The Edison and Ford Winter Estates has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, a little more than 1,100 are currently accredited. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is one of just 60 museums accredited in Florida and, locally, joins the Baker Museum of Art, which received AAM accreditation in February.
AAM accreditation validates a museum's commitment to excellence, accountability, and high professional standards. It also signifies excellence to the museum community, governments, funders, outside agencies and the museum-going public.
Accreditation not only honors the hard work and professionalism of the Edison Ford executive team and staff, but also fulfills an early obligation mandated by the City of Fort Myers.
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Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum must first conduct a year of self-study and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The Alliance’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 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the highest national recognition afforded to museums in the United States. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for more than 55 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability.
“Earning accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums is a significant honor that places Edison and Ford Winter Estates among the nation’s top museums and highlights the organization’s dedication and vision,” said Cole Peacock, EFWE Board of Trustees Chair. “This achievement has a truly positive impact on our community and strengthens our shared commitment to excellence and education.”
Accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums affirms Edison and Ford Winter Estates’ position as a leader in the field, recognized not only for its professional excellence but also for its deep commitment to education, community engagement and artistic innovation.
“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 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, the AAM has been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge and connections they need to move the field forward. For more information, visit aam-us.org.
In addition to AAM accreditation, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates has received the National Stewardship Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Garden Clubs’ Historic Preservation Award. The property is an official project of “Save America’s Treasures," a Florida Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Site. The Edison Botanic Laboratory is a National Historic Chemical Landmark.
Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the internationally known winter home site of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The site is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and until 9 p.m. during Holiday Nights.
For more information about EFWE, visit EdisonFord.org.
Museums support over 726,000 American jobs.
Museums contribute $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year.
Seventy-six percent of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural or heritage activities such as visiting museums. These travelers spend 60 percent more money on average than other leisure travelers.
More people visit art museums, science centers, historic houses or sites, zoos, or aquariums than attend professional sporting events.
The economic activity of museums generates over $12 billion in tax revenue, one-third of it going to state and local governments.
Each job created by the museum sector results in $16,495 in additional tax revenue.
Every direct job at a museum supports an additional job in the economy. This is a higher rate than many other industries.
Museums and other nonprofit cultural organizations return more than $5 in tax revenue for every $1 they receive in funding from all levels of government.
Locally, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates is also a proven economic driver. More than 200,000 visitors walk through the location each year from all around the globe. These visitors spend between $35 and $200 per person or in excess of $7 million annually at area hotels, restaurants and retail establishments.
Because of results like these:
- 97% of Americans believe that museums are educational assets for their communities.
- 89% believe that museums contribute important economic benefits to their communities.
- 96% would think positively of their elected officials for taking legislative action to support museums.
- 96% want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums.
Three-quarters of the public think museums are an important part of our civil society, and that museums have a role in supporting civic knowledge and participation.
92% of U.S. adults think museums are non-partisan providers of educational content.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
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