Space Museum re-accredited by American Alliance of Museums

ALAMOGORDO — The New Mexico Museum of Space History has been formally re-accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), continuing a tradition of 24 years.

The New Mexico Museum of Space History was first accredited by the AAM in 1993 and has remained in good standing since. For nearly 50 years, the mark of distinction in the museum field has been accreditation through the AAM and it continues to be so today. 

“We are very pleased that the AAM has re-accredited our museum," said Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll. "It is a testament to the hard work of our staff and supporters, including the Department of Cultural Affairs, Governor’s Commission, Foundation and the city of Alamogordo. The investment that our state is making in the museum continues to pay off, with this re-accreditation and with ever increasing visitors.”

The New Mexico Museum of Space History has had an astronomical year in 2017, pulling in over 100,000 visits for the first time in 10 years. 

More:New Mexico Museum of Space History shatters visitation record

Accreditation offers a wide range of benefits to museums, such as increasing credibility as well as value to funders, policy makers, insurers, community and peers. Accreditation also speaks to the commitment that the museum staff has to fulfilling the mission of the museum and to meeting and exceeding best practice standards for museums nationwide.

According to the International Council of Museums, there are about 55,000 museums in the world and of those only 1,067 are accredited by the AAM.

The Museum of Space History is also a Smithsonian Affiliate, which puts it in the elite 8 percent of AAM accredited institutions that carry both prestigious honors – only 87 institutions worldwide. Of all the Smithsonian Affiliates, only 40 percent are accredited by the AAM.

Once a museum is accredited, the process of re-accreditation happens every 10 years in order to make sure institutions are maintaining expected standards. The process involves every department of the facility and covers everything from square footage to budget to staffing.

Once the self-study is complete, the museum receives feedback from AAM staff, refines the application and then waits for the Accreditation Commission to determine if a site visit is in order. After the site visit, which is normally a group of two peer professionals visiting for one to three days, a report is submitted to the Commission and a decision on re-accreditation is made. The entire re-accreditation process can take as long as eight to 16 months to complete.

For more information on the New Mexico Museum of Space History, visit www.nmspacemuseum.org or call 437-2840.