For Immediate Release

Arlington, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced 3 first-time accreditation and 41 reaccreditation awards made at the February 2026 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, 1,131 are currently accredited.

Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and peer review, these museums have demonstrated that 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 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 museums’ educational and public service roles, and promotes good governance practices and ethical behavior.

First Time Accreditation

All three newly accredited museums have completed Core Documents Verification and the Museum Assessment Program within the last five years.

Bradford House, Washington, PA

A small museum with one full-time staff member focused on interpreting the Whiskey Rebellion and late 18th-century life.     

Mid-America Science Museum, Hot Springs, AR

A hands-on, mid-sized museum nestled in 21 wooded acres featuring a 280-foot Bob Wheeler Science Skywalk that lifts visitors into the forest canopy.

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz, CA

One of the earliest natural history museums in the nation and the first museum in Santa Cruz, dating back to 1905 with the founding collection of Santa Cruz lighthouse keeper and naturalist, Laura Hecox.

Reaccreditation

Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY        

Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA          

Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Kodiak, AK

Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR       

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Sanibel, FL 

Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY    

Burchfield Penney Art Center, SUNY Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY 

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon, IL    

Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC           

Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO 

Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse, NY  

Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN       

Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Dallas, NC          

Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC   

Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, NY        

Haines Sheldon Museum, Haines, AK          

Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Hastings, NE    

Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN        

Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL    

Littleton Museum, Littleton, CO         

Mahoning Valley Historical Society & the Arms Family Museum of Local History, Youngstown, OH         

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath, ME  

Meadows Museum of Art, Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA           

Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Missouri – Columbia, Columbia, MO

Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL 

Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI    

Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC        

New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces, NM

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, WA

New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford, MA  

Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando, FL

Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME           

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia, PA

Peoria Riverfront Museum, Peoria, IL           

South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN

Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID       

The Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans, LA       

The Valentine, Richmond, VA           

Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS  

University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI          

Yale Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, CT   

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

media@aam-us.org