How do doctors assess your health? Asking how you feel is important, but objective, measurable data—pulse, blood pressure, cholesterol—is critical to flagging potential problems and identifying possible remedies. And collectively, health data provides an epidemiological overview for major segments of the population.

AAM’s annual Snapshot survey is the equivalent of an annual checkup for US museums, taking the temperature of the field (as it were), and monitoring whether troubling symptoms are getting better, or worse, over time. This data equips us, as a sector, to advocate for policies and funding that will enable us to serve our communities. It provides context, for individual institutions, to assess how their health compares to that of their peers. And it provides a glimpse of what may happen next, as some segments of our field (by discipline, size, or geographic location) experience conditions that may become more widespread.

AAM released the 2025 Annual National Snapshot of US Museums results this week. In this post I’ll spotlight some of the topline results, offer some thoughts on what may lie ahead in 2026, and share some actionable insights on how organizations might prepare.

Attendance and Financials

The newly released Snapshot report contains a mix of good news and bad. We’re still seeing lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year only 45 percent of museums reached or exceeded their 2019 attendance level, and we may be seeing early signs of a new set of disruptions. Attendance at one-third of museums has taken a hit from declines in travel and tourism, and/or economic uncertainty, and financial recovery is uneven as well. One quarter of museums (26 percent) report their bottom line in 2024 was weaker than in 2019, and the median decline in performance was a sobering 25 percent. Directors answering the survey identified a suite of disruptions they anticipate will affect their business strategy in 2026, including shifts in philanthropy (63 percent), inflation (53 percent), financial/market instability (52 percent) and changes to travel and tourism (48 percent).  

Collectively, these vital signs (attendance, net operating performance, anticipated business disruptions) have stalled or gotten worse since the 2024 Snapshot. The data suggests the compound effects of sequential disruptions—the global pandemic, current executive orders and actions—are making it hard for many organizations to rebound.

On the upside, the field overall has reached 95 percent of its pre-pandemic attendance, and median attendance at museums that are part of local governments, or located in the Western region, has recovered entirely. Over half of museums (52 percent) have stronger bottom lines in 2024 than in 2019, with a median increase of 20 percent. Museums in New England are particularly confident about their operating performance this year.  

On the Horizon

Market potential research from IMPACTS Experience suggests that exhibit-based organizations overall (e.g., what we at AAM call museums, including zoos and botanic gardens) can expect to exceed their 2019 attendance in 2026. In addition, despite the current downturn in travel and tourism, the US Travel Association is projecting an uptick in total US travel spending next year, both in domestic leisure and international inbound travel. (On the other hand, IMPACTS has also documented a massive increase in the preference for frequent museum-goers to simply stay home on the couch, which is a worrisome trend.) As I explored in the recent Future of Museum Funding resource, the financial strain on museums may increase in coming years, as ongoing executive orders and actions impact earned revenue, philanthropic support, government funding, and endowment performance.

Actionable Insights

Faced with such a broad array of disruptions, museums can take steps to diversify their revenue streams. The Snapshot documents some of the adjustments directors are already taking: 86 percent of museums are exploring new approaches to generating revenue, with the most frequent strategies being to adopt or amplify seeking corporate sponsorships or brand partnerships (55 percent); creating or revamping the membership department (46 percent); and expanding or establishing facility rentals or private event hosting (43 percent).

However, it might be wise to document the risks and challenges that come with these new revenue streams. Corporations and brands may be hesitant to support work they see as being out of alignment with presidential priorities. In recent years we’ve seen several examples of museums being attacked for the identity, positions, and activities of groups renting their facilities. Revamping membership programs may require tailored approaches to generational preferences: Gen Z values different types of engagement than their parents and grandparents. That said, these risks can be managed, while the risk of relying on a magical rebound to “business as usual” is overwhelming.

Impact of Executive Orders and Actions     

Less than one third (31 percent) of museums report NOT experiencing negative effects from presidential executive orders and actions. One-third (34 percent) have suffered the cancellation of government grants or contracts; 18 percent report changes to the scope of their government grants or contracts; and 7 percent report that they have not been reimbursed for existing expenditures. Among museums that have lost federal funds, two-thirds (67 percent) have not been able to replace these lost funds with monies from foundations, sponsors or donors.

Besides direct disruptions to federal funding, our sector is experiencing indirect impact from presidential actions. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of museums have seen a decrease in attendance due to changes to travel and tourism and/or economic uncertainty. Additionally, 14 percent have lost key project partners or resources due to federally mandated layoffs, and 13 percent report they’re subject to new legal restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-related activities.

On the Horizon

This survey closed in August, giving us a glimpse of the impact the first eight months of this administration have had on our sector. Unfortunately, signs point to continued efforts to reduce government funding for arts, culture, and science, and to use the remaining funding to control what organizations can do or say. Many, many lawsuits have been filed challenging these actions, (you can track their progress here), but it will take months, or years, for these cases, and subsequent appeals, to wend their way through the courts.

Actionable Insights

AAM’s Future of Museum Funding resource examines the promise and limitations of how charitable contributions may offset federal grant cancellations. While foundations don’t have the financial capacity to completely fill that gap, many are reforming their practices to provide more flexible funding to their grantees. Museums might study the Meet the Moment project, and identify funders that have pledged to “stand in solidarity with nonprofits” and “mobilize money in a trust-based way.” Peers such as the Japanese American National Museum are demonstrating how federal funding cuts and partisan attacks can be used to catalyze individual donors.

Most important, this data demonstrates the critical need for museums to come together to advocate for policies and funding that will enable us to serve our communities. Museums can integrate year-round advocacy into their work, including training board members as champions, attending city council meetings, and inviting officials and legislators to their facilities and events. They can join with the National Council of Nonprofits on the Nonprofits Get It Done campaign, educating the public about the value of our sector to American society. And museums can send staff to AAM’s Museums Advocacy Day on February 23-24, 2026 for our annual group outing to Congress. (Sign up for updates on the event.)

But wait…there’s more!

This was is only a brief overview of some of the data in this year’s Snapshot. The report also includes information on staffing and hiring, membership trends, advocacy, anticipated disruptions in 2026, and how museums continue to serve community needs in the face of these challenges. Read, ponder, share, and consider how you might use this data to improve your own institutional health, and that of our field.