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 41 reaccreditation awards made at the October 2023 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,106 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.

1^st time Accreditation:

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL
• Ontario Museum of History & Art, Ontario, CA

 

Reaccreditation:

• Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
• Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Clewiston, FL
• Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
• American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester, VT
• Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
• Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ
• Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN
• Fort Worth Museum of Science & History, Fort Worth, TX
• Great Explorations, St Petersburg, FL
• Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA
• Historic Annapolis, Annapolis, MD
• Hofstra University Museum, Hempstead, NY
• Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY
• International Museum of Art & Science, McAllen, TX
• Iolani Palace, Honolulu, HI
• Jewish Museum of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
• Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio University, Athens, OH
• Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel, MS
• Maryhill Museum of Art, Goldendale, WA
• Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis, MO
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
• Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, MT
• Museums of Oglebay Institute, Wheeling, WV
• National Canal Museum – Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Easton, PA
• National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL
• National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC
• Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Oklahoma City, OK
• Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
• Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
• San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
• Smoky Hill Museum, Salina, KS
• Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA
• The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• United States Botanic Garden, Washington, DC
• University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, KY
• University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, NE
• University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY
• USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Price, UT
• Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond, VA
• Wyoming State Museum, Cheyenne, WY

 

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 three 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

media@aam-us.org