Historical Museum Award

Historical museums deliver extraordinary information about Alabama’s past, and are increasingly sophisticated as well as important attractions that draw visitors who want to be entertained and educated in the state's history. To recognize exceptional achievement by museums in promulgating state or local history, the Alabama Historical Association has initiated this Historical Museum Award.

The Historical Museum Award recognizes exceptional achievement by large and small museums in promulgating state or local history according to the following criteria:

Nominee makes obvious contributions to promulgating Alabama history (state or local)
Nominee’s information is historically accurate
Nominee goes beyond merely advertising for the parent organization
Nominee exhibits superior design and innovation
Nominee adds informational value to displayed objects
Nominee provides superior value for its cost

[NOTE: These criteria are not mandatory minimums. They form a rubric for comparing nominees.]

Categories: LARGE Projects employ one or more full-time equivalent (>1.0 FTE) professional staff and/or are a component of a larger organization with an obviously significant budget. SMALL Projects have fewer than 1.0 FTE professional staff (devoted to the museum) and operate on a smaller budget.

LARGE Project Award is $100 and a certificate; SMALL Project Award is $250 and a certificate.

Awards will be presented at the 78th Annual Meeting in Fairhope.

Deadline for nominations: December 31, 2025

Online nomination link: aub.ie/museumaward

For more information, contact committee chair Felisha Anderson at fanderson@baldwincountyal.gov.