News Release

Park Awarded Re-Accreditation by American Alliance of Museums

Park Registrar Kirsten Kvam displays sailmaking tools which belonged to Andrew Fisher (1880-1985). The collection was donated to the park by Harriet Minkwitz-Scampoli, one of the first female sailmakers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: March 22, 2019

Contact: Lynn Cullivan, 415-561-7006

San Francisco, CA – In February, 2019, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1070 are currently accredited. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park was initially accredited in 1996.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, AAM president and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

In addition to the five national historic landmark vessels preserved at Hyde Street Pier (the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha, the 1895 schooner C.A. Thayer, the 1891 scow schooner Alma, the 1907 steam tugboat Hercules and the 1890 paddlewheel ferryboat Eureka) the Park hosts the largest museum collection in the National Park Service. Holdings include: 35,000 published titles; 500,000 photographs; 1,800 archival and manuscript collections; 150,000 naval architecture and marine engineering drawings; 3,000 maps and charts; 150,000 feet of motion picture film and video; 6,000 historic archaeological artifacts; 2,500 pieces of folk and fine art; 40,000 history objects; 100 historic small craft; 50,000 pieces of ephemera; and 600 oral histories and audio recordings. The Park also manages the Aquatic Park National Historic Landmark District, which includes the Maritime Museum and the Aquatic Park Pier.

For more information about the Park’s holdings, and how to access/use the collection, please visit https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/museum-collections-faq.htm.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, located at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf, includes a fleet of historic ships, Visitor Center, Maritime Museum, Maritime Research Center, and the Aquatic Park National Historic Landmark District. For more information, please call 415-447-5000 or visit nps.gov/safr, Twitter @SFMaritimeNPS, and Facebook @SanFranciscoMaritimeNHP. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers assisted listening services on request. Sign Language interpreter services need to be requested at least five days in advance. Contact Accessibility Coordinator/Chief of Interpretation for more information at 415-859-6797, or [e-mail].