The Summer Internship Program is eight weeks long, beginning June 1 and ending July 23. Interns are expected to report to their internship four days a week, from Monday through Thursday, from 10am to 4pm for the duration. Adjustments can be discussed with the interns’ supervisor. Interns should be able to report in person to LancasterHistory, unless unforeseen circumstances occur.

LancasterHistory welcomes applications from undergraduate and graduate students in a range of fields. Applicants should have at least one year of college or equivalent work experience and a high school degree. High school applicants are not eligible.

We strive to include a diverse range of backgrounds, university affiliations, and interests in this program, with the common thread that students have an interest in exploring careers in public history, history, archives, library science, material culture, non-profit administration, or related fields.

The LancasterHistory Summer Internship Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities and is offered without cost to all who are accepted into the program. All interns will be given a $2,500.00 stipend distributed in increments at intervals throughout the program. Housing is not provided, but staff can advise on local options. (We regularly aid interns in finding summer housing.) Interns should be able to transport themselves to and from LancasterHistory each day.

All interns will work with the director of a department at LancasterHistory to complete an individual project during the internship. For 2026, there will be internship opportunities in the following departments: Curatorial; Education; and Historic House Interpretation (at James Buchanan’s Wheatland). Please note that projects may involve collaboration with other LancasterHistory staff, interns, and departments.

Expectations of each intern depend on their department. Please review the following before applying for the program.

Internship Description for Curatorial

• View/Download a PDF [.pdf; 144kb]

Internship Description for Education

• View/Download a PDF [.pdf; 103kb]

Internship Description for Historic House Interpretation

• View/Download a PDF [.pdf; 103kb]

If you have trouble viewing the PDFs or require the file in a different format, please contact support@lancasterhistory.org.

To apply: 

• Complete the online application form;
• Submit a formal cover letter briefly (250-300 words) detailing your academic and/or work experience, your personal interest in history and museums, and why you are interested in joining the LancasterHistory Summer Internship program or what you hope to get out of the experience;
• Submit your current resume or CV; and
• Submit one letter of recommendation to the primary department you selected:
  • If you selected "Curatorial," please submit your letter to Dr. James McMahon at james.mcmahon@lancasterhistory.org.
  • If you selected "Education," please submit your letter to Starleisha Gingrich at starleisha.gingrich@lancasterhistory.org.
  • If you selected "Historic House Interpretation," please submit your letter to Stephanie Celiberti at stephanie.celiberti@lancasterhistory.org.

Applications close March 15 at 11:59pm Eastern. We will conduct interviews on a rolling basis so we can make decisions as quickly as possible. We will announce final decisions on or before April 15.