Contributed RECOGNIZED — The Heinz History Center has earned national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums.

PITTSBURGH — The Senator John Heinz History Center, the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh, has earned national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the museum field’s high profile, peer-based review of an institution’s operations and impact.

The AAM Accreditation includes the history center’s family of museums, including Fort Pitt Museum, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.

Recognized as the field’s gold standard for museum excellence for 55 years, AAM accreditation signifies a museum’s quality and credibility to the entire museum community, governments and outside agencies and the museum-going public. Through a rigorous process of self-assessment and peer review, accredited museums demonstrate that they meet the highest professional standards, follow best practices and serve as responsible stewards of the collections and resources they hold in the public trust.

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only 3 percent are accredited.

The history center first earned AAM accreditation in 2009.

“Reaccreditation affirms the history center’s unwavering commitment to our mission to preserve and interpret American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the history center. “This recognition is a testament to the museum’s dedicated staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to meet and exceed industry standards, serving as a model for other museums across the nation.”

The AAM accreditation caps off a banner year for the history center, voted as the No. 1 history museum in America for the second consecutive year by USA TODAY, and Best Museum in Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine for the fourth year in a row.

One of Pittsburgh’s premier cultural attractions, the history center recently partnered with VisitPITTSBURGH to open the new Pittsburgh Welcome Center in the museum’s first floor Great Hall.

Earlier this year, the history center announced a major campus expansion that will add new exhibitions, visitor amenities, a 150-seat theater, smart classrooms and much more.

The museum also launched its Kamin Free for Kids Initiative, which provides free admission to all children 17 and under, in perpetuity, supported by a transformative $11.5 million gift by Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin.