Looking For Internship Opportunities?
The Campbell House Museum works in cooperation with colleges and universities to promote education in history, art history, museum studies and other programs. Campbell House interns have gone on the find jobs in museums around the country. A few have even found employment at Campbell House!
Interns may be assigned to focus on a particular facet of the Museum, such as…
- Collections
- Development
- Research
- Educational Programming
- Promotions
- And, more!
However, a broad range of activities will be part of the experience, and the student will receive exposure to various contacts in the cultural institutions industry in St. Louis. As a result, the intern will be better prepared for the “real world” of work.
In recent years interns have worked on projects as diverse as helping establish the Museum’s PastPerfect collection database, a GIS project mapping the Campbell’s Lucas Place neighborhood, research into Robert Campbell’s involvement in the 1851 Fort Laramie treaty and the short-lived U.S. Indian Commission and identification of the Campbell’s art collection.
Internships are generally not paid but are available for course credit. For more information, work with your school adviser and please contact the Museum.
Past Internships - In Their Own Words
My internship this summer at Campbell House Museum was a truly wonderful experience. One benefit of interning at a smaller museum was that I got an understanding of how a museum is run in a lot of different aspects. Campbell House Museum itself is such an incredible historical resource, and the staff were amazingly friendly and always excited to help me with whatever I was working on!
- Katherine N.
I had a wonderful summer interning at the Campbell House Museum. I loved learning about the Campbell family and their house, and sharing that history with visitors on tours. Because I was interested in learning more about the family’s religious history, I spent the summer researching and piecing together a timeline on that topic. I had so much fun! I also really enjoyed getting to know everyone who works at the museum – the staff, the docents, and the other interns. I’m so grateful for my experience at the Campbell House!
- Sydney S.
My time at the Campbell House Museum has been an absolutely amazing experience. I was able to continue to develop my skills as a student of museum studies while working with a close-knit, dedicated group of staff and volunteers. In addition working with actual Campbell family artifacts, I was also allowed to work with letters and photographs from the archive. This dual exposure helped me to understand what being a historian/museum professional is really about. The Campbell House has given me more opportunities than I ever imagined and has provided me with a solid base on which to begin my museum career. I am truly grateful for my time there.
- Lindsey D.
Wow!! There are so many positive things to describe my time at Campbell House that it’s hard to find a place to begin. You will not find a more dedicated group of people focused on the preservation and presentation of public history, and the home itself is a national treasure, unlike anything I’d had the opportunity to experience previously. A trademark of my year at Campbell House was the amount of hands-on, down and dirty work that I was given the opportunity to do with artifacts and documents, from preservation procedures to the design and implementation of exhibits. CHM also provided me with valuable experience in PastPerfect museum software. I would highly recommend an internship or volunteer experience with the Campbell House Museum to anyone planning a future working in archives or museums, it is time well spent in a magnificent home with the best staff around.
- Sam M.
I thoroughly enjoyed my summer internship at Campbell House Museum. As someone who is new to St. Louis, I discovered many valuables in the house: a rich history of a prominent family in the fur trade and their gorgeous belongings, a stellar example of a meticulously restored historic site, and a knowledgeable and friendly group of community members who have incredible high standards for preserving and improving the museum. As an intern, I was able to gain experience in basic museum skills: giving tours of the home, learning how to inventory artifacts, utilizing archival software, and studying the family’s correspondence and records to conduct research. Without hesitation, I would recommend Campbell House Museum to students interested in history, art, preservation, and education as well as anyone looking to give their time and resources to a worthy cause.
- Heather W.
Interning at the Campbell House was a rewarding way to spend my summer. I enjoyed engaging with St. Louis history, learning Past Perfect software, understanding the inner workings of a small private museum, and contributing to the house in a small way. I feel that working closely with and getting to know the museum staff and volunteers was the most valuable aspect of the experience. Because this internship program sparked a passion for the home, I will be staying involved with the home as a docent.