Program Information 

 

Alberta Museums AssociationWelcome to the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) website. In partnership with Travel Alberta, this website provides museum information about Alberta’s Recognized Museums and where to locate them across the province.
 

What are Recognized Museums?

A Recognized Museum is an AMA member that fulfills the criteria of the international definition of a museum:
 
A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment. - ICOM, 2001, www.icom.museum
 
The entire museum community benefits from a process that ensures member museums meet a minimum level of activity. Recognized Museums send a clear message to our communities, supporters, politicians, donors and funders they can have confidence in museums as legitimate organizations worthy of their support.
 
Museum staff and volunteers, and board members will know that they are part of a community of museums that shares similar standards, ethics and behaviours. We hope this will help motivate, inspire and encourage museum workers to strive for excellence.
 
A special Recognized Museum logo (displayed by the institution) identifies institutions that meet the AMA definition. For museum visitors, this logo is a symbol that the institution has made a commitment to achieving the internationally accepted definition of a museum.