For Immediate Release

Washington, DC — Over three hundred staff, students, board members, volunteers, supporters, and independent professionals who work for and with museums traveled to Washington, DC, from across the country to advocate for federal support of America’s museums, making visits to over 300 House and Senate offices on Capitol Hill. Organized by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the eighteenth annual Museums Advocacy Day, February 23–24, will present Congress with powerful research and stories on the economic, educational, and community impact museums have locally and nationally.

Museums serve all people and all communities across America every day. During Museums Advocacy Day 2026, we urge Congress to invest in these vital institutions to ensure museums remain accessible, innovative, and impactful for all, and we advocate for Congress’ tradition of strong bipartisan backing of the agencies who support the critical role museums play. Museums remain among the most trusted institutions in our society. Even amid a growing crisis in public trust, research shows that the public still holds museums in high regard, ranking just behind friends and family, and far above researchers, news organizations, and the government. Remarkably, this trust spans every segment of our community, regardless of race, ethnicity, political beliefs, or attitudes toward inclusion.

“Across every state and in communities of every size, museums are powerful economic engines and trusted civic assets,” said Marilyn Jackson, President & CEO of AAM. “Museums Advocacy Day 2026 brings advocates to Capitol Hill to ensure policymakers understand the full impact of our sector, from workforce development and education to tourism, small business growth, and local revitalization. With 91% of Americans viewing legislative support for museums positively, this is a moment for our legislators to heed the call for sustained federal investment in this critical sector.”

Legislative asks:

Museums Advocacy Day 2026 comes at a time when recent Executive Orders have cast uncertainty over federal funding. Museum advocates will urge Congress to sign on to the bipartisan appropriations letters for the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Office of Museum Services for FY27. Advocates will ask their legislators to join the bipartisan Congressional Museum Caucus, co-chaired by Reps Turner (R-OH) and Tonko (D-NY), to support investment in these vital institutions to continue to showcase America. Advocates will urge Congress to co-sponsor the bipartisan CREATIVE ACT (H.R. 6165) or introduce similar legislation in the Senate. Advocates will urge legislators to support the Commerce, Science and Justice Subcommittee Dear Colleague and the Interior Subcommittee Dear Colleague letter once they are circulated.

Congressional Honorees

Each year during Museums Advocacy Day, the Alliance presents awards to legislators who have demonstrated exemplary support for museums. This year’s awardees are Congressman Turner (R-OH), co-chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, and Congresswoman Pingree (D-ME), co-chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, for their steadfast support of museums and the economic benefits they engender in communities across the country.

Advocacy Leadership Awards

During Museums Advocacy Day, the Alliance presented awards to advocates who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their advocacy for the museum field:

Alexandra Coon, Executive Director of the Massillon Museum and Vice President of the Ohio Museums Association Board, has demonstrated her dedication to Museums Advocacy Day and advocacy on behalf of the field through her engagement with all levels of government, particularly her tireless leadership at the state level in Ohio.

American Association for State and Local History, for their leadership in combatting censorship efforts and commemorating America 250 with the full breadth of our history.

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