The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum (GPDM) is located in the rich land mass of Northern Montana where some the world’s most preeminent dinosaur fossils have been discovered.  A site and member of the Montana Dinosaur Trail, GPDM maintains permanent exhibits of dinosaurs and other prehistoric fossils to advance the visitors experience, allowing them to appreciate, enjoy and fully understand the rich prehistory  of this region.  The Museum also provides the rare opportunity for both youth and adults to explore, dig and excavate fossils with their staff and paleontologist partners in scheduled educational and dig programs.

The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum (GPDM) is governed and operated by volunteer board members of the Judith River Foundation, Inc.   The Foundation is an IRS exempt 510c3 non-profit corporation established in 2002.  The GPDM is not a municipal entity, is not affiliated with any higher education institutions, receives no general tax support, and is entirely self-funded through membership fees, admissions, dig and tour revenue and fundraising.

GPDM is guided by a mission to curate and prepare paleontological resources for use in educational programs, scientific research and interpretive displays in support of the advancement of knowledge and the benefit of all people.

405 North 1st St East | Malta, Montana (406) 654-5300 [email protected]

Volunteer

Volunteering & Interning at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum

Operating such a unique museum in a sparsely populated area of Montana is challenging. The museum receives no government funding for its operating costs. Instead, it relies solely on funds generated by admissions, gift store sales, programs and memberships to meet its operating costs. Without volunteers, the museum would be limited in the programs and opportunities it offers.

The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for all ages: educational programs for adults and children, fundraising events, fossil preparation, working in the gift store, and much more! Volunteers also choose their own days and time. So, whatever you’d like to do and whenever you’d like to do it, the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum is grateful for your help!

INTERN NOTICE:  We apologize to all who have contacted us – we are still unsure about our internship program for 2023.  If you would still like to apply, please use our general GPDM Employment Application per the link below.

GPDM Employment Application fillable form

paleontology volunteer“I loved my internship at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum; it provided me with an excellent opportunity to experience a more practical side of palaeontology than I have had the chance to learn at university or would likely have in my home country of England. Through my internship, not only was I instructed in fossil preparation, but I also learnt about and got hands on with proper fossil storage, excavation, jacketing, prospecting and the general workings of a museum.

Despite being so far from home, everyone at the museum and the community went out of their way to make me feel welcome, from providing emotional support to supplying kitchenware. Alongside working at the museum, I had a fantastic time experiencing a different culture and there was always someone happy to accompany me or show me around. I would definitely recommend the GPDM internships to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of palaeontology and palaeontology as a vocation.”

Emily K.
2018 Intern; from Hampshire, England

 

 

“The internship experience at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum was incredibly instructive. Not only did I learn field paleontology practices, such as excavating and jacketing fossils, but I also learned what went into the design and execution of youth and adult museum educational programs. As a non-native English speaker, the opportunity to engage and interact with museum visitors, children, and program participants was an invaluable first-hand experience.

With its amazing paleo resources, literally past its doors, Malta is a perfect location for a deep immersion in paleontology; and the people of Malta are well informed and proud of their town’s ancient heritage. While interning with the Museum, everyone – the Museum staff and Board as well as the whole community – took great care to make sure I was comfortable, enjoying myself, and learning in a new country. I would strongly recommend this internship to any level of student wanting to improve their museum skills: from field and preparation techniques, to educational programs, to learning the ins and outs of museum operations.”

Lorenzo L.
2017 Intern; from Bologna, Italy

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