Awarded accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies and to the museum-going public.

Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over 45 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

“AAM Accreditation has been a long time goal. It was a rigorous process for all involved including our dedicated staff and our enthusiastic Board of Trustees as well as our many volunteers. As a team, we made it to the pinnacle in our field, and we couldn’t be more pleased than we are in this moment,” said Executive Director Kathy A. Fleming. Fleming went on to add, “AAM Accreditation helps us share the importance of Florida’s museums. We are curators of community heritage and culture, passionate advocates for authentic stories and dynamic educational programs and most importantly we are stewards of the public trust.”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,070 are currently accredited. Florida has over 400 museums according to the Florida Association of Museums database and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is one of only fifty-six accredited in the state, as well as the only accredited museum in St. Johns County.

Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The Alliance’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance president and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

Accreditation certificate awarded by the American Alliance of Museums.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is open seven days a week from 9 AM to 6 PM with daily Behind the Scenes tours available included with admission. Visit their website for additional information at www.staugustinelighthouse.org.

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ABOUT THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MARITIME MUSEUM:
A pivotal navigation tool and unique landmark of St. Augustine for over 140 years, the St. Augustine Light Station is host to centuries of history in the Nation’s Oldest Port®. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours and maritime research, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is on a mission to discover, preserve, present and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port® as symbolized by our working lighthouse. We are the parent organization to the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (StAugustineLighthouse.org)

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS:
The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. (www.aam-us.org)