Museums Trade Associations

American Alliance of Museums

The broad-based U.S. museum association that advocates, sets standards (including accreditation), and convenes professionals; its alliance comprises about 35,000 museums and museum professionals.

https://www.aam-us.org/ Membership: 35,000

American Association for State and Local History

National membership association for the history community offering leadership, resources, training, and advocacy to institutions and individuals across the U.S.

https://www.aaslh.org/ Membership: 5,500

American Institute for Conservation

Leading membership association for conservation professionals who preserve cultural heritage; represents 3,500+ individuals in over 40 countries and provides training, standards, and an annual conference.

https://www.culturalheritage.org/ Membership: 3,500

Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

Professional home for academic museums, galleries, and collections; delivers advocacy, networking, and professional development for a community of 1,500+ members and students.

https://www.aamg-us.org/ Membership: 1,500

Association of Art Museum Curators

Advances the curatorial field through programs, an annual Art Curators Conference, grants, and advocacy; 1,500+ members in 50 countries.

https://www.artcurators.org/ Membership: 1,500

Association of Art Museum Directors

Association of directors leading art museums in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; fosters leadership, ethics, and best practices. Membership includes 228 U.S., 10 Canadian, and 8 Mexican member museums (directors).

https://aamd.org/ Membership: 246

Association of Children’s Museums

Champions children’s museums worldwide, providing advocacy, research, and convenings; more than 470 member museums across all 50 U.S. states and 19 countries.

https://childrensmuseums.org/ Membership: 470

Association of Midwest Museums

Regional association connecting the eight-state Midwest museum community with training, networking, and an annual conference; around 1,000 members.

https://www.midwestmuseums.org/ Membership: 1,000

Association of Science and Technology Centers

Global network of nearly 600 science centers, museums, and allied organizations; provides advocacy, professional development, and the Passport reciprocal admissions program.

https://www.astc.org/ Membership: 600

Association of Zoos & Aquariums

Independent accrediting and trade association for zoos and aquariums focused on animal welfare, conservation, and education; 252 AZA‑accredited facilities as of 2025.

https://www.aza.org/ Membership: 252

California Association of Museums

Statewide network supporting California museums with advocacy, professional development, and resources; supports 1,200+ individual, business, and institutional members.

https://www.calmuseums.org/ Membership: 1,200

Ecsite (European network of science centres & museums)

European network of science centres and museums that connects, inspires, and empowers science engagement; counts 300+ member organisations worldwide.

https://www.ecsite.eu/ Membership: 300

International Council of Museums (ICOM)

The global museum network that sets ethical standards and convenes committees worldwide; more than 60,000 members in 139 countries and territories.

https://icom.museum/ Membership: 60,000

Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums

Regional network serving DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, and PA; offers conferences (e.g., Building Museums), training, and resources to a community of 500+ museum professionals.

https://midatlanticmuseums.org/ Membership: 500

Mountain-Plains Museums Association

Ten‑state regional association (CO, KS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WY) providing networking, discounts, and an annual conference; nearly 1,000 individual, institutional, and business members.

https://www.mpma.net/ Membership: 1,000

Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO)

Network of national museum bodies and organisations across Europe; 171 member organisations speak for more than 30,000 museums and provide training and EU‑level advocacy.

https://www.ne-mo.org/ Membership: 171

New England Museum Association

Regional association serving museums and professionals across the six New England states; provides professional development, advocacy, and a large annual conference to 2,500+ members.

https://nemanet.org/ Membership: 2,500

Southeastern Museums Conference

Regional network of museum professionals across the U.S. Southeast; hosts a major annual meeting, workshops, and a reciprocal membership program for a community of 1,800+ professionals.

https://www.semcdirect.net/ Membership: 1,800

Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC)

International society dedicated to the care and management of natural history collections; publishes Collection Forum, convenes annual meetings, and reached 866 members in 2024.

https://spnhc.org/ Membership: 866

Virginia Association of Museums

The largest U.S. state museum service organization; provides professional development, networking, advocacy, and programs like Virginia’s Top 10 Endangered Artifacts to 2,500+ members.

https://www.vamuseums.org/ Membership: 2,500