Published Date: March 27, 2023

By: Julie McClure

Every 10 years, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) reviews accredited museums, and over the course of 50 years, the Museum of the Grand Prairie has received accreditation all five times. According to their press release:

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 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 in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

There are about 33,000 museums across the nation, and about 1100 of them have this accreditation. There are only nine outside of the Chicago area.

Champaign County Forest Preserve District will have a celebratory event in the next few months. Stay tuned for more info!