Job Title: Historical Interpreter
Location: Raquette Lake, NY
Position: Full-time, seasonal (May 31 – October 17), non-exempt
Salary & Benefits: Starting at $15.50 – 17.60 per hour based on skills & experience, plus participation in the Staff Appreciation Fund bonus program. Includes free lodging & meals at Great Camp Sagamore if desired; paid sick leave; participation in Sagamore’s SIMPLE retirement plan after 1 season.
This position is immediately available and remains open until filled.
About Great Camp Sagamore
Great Camp Sagamore is a National Historic Landmark and is one of the first of the nationally renowned Great Camps of the Adirondacks. Located in one of the most remote areas of the Adirondack Park, Sagamore is today an educational private, non-profit institution dedicated to stewarding Great Camp Sagamore as a welcoming place for educational and recreational programs and fostering connections to history, nature, and community.
Sagamore welcomes guests from late May through late October and on two separate days during the winter. Guests come from around the world to take our tours, participate in overnight and day experiences, attend conferences, get married, host family reunions, and enjoy concerts, lectures, and other public events.
Working at Great Camp Sagamore
Great Camp Sagamore employs a core group of year-round staff members and additional seasonal staff to support our on-campus programs and activities. During the season, most staff members live on campus with lodging and meals provided free of charge. We maintain a collaborative work environment where all staff members are expected to lead by example, work closely together positively, and foster a safe, encouraging, and enjoyable workplace.
Great Camp Sagamore is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment that empowers all staff members to grow and be active within decision-making spaces. We are committed to ensuring an anti-racist culture and a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. Great Camp Sagamore will not discriminate based on gender, gender expression, sexual identity, sexual orientation, race, class, color, age, ethnicity, first language, religion or belief, or family, marital, parental, military, or veteran status in any aspect of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, discipline, terminations, wages and salary, benefits, training, and professional development.
At Great Camp Sagamore, all employees help to facilitate camp offerings. In addition to one’s job-specific duties, other tasks may be assigned, as needed, to support camp operations for the employee’s department or other camp departments.
Position Description
Help bring the past to life at a National Historic Landmark!
Great Camp Sagamore is now hiring historical interpreters for the 2025 season. The interpreters’ primary responsibility is leading groups of day visitors and overnight guests on daily two-hour tours of Sagamore’s historically preserved and restored 17-acre, 27-building campus. These tours tell the story of more than 125 years of the past and uses of our Adirondack Great Camp, touching upon architecture, the Gilded Age and Industrial Revolution, environmental history, economic history, and Native American history.
Interpreters also use a substantial amount of their time conducting season-long history projects that are mutually beneficial to their own historical interests and Sagamore’s ongoing initiatives. Past examples include archiving documents, imagining displays, creating historical media, conducting historical research, or expanding historical communications and marketing strategies.
Applicants need not be subject experts: two weeks of fully paid, full-time training start the season. During training, interpreters learn about Sagamore’s historical origins, key players in its past, and how camp operations provided sophisticated luxury in the heart of the most remote part of the Eastern United States. We also share strategies and develop skills to help interpreters draw visitors into nuanced historical narratives in lighthearted, engaging and accessible ways.
Other duties also include approximately two one-hour shifts monitoring our historic bowling alley each week, approximately two half-hour shifts serving as a dinner host in the dining hall, as well as short shifts monitoring our office during quieter hours.
Interpreters may also be called upon to help support multi-day, overnight, or special history programs in various ways, often assisting with set-up logistics or joining an in-progress event as a backup. Interpreters also work in the welcome center and retail gift shop where all tours begin and end. Lastly, interpreters may also lead or help facilitate “History Hikes” to nearby wilderness sites using maintained hiking trails.
While neither tours nor trails are particularly strenuous, this is a job suited for outgoing individuals who enjoy being outdoors, moving through space, talking to visitors, and sharing stories and insights about the past.
Beyond these primary responsibilities, interpreters are also welcomed as full participants in Sagamore’s organizational culture and operations, and contribute to providing a safe and welcoming atmosphere for guests and fellow staff.
Requirements for the Historical Interpreter position include a four-year college degree or similar educational attainment, previous experience and comfort with public speaking, a demonstrated interest in history, and the ability to thrive in a small, tight-knit community deep in a wilderness setting. Qualified people in all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.
Preferred Skills and Experiences
- A four year-undergraduate college degree, or commensurate experience.
- Excellent communication and public speaking skills.
- Ability to work effectively and impactfully on longer term projects, without major supervision or monitoring.
- Strong leadership skills and comfort guiding groups on historical tours and handling unexpected issues that may arise.
- Experience and enjoyment sharing history and interacting with guests.
- Past experience in hospitality, front-end or front-of-the-house work, or guest services (broadly defined) is also ideal.
- Recent graduates, retirees, and other qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
- First aid, CPR, and/or Wilderness First Aid certification is a plus.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift and carry 30 lbs, for short distances
- Ability to walk up and down 2 flights of stairs
- Ability to traverse gravel roads/paths and uneven terrain at least 1 mile per day (with frequent breaks and rests).
Additional Perks
When off duty, staff have access to the camp’s facilities and amenities, including the Boat House canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, and access to the 12 miles of foot trails adjacent to the property. Staff receives a discount in the Gift Shop, and staff members’ friends and extended family members may enjoy tours, meals, and overnight accommodations at reduced costs.
How to apply
- Send your resume, cover letter, and three references to cwilliams@greatcampsagamore.org and employment@greatcampsagamore.org
- The hiring team will review your application and contact you to let you know whether you will be moving forward in the process.
- Advancing applicants will be invited to participate in the interview process, including phone and/or virtual interviews.
- Selected candidates will be sent an offer letter and new-hire information.