2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo
AAM 2026 is heading to Philadelphia
May 20 – 23
Join thousands of museum professionals for the largest convening of our field. Registration opens this winter.
What is AAM 2026?
The 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo (AAM 2026) is the largest museum conference in the world, organized by the American Alliance of Museums.
The conference brings together museums of all types and sizes—from art and history museums to zoos and botanic gardens—to share ideas and make transformational connections.
AAM 2026 will take place in Philadelphia, PA from May 20-23, 2026.
“
At AAM, the people who make museums happen all come together in one space for three jam packed days of innovative thinking, professional development, and networking. It’s a career expanding opportunity not to miss!
– Kathryn, Boston, MA
AAM 2026 Theme
& Location
Pennsylvania Convention Center
1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
The Museum Odyssey
Time shapes our lives—marking change, preserving memory, and connecting us across generations. It shapes museums too. As timekeepers, travelers, chroniclers, and seers, museums help communities understand the past, make meaning in the present, and imagine the future.
In 2026, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, museums have a unique opportunity to reexamine the past, embrace the present, and help shape what comes next. Philadelphia—the birthplace of American democracy and home to the nation’s first library, zoo, and combined art school and museum—offers the perfect setting for this reflection.
The 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo programming will explore the theme, The Museum Odyssey, through four tracks—Museums as Timekeepers, Time Travelers, Chroniclers, and Seers—in addition to a new track this year, Museum Essentials and Evolving Practices that focuses on core skills and strategies for every area of museum work.
“
Attending AAM for the first time was an invaluable professional development opportunity. Engaging with museum professionals from a wide range of institutions provided meaningful insights and highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary learning. While institutions may specialize in science, art, or history, the exchange of ideas across these boundaries fosters innovative thinking. Adapting best practices from diverse museums to suit one’s unique context is a valuable exercise in strategic problem-solving.
–Jazmine Aguirre, Los Angeles, CA
Why Attend AAM 2026?
Connection
AAM 2026 is designed to help you feel reinvigorated and more deeply connected to our field. This is the only event where professionals from every type of museum—art, history, science, zoos, botanical gardens, historic sites—gather in one place. Build your network, find collaborators, exchange ideas with colleagues facing similar challenges, and discover mentors across all career stages.
Unmatched Learning & Professional Development
You’ll explore cutting-edge practices and gain actionable takeaways you can apply to your work immediately.
Take full advantage of this conference for your professional development, and deepen your practice through hands-on workshops and learning labs that offer foundational and practical techniques you can apply in your own context and community.
New in 2026: Museum Essentials and Evolving Practices track. This new track explores the foundational functions, emerging strategies, and core competencies that sustain museum impact.
Cutting-edge Solutions & Innovations
The MuseumExpo features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest products, services, and technologies designed specifically for museums. It’s your one-stop opportunity to find solutions to your institution’s current challenges and discover innovations you didn’t even know existed. AAM is again partnering with the Museum Store Association this year to host an incredible combined expo hall with 350+ exhibitors.
Return Inspired & Equipped
Leave with fresh perspectives, practical tools, renewed energy, and a robust network of colleagues who understand your work. The investment in attending pays dividends in your professional growth and your museum’s impact for years to come.
“
What I love about AAM is how it pulls you out of your silo. You meet people doing wildly different work, and somehow their challenges and ideas spark something in your own. It’s not just about networking; it’s about perspective, reflection, and those unexpected moments that shift how you see your role.
— Denisse Brito, Tucson, AZ
Revisit Past Annual Meetings
PEOPLE AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Every community owes its existence to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hopes of better lives, some were forced from their homelands, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Honoring truth is essential to building a just and equitable world. While acknowledgment is important, it is only a beginning.
We acknowledge the Piscataway people, on whose ancestral lands the American Alliance of Museums’ office is located. Los Angeles, the city we celebrate during this Annual Meeting, is the ancestral homeland of the Gabrieliño Tongva people.
Please take a moment to consider the many realities of violence, displacement, migration, and colonization as we gather together for the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo. We must hold ourselves accountable for the necessary work to uncover truths in the museum field and beyond. We encourage you to use this native lands map so you can learn what lands you occupy—visit: native-land.ca.
The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence.
