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Historic Spanish Point Receives Highest National Museum Recognition Contact Name: John McCarthy Contact Email: john.mccarthy@historicspanishpoint.org Contact Phone Number: 9419665214 (Thursday, July 25, 2019) -- Historic Spanish Point, Sarasota’s regional living history museum, has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation represents excellence in museum policies, practices and public accountability. Historic Spanish Point was opened to the public in 1982 and first achieved AAM accreditation in 2002. Accredited museums must maintain the highest standards and undergo periodic accreditation reviews. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only 1,078 are currently accredited. Historic Spanish Point is currently one of 56 accredited in Florida. Historic Spanish Point is owned and operated by Gulf Coast Heritage Association. “I’ve been associated with Historic Spanish Point since the early days of the museum, and accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums is the most significant endorsement we have ever achieved,” noted Daniel “Pat” Ball, board president of Gulf Coast Heritage Association. 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. “Achieving the museum’s goals requires an amazing team effort of internal and external stakeholders,” said John McCarthy, Executive Director of Gulf Coast Heritage Association. “This recognition is the result of our supporters, our volunteers, our staff, our board, and our community partners.” AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report with other criteria to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. Amy Bartow-Melia, Chair of AAM’s Accreditation Commission shared, “The museum has shown itself to be a good steward of its resources held in the public trust and committed to a philosophy of continual institutional growth. We commend the museum for proactively seeking out and forging new partnerships which are expanding its capacity and impact.” ABOUT HISTORIC SPANISH POINT: Historic Spanish Point is a 30-acre outdoor museum located on Little Sarasota Bay in Osprey, Florida. Owned and operated by Gulf Coast Heritage Association, Inc., the museum includes archaeological and historical resources, including Native American shell middens, pioneer homesteads and chapel, and several of Mrs. Bertha Palmer’s bayfront gardens. In 1975 Historic Spanish Point became the first site in Sarasota County to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is located at 337 N. Tamiami Trail in Osprey, Florida and is open Monday through Saturday 9am - 5pm and on Sundays from noon - 5pm. For more information visit us at www.historicspanishpoint.org ***