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Museums have the power to transform the world around us. They teach us about our past, open our minds to other cultures, and connect us to worlds we never even knew existed.

We at TLC love museums. Whether they’re providing educational experiences, making a social and economic impact, or leading various research and development programs, they capture key moments in time and allow us to explore new ways of thinking. In celebration of International Museum Day, join us in supporting museums and their ability to spark positive change in our communities.

Educational Experiences

Simply put, museums provide an educational experience to visitors of all ages. From interactive children’s programs to natural history artifacts to immersive art exhibits, museums weave a fabric that is essential in community building. They bring lessons to life and transport us to another world where we’re presented with opportunities to understand history, discover different traditions, and experience a sense of unity. To experience all the ways that museums allow us to gain new knowledge, try:

• Visiting a museum you’ve never been to before, virtually or in person
• Learning about the history and curators of your favorite museum
• Participating in a museum’s interactive activity on a subject matter you’re interested in

Social & Economic Impact

Museums play an essential role in our civic life. They exist as places to gather, celebrate, and inspire. Whether you’re watching a child’s eyes go wide looking at their first set of dinosaur bones or your great-aunt get weepy staring at a beautiful Rembrandt, museums are where we go to learn about the past, reflect on our present, and ignite hope for our future. Museum programs and events bring communities together in a way that few other organizations can, often giving a voice to those who are marginalized and paving a platform for learning and understanding. Moreover, the development of museums can bring major benefits and growth to communities, engine powering local economies with job creation and tourism and generating billions of dollars in tax revenues across the country. To further museums’ social and economic impact, try:

• Inviting a friend to spend an afternoon at a local museum
• Attending a museum event
• Volunteering at your local museum

Research & Development

Museums are key to an array of research programs that benefit society. They play a crucial role in providing invaluable insights and facilitating resource allocation for a wide range of fields—homeland security, public health, biodiversity, systemics, and taxonomy to name a few. Many museums and academic institutions maintain first-rate collections of materials such as preserved fossils, DNA libraries, and first edition texts. To help museums expand their research and development footprint, consider:

• Making a donation to a museum’s operational, research, or preservation fund
• Becoming familiar with local research programs, such as citizen science projects
• Sharing the work of museums with others on social media

For more information about International Museum Day and ways you can support museums, visit the International Council of Museums’ website.