Friday, March 21, 2025 - The Reading Public Museum (RPM) is thrilled to announce that it has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. RPM has been accredited since 1982. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, roughly 1,100 are currently accredited.
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 over fifty 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 to provide the best possible service to the public.
“It is an incredible privilege for the museum to receive re-accreditation,” remarked Geoffrey K. Fleming, RPM’s Executive Director & CEO. “The Museum has been accredited by AAM for nearly a half century, and we as a board and staff are dedicated to maintaining the highest level of professional operation,” he continued.
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 is a monumental achievement,” said Marilyn Jackson, AAM President & CEO. “The process demonstrates an institution’s commitment to best practice and is flexible enough to be accomplished by museums of any size.”
The Reading Public Museum (RPM) was founded in 1904 as part of the Reading School District by Dr. Levi W. Mengel. With a comprehensive Art and Science Museum, a Planetarium, and an Arboretum, RPM’s twenty-five-acre campus provides a wealth of educational, social and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors alike. The Museum’s collection of nearly 300,000 scientific, cultural and art objects ranks among the largest collections in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Online: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward. For more information, visit aam-us.org.
