For Immediate Release
Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 1 first time accreditation and 25 reaccreditation awards made at the October 2024 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1112 are currently accredited.
Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and review by their peers, these museums have demonstrated they meet standards and best practices, and are educational entities that are appropriate stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.
Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for nearly 55 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Accreditation Program ensures the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforces the educational and public service roles of museums, and promotes good governance practices and ethical behavior.
First time Accreditation
- Avenir Museum of Design & Merchandising, Fort Collins, CO
Reaccreditation
- Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL
- Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Brookgreen Gardens, Pawleys Island, SC
- Chicago History Museum, Chicago, IL
- Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
- De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara, CA
- Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY
- Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
- Grout Museum District, Waterloo, IA
- Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Honolulu, HI
- Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, MA
- Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY
- Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA
- Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, San Juan, PR
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
- North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, Bismarck, ND
- Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City, OK
- Paine Art Center & Gardens, Oshkosh, WI
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX
- Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester, NY
- Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas, TX
- The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, FL
- USC Museums (Fisher Museum, Pacific Asia Museum), Pasadena, CA
- Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Decorah, IA
- Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Madison, WI
To earn accreditation, a museum submits a self-study questionnaire and key operational documents for evaluation, then undergoes a site visit by a two-person team of peer reviewers which produces a report for the Accreditation Commission. The Commission uses these materials and its collective expertise to determine whether to grant accreditation.
The Accreditation Commission meets 3 times a year (February, June, and October) and can make one of the following decisions:
- Grant accreditation (usually for 10 years)
- Table its decision for 1 year so specific issues can be addressed
- Deny accreditation due to failure to meet multiple Core Standards
- Defer a decision to gather additional information
A museum’s accredited status is not changed during a period in which a decision is tabled or deferred.
Read more about the Alliance’s Accreditation Program.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.
###
Press Contact:
Natanya Khashan
Comments