing, beach, beer, baseball, and blowing stuff up. The Daughters of the American Revolution take the Fourth of July a little more seriously. They’re a “non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.” They restrict membership to women “who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution,” so they also happen to be “one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country” with 165,000 members. I’ve seen the DAR march in my town’s Memorial Day parade, but their work goes far beyond making public appearances.

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National Archives

by on July 3, 2009

National Archives Logo

Since I’m going to have a non-profit for you tomorrow, let’s start celebrating the Fourth of July today. Now, I know that you probably have fireworks, the beach, hot dogs, and hamburgers on your mind, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the Declaration of Independence. It’s the best “I Quit” letter in the history of the world. It’s like that letter that you wrote to your parents when you were 14 and decided that you were moving out, except it isn’t completely nonsensical. The Declaration of Independence has a lot to do with why this country is so great, so I hope that you’ll take a minute to give it a read today. And where do you go if you want to read the Declaration of Independence? The National Archives, of course! You can see the original document in all its glory, or you can check out a more readable version. If you’re not familiar with what the National Archives is, basically they “are the nation’s record keeper.” They preserve and keep forever 1%-3% of our government’s documents for both legal and historical reasons.

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