Museums Alaska
Anthropology

Browse Museums

Alaska Museum of Natural History
Anchorage, Alaska

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Children's, Culture, History, Natural History, Science

The non-profit Alaska Museum of Natural History fills a special need for science education in Alaska. No other organization in the state educates exclusively on Alaska's unique geological, cultural, and ecological history

Metlakatla Indian Community
Metlakatla, Alaska

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Culture, General, History, Historic House, Library, Nature Centers, Park

Home built in 1891 for Anglican Missionary William Duncan of Beverly, England. Exhibits include personal possessions, antique phonographs, furniture, telephones, Tsimshian bentwood box, ceremonial drum, book collection on Alaska territorial law, educational and religious magazines. Also, photographs of life in Metlakatla, British Columbia, on through migration to Metlakatla, Alaska, and pictorial display of history of William Duncan's life accomplishments. Guided tours available.

Pratt Museum / Homer Society of Natural History
Homer, Alaska

Anthropology, Aquarium, Botanical Garden, History, Historical Society, Natural History

The museum focuses on the natural and cultural history of the Kenai Peninsula. Exhibits include artifacts from the area's earliest Native inhabitants to homesteaders of the '30s & '40s. Excellent aquariums and a tide-pool tank feature live Kachemak Bay sea creatures. Visitors may operate remotely controlled cameras to view Alaska seabirds on inaccessible islands. Also exhibited are Alaska birds and mammals including complete skeletons of a Bering Sea beaked whale, Beluga whale and Steller's sea lion. Changing exhibits feature Alaska artwork and other topics of special interest. Summer visitors may take a self-guided tour through the botanical garden and the Forest Ecology Trail and visit the historic Harrington Homestead cabin. The Museum Store features books and Alaska collectibles.

Simon Paneak Memorial Museum
Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska

Anthropology, Archaeology, Culture, History, Library

Museum building log cabin like is situated on a rise at the edge of, and overlooking, the village of Anaktuvuk Pass. From the front porch visitors can take in the magnificent panorama of the pass the headwaters of the major rivers.

University of Alaska Museum of the North
Fairbanks, Alaska

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Culture, History, Science, University

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a thriving visitor attraction, a vital component of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the only research and teaching museum in Alaska. The museum’s research collections – 1.4 million artifacts and specimens – represent millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural traditions in the North. The collections are organized into 10 disciplines (archaeology, birds, documentary film, earth sciences, ethnology/history, fine arts, fishes/marine invertebrates, insects, mammals, and plants) and serve as a valuable resource for research on climate change, genetics, contaminants and other issues facing Alaska and the circumpolar North.

Alaska State Museum
Juneau, Alaska

Anthropology, Art, Culture, History, Natural History

Museum Store Established in 1900, the Museum collects, exhibits, and interprets the human and natural history of Alaska. The Museum features a full-size bald eagle nesting tree and extensive ethnographic exhibits on the cultures of Alaska's Native people. Two galleries offer changing exhibits. Docent tours scheduled throughout the summer. Arboretum on grounds features Alaska plants. The Museum provides statewide museum services and assists in the development of the state's cultural and historic resources. The Museum Store, operated by the Friends of the Alaska State Museum, offers a wide array of Native arts, publications, and educational materials. Accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Northwest Arctic Heritage Center
Kotzebue, Alaska

Anthropology, Archaeology, Art, Culture, History, Library, Nature Centers, Science

The National Park Service is constructing a new visitor services/administration building – the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center – in Kotzebue, Alaska. The single-story structure, located on the site formally occupied by NANA Museum of the Arctic, will be 12,350 square feet. Space includes 8,450 sq. ft. for visitor services and 3,900 sq. ft. for NPS operations. When the heritage center is complete, the NPS will be able to offer people of the region and visitors from around the world a high-quality interpretive experience, a variety of educational programs, and personal administrative services. A 90-person multipurpose room will be used for programs ranging from Junior Rangers, to research presentations, to native crafts, to native dancing.

Sheldon Jackson Museum
Sitka, Alaska

Anthropology, Culture, History, Historic House, Library

Dr. Sheldon Jackson, museum founder, had the distinction of serving in three pioneer fields during the late 1800s, founding Protestant missions and schools, establishing the public school system, and introducing domestic reindeer. In his travels he reached many sections of Alaska, as well as the coast of Siberia, gathering the majority of the artifacts now seen in the museum. Located on the campus of Sheldon Jackson College, the museum was established in 1888 to preserve the natural and cultural history of Alaska. The building, listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, was constructed in 1895 and is the oldest concrete building in the state. Since 1984, it has been one of the Alaska State Museums.

The Anchorage Museum-Imaginarium Discovery Center
Anchorage, Alaska

Anthropology, Art, Children's, Culture, History, Library, Natural History, Planetarium, Science

Hands-on, inquiry-based science center for all ages. Self-explore exhibits, hourly demonstrations, workshops for groups in earth, life & physical sciences, pre-school programs, special events, birthday parties with science themes, and more. Marine touch tanks, planetarium, bubble lab, galaxy room, reptiles, Arctic ecology, physics and traveling exhibits. Science store carries books, science kits, puzzles, games and other educational products.

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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