Heritage Farmstead Museum today announced that museum has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums.
Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. Heritage Farmstead Museum has been accredited since 1996. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.
To celebrate this achievement, the Farmstead is offering free admission Thursday, August 29, Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The celebratory weekend will include a variety of festivities, a souvenir giveaway, appearances from local dignitaries and more.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this outstanding accomplishment. Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations,” said Heritage Farmstead Museum’s Vice President of Marketing and Development Kathy Wilson. “To earn accreditation, we must first conduct a year of self-study, then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.”
AAM’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.
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, roughly 1,100 are currently accredited. Heritage Farmstead Museum is one of only 50 museums accredited in Texas.
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 more than 50 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 to provide the best possible service to the public.
About the Heritage Farmstead Museum: The Heritage Farmstead Museum, a four-acre historic site consisting of a restored, 14-room 1891 Victorian farmhouse with its original outbuildings, interprets rural life on the North Texas prairie between 1890 and 1925. The museum provides tours, field trips and programs for 35,000 visitors each year. For more information, call 972.881.0140 or visit heritagefarmstead.org.
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. For more information, visit aam-us.org.