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Custer Battlefield Museum
2020 Summer/Fall Internship
Are you seriously interested in spending your summer as an intern at the Custer Battlefield Museum in the historic town of Garryowen, Montana? Do you have an interest in the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the Western Migration Movement? Do you have history in your blood? If you answered “yes” to these three questions, then keep reading for the opportunity to have the experience of a lifetime!
A Little About Us
The Custer Battlefield Museum is located in Garryowen, Montana, in the exact location "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 141st commemoration of the Battle.
The Museum's 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, as well as ephemera belonging to Sitting Bull, G.A. Custer, Tom Custer, Crazy Horse, Lewis & Clark, and other important figures of the time.
Part of 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 commemoration 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 around the Tomb with life-and-a-half-sized busts of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and 7th Cavalry General George Custer.
Position Description
Three to six month internship position with the Custer Battlefield Museum in beautiful Garryowen, Montana (May through October; 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 other interns 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 tourist questions and online inquiries, and educating tourists in various aspects of the famous Battle. The Museum and Trading Post average 100+ visitors daily. Interns 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, interns should be prepared to answer general questions about Eastern Montana tourist sites, Yellowstone National Park, and Mount Rushmore.
The internship is an unpaid position, 40+ hours per week. If interested, interns 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. We provide the educational training and materials, housing, historical outings, meals, adventure, and a lot of fun!
The cost to the Museum for room and board totals $6500.00 per intern. If you are selected to spend the summer with us, the Museum will award a $6000.00 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. Interns who wish to use this opportunity to receive college credits may make arrangements with the Museum Director and his/her college advisor.
Your summer/fall home in Montana will include a clean and comfortable bedroom with a bath adjacent to the Museum (two interns per room), keep in mind that the Custer Battlefield Museum is located within the exterior boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation adjacent to the Little Big Horn River. This is a tremendous on-site educational opportunity to live on a historic site in the Big Sky Country of Montana!
Required Knowledge/Experience
• 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 working knowledge 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 historical 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 but not necessary
• Experience with e-commerce websites is a plus
Internship Period
Roughly four to six months May – October (all dates are flexible)
Application Process
Submit your resume and a cover letter explaining why we should pick you, which must include the following: interest/education in American/Western history, exact availability dates, and three academic/professional references. If you feel really creative and want to stand out as an applicant, we welcome you to send a short video why you think you should be selected to be the next Custer Battlefield Museum Intern. We are also interested in learning how you heard of this internship position. Submit the information to custer2017intern@gmail.com.
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