We Need to Know What a Museum Is

People seem to believe that if something is in a museum, it is automatically accurate and factual, while some use museums to promote their religious or doctrinal beliefs. Wikipedia lists 13 creationist museums in the United States and four in other countries. Some of these “museums” are really presentations of dispensational beliefs, and some are theme parks that charge significant entry fees. We need to know what a museum is.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the United States has the legal definition of “museum.” It is: “A public, tribal, or private nonprofit institution which is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes and which, using a professional staff: Owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; Cares for these objects; and Exhibits them to the general public on a regular basis” (Museum Services Act 1976). We need to know what a museum is and most of these “creation museums” do not meet this definition.

The American Alliance of Museums has a list of criteria required to participate in their Accreditation Program. It states that a museum must: “Be a legally organized nonprofit institution or part of a nonprofit organization or government entity; Be essentially educational in nature; Have a formally stated and approved mission; Use and interpret objects or a site for the public presentation of regularly scheduled programs and exhibits; Have a formal and appropriate program of documentation, care, and use of collections or objects; Carry out the above functions primarily at a physical facility or site; Have been open to the public for at least two years; Be open to the public at least 1,000 hours a year; Have accessioned 80 percent of its permanent collection; Have at least one paid professional staff with museum knowledge and experience; Have a full-time director to whom authority is delegated for day-to-day operations; Have the financial resources sufficient to operate effectively; Demonstrate that it meets the Core Standards for Museums; Successfully complete the Core Documents Verification Program.”

Before taking our children or church group to a “museum,” we need to know what a museum is. First, establish the museum’s purpose: is it biblically and educationally sound, and will it help build the faith of those who attend, or will it raise questions about the credibility of faith? If you are concerned about what is available within driving distance of where you live, please contact us, and we will send you the information we have available. We also remind our readers that the Clayton Museum of Ancient History at York University in York, Nebraska, fits the United States Museum Services Acts of 1976 and is a part of this ministry.

— John N. Clayton ©2024
References: wikipedia.org, The Institute of Museum and Library Services, and The American Alliance of Museums