The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to advance a flourishing museum sector through bold advocacy and shared learning.
Our vision is a society transformed by museums that inspire wonder, deepen understanding and connection, and expand opportunity for all.
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.
Our Alliance of 35,000 museums and museum professionals seeks to better our communities, and our world, through collaborative human-centered experiences, education, and connection to histories, cultures, the natural world, and one another. Our members spark curiosity and wonder, widen horizons and understanding, and create community connection through a shared commitment to equity and learning.
Strategic Priorities
AAM’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan responds with a clear focus on the work that advances the field. Over the next five years, and leading up to AAM’s 125th anniversary, AAM will strengthen advocacy, expand professional learning and peer connection, modernize the path to museum excellence, and build a stronger national narrative about the value of museums.
The result: more support, stronger networks, and a louder collective voice for the museum field.
Read more about the Alliance’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan.
Who We Are
Constitution and Bylaws
AAM’s constitution and Bylaws are available for download to current members of the organization.
Please login and click on this link to access those documents.
Get Involved with AAM
Read more about all the ways you can get involved with AAM. From becoming a member to becoming a board member we’ve got lots of ways to connect.
Land Acknowledgement
Every community owes its existence to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hopes of better lives, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth.
For our virtual land acknowledgment, we would like to specifically acknowledge the ancestral lands of the Piscataway people, the lands on which the American Alliance of Museums office is located. We pay respects to their elders past and present.
We encourage you to use this native lands map so you can learn what lands you occupy—visit: native-land.ca