The National Gallery of Art’s #MuseumFromHome Strategy: Social Media Gallery Tours

Ever since last week’s rash of closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, museums have been working behind the scenes to set strategies for engaging the public through remote alternatives. Within days, two hashtags emerged on …

4 Tips for Effectively Reaching Visitors with Disabilities

It’s been nearly three decades since the original Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was signed into law. Since the protective act was ratified, great strides have been made not just to prevent discrimination against people with …

What It Means to Be a University Museum in the Twenty-First Century

These days, when I stop by the café at the Chazen Museum of Art, I often find myself in conversation with my University of Wisconsin–Madison colleagues—students, staff, and professors from across the campus. I know that these informal …

Cravings Nourished: Museum experiences that elicit emotions

Today on the Alliance Blog, we’re featuring a post by a Social Media Journalist for AAM’s 2019 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. The application for this year’s Social Media Journalist opportunity, in San Francisco, is now open! See …

Curiosity About History is Growing Across Generations, a New Survey Finds

Conner Prairie, an AAM-accredited and Smithsonian Affiliate living history museum in Fishers, Indiana, is a unique historic place that inspires curiosity and fosters learning by providing engaging and individualized experiences for …

Social Media Can Transform Your Museum: An interview with Lanae Spruce

I’ll never forget the moment I began to understand the true power of social media. It was 2015 and I was working for a popular online feminist magazine. My job involved reading every one of the hundreds of Facebook comments that would pour …

Transforming Data into Stories with the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers

Who visits our museums? What are their motivations, and what do they expect from the experience? Alternatively, who is not visiting, and why not? These are critical questions for the future of individual museums, and for the entire field. …

Take a Look Around: A customer journey analysis of the museum store

Today’s successful museum operators are finding new ways to provide visitors with an active, interactive learning experience that recognizes personalized learning, social experiences, evolving technologies, and customer service. This …

For the Love of Front-End Research: How to make new ideas audience-centered using visitor studies

The “Eureka!” moment when you come up with a fabulous idea to implement at your museum is a great one, but it is also sometimes accompanied by trepidation: What if visitors don’t respond to the idea? How can I get my colleagues on board? …

Belonging: Co-creating welcoming and equitable museums

“Can you describe a time you felt unwelcome or like you didn’t belong in a museum?” This question was posed during a recent conference call for the Facing Change Senior Diversity Fellows. As I listened to my distinguished colleagues …

Latest Stories from AAM

Upvote Museum Sessions for SxSW 2026!

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog
The SxSW Innovation conference describes itself as “an opportunity for the global …

AAM Statement on the Growing Threats of Censorship Against U.S. Museums

Category: Press Release
For Immediate Release Arlington, VA–Today, the American Alliance of Museums, the …

Membership Motivations and Barriers: An Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Data Story

Category: Alliance Blog
This visual Data Story is based on findings from the 2021 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, …

AAM Member-Only Content

AAM Members get exclusive access to premium digital content including:

  • Featured articles from Museum magazine
  • Access to more than 1,500 resource listings from the Resource Center
  • Tools, reports, and templates for equipping your work in museums
Log In

We're Sorry

Your current membership level does not allow you to access this content.

Upgrade Your Membership

Subscribe to Field Notes!

Packed with stories and insights for museum people, Field Notes is delivered to your inbox every Monday. Once you've completed the form below, confirm your subscription in the email sent to you.

If you are a current AAM member, please sign-up using the email address associated with your account.

Are you a museum professional?

Are you a current AAM member?

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription, and please add communications@aam-us.org to your safe sender list.