For Immediate Release
Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 2 first time accreditations and 27 reaccreditation awards made at the June 2023 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,102 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 over 50 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:
- CU Art Museum, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
- Texas Heritage Museum, Hill College, Hillsboro, TX
Reaccreditation:
- Arab American National Museum, Dearborn, MI
- Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX
- Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
- Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Dayton, OH
- Bullock Texas State History Museum, Austin, TX
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL
- Gore Place Society, Waltham, MA
- Hagley Museum & Library, Wilmington, DE
- Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Norfolk, VA
- Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA
- History Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
- HistoryMiami Museum, Miami, FL
- Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Las Vegas, NV
- Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
- National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Pratt Museum, Homer, AK
- Puget Sound Navy Museum, Bremerton, WA
- Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Cornish, NH
- Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art, Tulsa, OK
- Stearns History Museum, Saint Cloud, MN
- Studebaker National Museum, South Bend, IN
- Tallahassee Museum of History & Natural Science, Tallahassee, FL
- The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
- The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, Hot Springs SD
- University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks AK
- Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Millville, NJ
- Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
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.
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Press Contact:
Natanya Khashan
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