The Puget Sound Navy Museum (PSNM) has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.
Located in Bremerton, Washington, PSNM is one of 10 Navy museums operated by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) and open to the public across the country. The museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest.
PSNM was initially accredited in 2013. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review every 10 years to maintain accredited status. Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 50 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.
“Maintaining Alliance Accreditation reaffirms our commitment to the communities we serve,” said Lindy Dosher, Director, PSNM. “We remain dedicated to holding the museum in public trust, collecting, caring for, and interpreting the U.S. Navy’s history for the benefit of the public.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,080 are currently accredited. PSNM is one of only 19 museums accredited in Washington state. Staff were recognized for their exceptional teamwork, which enables them to accomplish the PSNM mission and serve as a model for both military and non-military museums in regards to museum programming.
Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.
“Accreditation by the AAM is the gold standard for museums in the United States,” said Dr. Chris Rentfrow, Director of the NHHC Navy Museums Division. “Puget Sound Navy Museum’s recent re-accreditation showcases the professionalism of the Navy’s dedicated museum employees and reinforces the high standards that we expect across the entire Navy Museum Enterprise.”
The Puget Sound Navy Museum is housed in historic Building 50 in downtown Bremerton and houses a collection of more than 37,000 artifacts. PSNM’s exhibits highlight the history of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, and more. The Puget Sound Navy Museum is FREE and open to the public 10:00AM – 4:00PM, Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday). Base access is not required. For more information visit www.PugetSoundNavyMuseum.org.
NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, the USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906,
helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and
providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community.
Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers,
institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the
broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.
