PRESS RELEASE: Mission San Luis Celebrates American Alliance of Museums Accreditation with Free Admission Day

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. –

Secretary of State Cord Byrd invites the public to a free Accreditation Celebration on Saturday, April 22, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in honor of Mission San Luis achieving accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest recognition awarded to museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

“The hard work and dedication of Mission San Luis staff, together with Department of State leadership, has made this national recognition possible,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “We are very pleased to celebrate this achievement with a free public event and look forward to continuing to educate and inspire visitors about Florida history with the highest of museum standards.”

Event Programs on April 22, 2023:

• Accreditation Celebration Welcome and Kick-Off – 10:00 a.m.
• All-Day Programs:
  • Special presentation highlighting accreditation
  • Historical activities for visitors: atlatl (spear throwing), crafts, and games
  • Historical demonstrations: food preparation and blacksmithing
  • Organization tables: Florida Department of State and other agencies
• Hourly Programming on the Historic Site:
  • Special activities for adults and children, including Southeastern Native American storytelling, chunkey and ballgame toss games, an archaeology presentation, Spanish dancing, and more!

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only 1099 are currently accredited. Mission San Luis is one of only 57 museums accredited in Florida.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, AAM President, and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

AAM 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 AAM’s museum-accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations.

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About Mission San Luis
Mission San Luis was the western capital of Spanish Florida from 1656 to 1704. Today, Florida’s Apalachee-Spanish Living History Museum brings the early 1700s to life with living history interpreters in period dress, reconstructed period buildings, exhibits, and archaeological research. The site is managed by the Florida Department of State, and support is provided by the Friends of Florida History, Inc., and the Division of Arts and Culture. Mission San Luis is Tallahassee’s only National Historic Landmark. The site is located at 2100 West Tennessee Street in Tallahassee, Florida, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, visit MissionSanLuis.org.

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 aam-us.org.