Associations
Virginia

Browse Associations

Association of Children's Museums
Arlington, Virginia

National Associations, Consortiums, Alliances and other Support Groups

AAYM began in 1962 with a small group of children's museum directors who decided it would be helpful for them to meet informally as a group during the American Association of Museum's (AAM) annual meeting. Michel Spock says, "AAYM stayed informal for about a decade. We resisted turning it into a real organization. We didn't take minutes or have formal meetings. It was for directors - to discuss our common purpose and our problems and issues." Approximately ten children's museums were operating in the United States at this time.

Historic House Museums Consortium
Alexandria, Virginia

Consortiums, Alliances and other Support Groups

The national capital region of Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland is home to The Historic House Museum Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C., a diverse collection of over 40 sites open to the public as museums and historic attractions. Ranging from the homes of three presidents to the site of an infamous presidential assassination to homes lived in by abolitionists and civil rights leaders, suffragettes and diplomats, patriots, generals, a naval hero, and founding fathers and mothers, the Historic House Consortium of Metropolitan Washington D.C., offers a wide variety of experiences.

Southern Virginia Artisan Center
Martinsville, Virginia

Regional Associations

When your family is gathered around the dining table, there are a wide variety of things you can talk about. Your kids can talk about gossip at school. You can gripe about work. Your wife or husband can gossip. This kind of talk is actually kind of empty. If anything, this kind of talk doesn’t really build up your family and reduces everyone into petty gossips. If you want to talk about stuff that actually encourages family members and reminds them that you all care about what you’re doing, talk about your different arts and crafts activities. Not only does doing this bring home the message that you care about each other loud and clear, this also gives you an opportunity to encourage each other. This is especially important for kids. They need to know they are valued.

Family Attractions Network of Hampton Roads
Portsmouth, Virginia

Consortiums, Alliances and other Support Groups

FAN is the Family Attractions Network of Hampton Roads, Virginia. This cooperative promotional program is designed to make it easier for you, the real fans, to find and enjoy the many cultural, historical and entertainment opportunities in Hampton Roads region of Virginia.

Hampton Roads is comprised of the southeastern tip of Virginia, at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Our seven major cities include Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

National Genealogical Society
Arlington, Virginia

National Associations

Founded in 1903 as a non-profit organization, the National Genealogical Society is a dynamic and growing membership of individuals and other groups from all over the country—and the world—that share a common love of the field of genealogy. Whether you're a beginner, a professional or somewhere in between, NGS can assist you in your research into the past!

Virginia Association of Museums
Richmond, Virginia

State Associations

With over 1,000 members, VAM brings together individuals and institutions of our Virginia and D.C. museum community to further education and training, foster development, and provide support for museums and museum staff. Established in 1968, VAM gives cultural and historical sites in Virginia and the District of Columbia a forum to voice common concerns, share ideas, learn from each other, and grow stronger in the process.

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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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