Custer Battlefield Museum Internship
Custer Battlefield Museum
Custer Battlefield Museum Internship
- Responsibilities
A LITTLE ABOUT US:
The Custer Battlefield Museum is located in Garryowen, Montana, "Where the Battle of the Little Big Horn Began." The Museum is recognized as a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation, supported exclusively through private funding. We are located on the historic site where Sitting Bull’s camp was attacked by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s troops in 1876. This year is the 143rd commemoration of the Battle.
The Museum's primary mission is to educate the general public on the Western Migration Movement, American expansion, and the Battle of the Little Big Horn. This institution also collects, preserves, and exhibits original artifacts, Native American beadwork, photographs, paintings, and rare books and manuscripts related to Custer, the Battle, and other frontier subjects. Extensive exhibits of Native American and 7th Cavalry artifacts include many items excavated from the Battlefield, as well as ephemera belonging to General George Armstrong Custer, his brother Tom Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Lewis & Clark, and other important figures of the time.
The Museum’s collection of more than one hundred D.F. Barry photographs has toured internationally and is now on permanent display. The Tomb of the Unknown United States Soldier, dedicated during the 50th anniversary of Custer’s massacre, is a highlight on the Museum grounds and is maintained by this institution. During the 125th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, a Peace Memorial monument was erected with life-sized busts of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and 7th Cavalry General George Custer.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Seeking a mature and experienced individual with history in their veins to fill a three-month or longer internship position with the Custer Battlefield Museum in beautiful Garryowen, Montana (May through September; exact dates are flexible). Responsibilities include serving as Museum / Trading Post staff in a variety of projects and promotions related to the Museum’s collection and displays, such as brainstorming ideas to promote the Museum and collaborating with staff on promotional and fundraising ideas for the planned Elizabeth Custer Library and Museum. Additional duties include admissions, handling cash, helping with retail Trading Post inventory and sales (Trading Post sales support the Museum’s activities), answering questions and online inquiries, and educating tourists in various aspects of the famous Battle. The Museum and Trading Post average 100+ visitors daily. Intern will also be asked to maintain social media sites.
Custer Battlefield Museum is a state-approved tourist information center. In addition to answering questions about the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, intern should be prepared to answer general questions about Eastern Montana tourist sites, Yellowstone National Park, and Mount Rushmore.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Submit your resume and a cover letter with background information and your qualifications. BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: interest/education in American/Western history, exact availability dates, and three academic/professional references.
- Qualifications
- Must be age 21 or older
- High school graduate, some college
- Enjoy interacting and visiting with the public
- Personable, outgoing, enthusiastic, positive attitude
- Reliable, responsible, flexible
- Strong attention to detail and good organizational skills
- A love of American history and a desire to learn more
- A go-getter in terms of coming up with projects and seeing them through to completion
- Able to think outside of the box, to come up with creative ideas to promote the Museum
- Capable of learning new material rapidly; willing to spend the time and expend the effort necessary to study material
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Able to accept supervision
- Intermediate computer skills
- Knowledge of PastPerfect Museum Software a BIG plus
- Experience with e-commerce websites is helpful
- CompensationThe internship is an unpaid position, approximately 40+ hours per week. If interested, intern will also have the opportunity to work additional paid hours (this is not mandatory) in the Trading Post, which supports the activities of the Museum. In addition, we are happy to work with college advisors to offer college credits for the internship. We provide the educational training and materials, housing, meals, adventure, and fun! The cost to the Museum for room and board totals $6,500.00 per intern. If selected, the Museum will award a $6,000.00 grant to cover the majority of these costs. The successful applicant will be responsible to furnish the additional $500.00 toward an unforgettable historical experience and more. We are more than happy to assist the selected intern in receiving college credit for the internship. Your summer/fall home in Montana will include a clean and comfortable room with full bath adjacent to the Museum, which is located within the exterior boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation next to the Little Big Horn River. This is a tremendous on-site educational opportunity in the Big Sky Country of Montana!
- IndustryMuseums and Institutions
- About Us
A LITTLE ABOUT US: The Custer Battlefield Museum is located in Garryowen, Montana, "Where the Battle of the Little Big Horn Began." The Museum is recognized as a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation, supported exclusively through private funding. We are located on the historic site where Sitting Bull’s camp was attacked by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer’s troops in 1876. This year is the 143rd commemoration of the Battle.