Museums
District of Columbia

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African American Civil War Museum
Washington, District of Columbia

Culture, General, History, Library, Military, Specialized

Slavery to Freedom: Civil War to Civil Rights The Museum's permanent exhibition portrays the extraordinary African American struggle for freedom in the United States.

AMA | Art Museum of the Americas
Washington, District of Columbia

Art, Culture, General, History, Library, Specialized

The history of the permanent collection of the Art Museum of the Americas has roots in the former Visual Arts Unit of the Organization of American States. Under this unit, the first donation of art was received in 1949, a gift of painting by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari. In 1957 the OAS Permanent Council conferred institutional backing to the collection by establishing a modest Purchase Fund to support the acquisition of art for a collection that was to reflect the contemporary art of the member nations of the OAS to form an enduring cultural resource.

American Oil & Gas Historical Society
Washington, District of Columbia

National Associations

The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) is dedicated to preserving the history of U.S. oil and natural gas exploration by providing advocacy for community museums and organizations that work to preserve that history through exhibition, material preservation – and especially educational programming.

Anacostia Museum
Washington, District of Columbia

Culture, History

Art Museum of the Americas, OAS
Washington, District of Columbia

Art, Culture

The Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States was established in 1976 by resolution of the OAS Permanent Council in tribute to the two-hundredth anniversary of the independence of the United States, host country of the OAS. The historic building housing the Museum was designed by noted architect Paul Cret in 1912 as the residence for the Secretaries General of the Organization of American States. It is Spanish colonial in style with white walls, iron grilles, a red tiled roof and a loggia decorated with richly colored tiles in patterns modeled after Aztec and Inca legends. Today as a Museum, the building provides a warm and intimate atmosphere to enjoy art.

Arts and Industries Building
Washington, District of Columbia

Art

B'nai B'rith Klutznick Museum
Washington, District of Columbia

Specialized

Bethune Memorial Museum
Washington, District of Columbia

Historic House

Children's Museum of Washington Inc.
Washington, District of Columbia

Children's

Corcoran Gallery of Art
Washington, District of Columbia

Art

One block from the White House sits William Wilson Corcoran's gallery, founded for the purpose of "encouraging American genius" in the arts.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington's first museum of art. It is a privately funded institution incorporating both a museum and college of art and design. As one of America's oldest art institutions, the institution is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as European painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts.

Before you enter, step back and examine this architectural masterpiece designed in 1897 by Paris-trained Ernest Flagg and considered one of the country's finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture.

Alif Gallery/Arab American Cultural Fnd.
Washington, District of Columbia

Culture

American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Washington, District of Columbia

Library

Read more about the American Folklife Center here: http://www.loc.gov/folklife/aboutafc.html

American Red Cross
Washington, District of Columbia

Historic House

The American Red Cross offers tours of the historic national headquarters building on Wednesdays and Fridays. Come explore the history of the organization and view the artwork and artifacts on display!

Armed Forces Med. Mus. Armed Forces Ins.
Washington, District of Columbia

Military

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Washington, District of Columbia

Art, Culture

Arts Club of Washington
Washington, District of Columbia

Art

Bead Museum
Washington, District of Columbia

The Bead Society of Greater Washington is dedicated to furthering the understanding of beads and ornaments. Our mission is twofold:
• to encourage the scholarly study of beads, which are among the oldest, most universal, and most enduring artifacts of mankind, and
• to foster public appreciation of beads as objects of beauty that have been used not only for adornment but as status symbols and protective amulets in ancient, ethnic, and contemporary cultures.

Blair House
Washington, District of Columbia

History

Congressional Cemetery
Washington, District of Columbia

Cemetery

Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC is one of more than 15,400 museums in the MuseumsUSA directory. Find an exciting museum to visit where you live or vacation today.

Cultural Property Advisory Cte./USIA
Washington, District of Columbia

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

Wednesday, February 5 - Friday, February 7, 2025

Ina Dillard Russell Library Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia

Hosted by: Georgia Association of Museums

The Whole Story Is The Meanin

“For the fiction writer himself the whole story is the meaning, because it is an experience, not an abstraction.”― Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Pros

Join us in Milledgeville, Georgia, for the annual Georgia Association of Museums conference as we explore the profound wisdom of Milledgeville author Flannery O'Connor’s words. In a world where narratives intersect and perspectives diverge, this theme invites proposals that delve into the essence of storytelling within museums and cultural institutions. Our work in the museum field requires us to look at stories from as many angles and perspectives as possible so that we might do our best to tell the “whole story.

Through thought-provoking discussions, interactive workshops, and engaging presentations, we will uncover the layers of meaning embedded within every artifact, exhibition, and historical account. Just as O’Connor masterfully crafted narratives that resonate with universal truths, museums hold the power to illuminate the whole story behind many objects, artworks, and cultural phenomena

We will examine how museums can embrace inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in their storytelling practices. By acknowledging multiple perspectives and amplifying marginalized voices, we can enrich our understanding of the past and present, fostering empathy and connection within our communities.

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

Monday, February 17 - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Hosted by: Small Museum Association

The annual SMA conference attracts more than 300 museum professionals, board members, and volunteers from a wide variety of small museums. They attend sessions on topics ranging from collections and education to staffing and board issues.

We offer a large Museum Resource Hall and plenty of informal networking opportunities for you to talk with (and get ideas from!) other small museum professionals and volunteers

Theme for 2025: Make It Happen!!!

Is there an exhibit, program, or fundraiser that you've been talking about doing for years? Do you feel stuck because of procrastination, lack of board support, or insufficient funds? It's time to take action

At SMA 2025, small museum professionals will share their tips and tricks of how they made it happen!

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

Tuesday, February 18 - Saturday, February 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

Hosted by: California Association of Museums

CAM is hard at work planning for the 2025 conference, set to take place from February 18–22, 2025 in San Francisco. We look forward to highlighting best practices and innovative ideas from California's museum community

The California Association of Museums is excited to continue offering in-person programming for 2025. We will not be requiring proof of COVID vaccination/s, but highly encourage vaccination and boosters. For the health and safety of our colleagues, masks are also encouraged (but not required). Capacity and spaces will be thoughtfully considered in the planning of this event.

For more information, please email programs@calmuseums.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

September 10 - 13, 2025

Cincinnati, Ohio

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

Wednesday, September 10 - Saturday, September 13, 2025

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hosted by: American Association for State and Local History

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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