The Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons has earned reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), marking the museum’s fourth successful accreditation cycle since it was first accredited in 1981.
AAM accreditation is the field’s highest national distinction, recognizing museums that meet rigorous standards for governance, collections stewardship, education, financial responsibility and operations. The reaccreditation process requires an extensive self-study, submission of key operational documents, and a site visit from a two-person peer review team, whose findings go before AAM’s Accreditation Commission for a final decision.
The Calvert Marine Museum was named among 17 museums nationwide to receive accreditation or reaccreditation in AAM’s July 30 announcement. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only about 1,100 currently hold AAM accreditation — roughly 3% — placing the Calvert Marine Museum in a small group nationally. According to the museum’s own records, it’s part of an even smaller subset of more than 300 U.S. museums that have successfully completed the accreditation process at least three times, and it remains one of only 12 accredited museums in Maryland.
“We are honored to receive reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums,” said Jeff Murray, director of the Calvert Marine Museum. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and Board of Governors, who work every day to preserve our collections, serve our community and create meaningful experiences for our visitors.”
Murray said the process itself pushes the museum to strengthen its operations across the board. “The accreditation process encourages museums to evaluate and strengthen every aspect of their operations,” he said. “We are proud of what our team has accomplished and remain committed to serving our community with excellence.”
The museum has grown considerably since it was founded in 1970 under the Calvert County Historical Society. It moved to its current nine-acre site on Solomons Island in 1975, the same year the relocated Drum Point Lighthouse became part of the campus. Owned by Calvert County government, the museum today holds a collection of roughly 200,000 items spanning regional paleontology — including its well-known fossils from the Calvert Cliffs — maritime history, and the estuarine life of the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay.
Reaccreditation carries no immediate operational changes for visitors, but museum officials said it reflects a sustained, decades-long commitment to professional standards as the institution continues preserving Southern Maryland’s natural and maritime history for future generations.
