Employment
Drake Well Museum and Park in Titusville, PA, is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) in partnership with Friends of Drake Well, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, community-based organization. Drake Well Museum and Park also administers Historic Pithole City in Pleasantville, PA, and McClintock Well #1 in Rouseville, PA. The mission of Drake Well Museum and Park is to uncover, preserve, and share Pennsylvania's rich petroleum history, connecting past to present through a diversity of perspectives and inspiring our global audience to strive for a sustainable energy future.
Summer Museum Internships
2 Summer Museum Internships (part-time, seasonal) - Friends of Drake Well, Inc., is offering the opportunity for students to apply for part-time internships at Drake Well Museum and Park and Historic Pithole City during the Summer of 2026. The internships are for students who are currently enrolled in a full-time bachelor’s or advanced degree program, have completed at least one year, and are in good academic standing. Interns work alongside Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and Friends of Drake Well staff to gain experience and aid in the everyday operations of the Museum.
Drake Well Summer Museum Internships offer students the opportunity to be introduced and trained in many of the professional skills of the museum environment including museum education, curatorial/archival skills, outreach education, and non-profit management. Students will work with staff on various projects such as the development of educational programs, research and development of a temporary exhibit, outreach initiatives, and more.
The internships are paid, starting at $17.31/hour. More information including requirements can be found in the online application.
- Students can apply for a Friends of Drake Well 2026 Summer Museum Internship at www.joinhandshake.com.
- Internships will be between May 2026 and August 2026
- Applications are due February 9, 2026
For more information review the listing on Handshake or contact:
Sarah Goodman, Museum Educator
Phone: (814) 461-0005
Email: sargoodman@pa.gov
David L. Weber Research Internship
David L. Weber Research Internship (part-time, seasonal) - Friends of Drake Well, Inc., is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Research Intern to join our innovative team at Drake Well Museum & Park. This graduate-level internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic research environment and collaborate with seasoned professionals while researching the ever-evolving petroleum industry. The internship is named after the late David Weber, a former historian and researcher at Drake Well Museum, whose research and writings helped to advance our knowledge of the early petroleum industry in Pennsylvania. The Research Intern will continue the great work started by Weber, assisting the Museum by
- Performing an archival review to identify gaps in existing research and make a list of findings
- Conducting research on topics from compiled list to flesh out historical information in archive
- Acting Editor-in-Residence for forthcoming issue of the Friends of Drake Well, Inc.’s academic publication the OilField Journal
- Presenting research by contributing an article to the OilField Journal and giving an oral presentation at a site event
- Providing support to the Curatorial and Collections Department for ongoing archival projects
Required Qualifications
- Pursing a Graduate or Ph.D. degree in the following areas: History, Public History, Museum Studies, Sociology, Archival Studies, English, Library Science, Journalism, Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Women’s Studies and other related fields involving intensive research and writing skills
- Strong analytical skills with a foundation in research methodologies
- Familiarity with data analysis tools (i.e. Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Zoom, Dropbox, Canva)
- Chicago Manual of Style, Turabian Citation Style, and other similar writing styles are highly encouraged, but not required
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
The internship is paid starting at $17.31/hour. Internship is held between May 2026 and August 2026.
This position is offered through Friends of Drake Well, Inc., the nonprofit community-based organization that actively supports the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in the administration of Drake Well Museum & Park in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The internship will take place at Drake Well Museum & Park.
To apply or to read further details on the position, please visit www.joinhandshake.com. Applications are due by February 9, 2026.
Keystone Internships (Part Time-Seasonal) These internships are offered through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The internships are various museum-related positions located at different PHMC sites throughout Pennsylvania. Deadline for applications is February 9, 2026. For full details and to apply visit: PHMC Keystone Internship Program | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. NOTE: THESE POSITIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT DRAKE WELL MUSEUM AND PARK for the Summer of 2026.