The EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis., has again earned accreditation from the American Association of Museums. The latest approval marks the third consecutive time the museum has earned the AAM’s “seal of approval.” The EAA facility was the first aviation museum in the U.S. to earn accreditation in 1988, and one of fewer than 10 aviation museums in the nation to hold the rating. The museum was accredited for 15 years, through 2025, increased from the previous 10-year terms.
“Earning AAM accreditation is an incredibly rigorous task, as the standards and requirements are very high,” said Alan Westby, director of the EAA AirVenture Museum. “EAA’s museum, however, reflects the high standards of the organization and its members. The accreditation committee recognized this connection and the dedication to continuing improvement in all areas.”
The AAM accreditation process took more than a year to complete. It includes substantial documentation of a museum’s current programs and operations, as well as a site visit by a national panel of museum professionals. Among other characteristics reviewed by AAM are governance, collection stewardship, institutional planning, code of ethics, mission and risk management.
Among the publicly visible upgrades made the by the AirVenture Museum over the past decade was the effort to make exhibits more interactive and family-friendly. In addition, new exhibits have been introduced in recent years, including such one-of-a-kind displays as SpaceShipOne, the world’s first successful civilian spaceship.
EAA members get free admission to the museum, as well as the ability to visit several hundred other science and technology centers nationwide at no charge as part of the Association of Science-Technology Center’s Passport program.
“EAA members and the Oshkosh community can be very proud of the AirVenture Museum and the standards of quality that are maintained here,” Westby said. “This facility is not only the home of EAA’s history and the story of personal flight. It is a resource for all to be used to discover more about aviation and a showpiece for our community. We hope that every EAA member can share our pride at this latest recognition and say, ‘This is the home of my organization.'”
AAM accreditation is also valuable for museums, as it indicates national recognition of a museum’s commitment to the highest professional standards; increased credibility with donors, funding agencies and supporters; and additional opportunities for traveling exhibitions and loans.
For more information: 920-426-6108 or AirventureMuseum.org.
