Museums Serve the Public
• Museums of all kinds – including aquariums, arboretums, archaeological museums, art museums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, culturally specific museums, historic sites, history museums, maritime museums, military museums, natural history museums, nature centers, planetariums, presidential libraries, science and technology centers, zoological parks, and other specialty museums – are working every day in the public interest, educating and engaging our communities, preserving our cultural, artistic, historic, natural, and scientific heritage.
• Many museums offer programs tailored to seniors, veterans, children with special needs, persons with disabilities, and much more, greatly expanding their reach and impact. For example, some have programs designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum, some are teaching English as a Second Language, and some are serving as locations for supervised family visits through the family court system.
• In 2011, more than 1,500 museums participated in the Blue Star Museums initiative, offering free admission to all active duty and reserve personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Many other museums offered military discounts or free admission throughout the year.

Museums are Trustworthy
• Americans view museums as one of the most important resources for educating our children and as one of the most trustworthy sources of objective information.
• In 2006, 77% of adult museum-goers ranked museums as “equal or higher in trustworthiness” than any other source of information.
• According to a noted study by Indiana University, museums are considered a more reliable source of historical information than books, teachers, or even personal accounts by grandparents or other relatives.
• Museums preserve and protect more than a billion objects (Heritage Health Index).

Museums are Popular
• Americans from all income and education ranges visit museums.
• According to an IMLS study, two-thirds (66.4%) of American adults visited a museum in 2006, in person or via the Internet.
• There are approximately 850 million visits each year to American museums, more than the attendance for all major league sporting events and theme parks combined (471 million).
• A 2008 IMLS study estimates an additional 542 million visits via the Internet each year.
• As of 2011, 42% of museums were using mobile technologies to extend their services to users.
• Museums attract a million hours of volunteer service every week.

Museums Partner with Schools
• Museums spend more than $2 billion a year on education. The typical museum devotes three-quarters of its education budget specifically to K-12 students.
• Museums receive more than 90 million visits each year from students in school groups.
• Museums tailor educational programs in math, science, art, literacy, language arts, history, civics and government, economics and financial literacy, geography, and social studies, often in coordination with state and local curriculum standards (IMLS study).
• Each year, museums provide more than 18 million instructional hours for educational programs such as guided tours for students, staff visits to schools, school outreach through science vans and other traveling exhibits, and professional development for teachers (IMLS study).

Museums Educate our Communities
• The educational role of museums is at the core of their service to the public.
• People of all ages and backgrounds come to learn about the past and present, the natural and cultural world, and human creativity through unique museum experiences.
• Children find the spark that inspires them to become scientists, artists, political leaders, historians, and entrepreneurs.
• Museums tell important stories by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting objects, living specimens and historical records.
• Museums help communities better understand and appreciate cultural diversity.
• Through museums, visitors make tangible connections to their heritage, art, and the natural world regardless of age, the size of their local communities, their economic status or ethnic background.

Museums are Economic Engines
• Museums employ more than 400,000 Americans.
• U.S. museums directly contribute more than $20 billion to the American economy each year (2008 estimate by AAM), encouraging economic growth in their communities. They contribute billions more by attracting tourists, promoting economic development and making communities more desirable places for employers and their workers.
• Museums rank among the top three family vacation destinations.
• 78% of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural and/or heritage activities while traveling. (U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, 2009).
• Cultural/heritage travelers – including visitors to museums – spend 63% more than other leisure travelers and tend to stay longer than other tourists.
• The National Governors Association has found that “civic leaders are beginning to take stock of artistic and cultural assets, recognizing that they are essential to quality of life.”
• The U.S. Conference of Mayors has recognized that "the arts, humanities, and museums are critical to the quality of life and livability of America’s cities. It has been shown that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates over $166 billion in economic activity annually, supports over 5.7 million full time jobs, and returns over $12 billion in federal income taxes annually. Governments which support the arts on average see a return on investment of over $7 in taxes for every $1 that the government appropriates."

Museums Serve Every Community…
• At least 22% of museums are located in rural areas and other museums frequently reach rural communities by incorporating traveling vans or portable exhibits.
• In 2008, one-third of U.S. museums were always free to the public, and more than 97% of the rest offered discounts, special fee schedules, or free admission days.
• Museum websites serve a diverse and growing online community – including teachers, parents, students (including students who are schooled at home), researchers, and other members of the public.

…But are Struggling to Meet Community Needs
• Museums have been hard hit by the weak economy, which has led to a decline in charitable gifts and to reductions in state and local support. Despite this funding shortfall, museum attendance has increased, collections are subject to increasing risk, and museum staff members need professional development in conservation, education, and technology.
• Only a small (and shrinking) percentage of America’s 17,500+ museums receive federal funding of any kind.
• Teachers, students, and researchers benefit from access to trustworthy information through online collections and exhibits, although most museums need more help in developing their digital collections to meet this need. This is especially important when geographical distance prevents travel to a wide range of museums.
• In 2010, despite a year of economic stress, 78% of museums maintained or expanded the resources devoted to K-12 education (AAM study).