New survey data from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and Wilkening Consulting shows trust in US museums is rising among people of all political stripes.
Data gathered from January and earlier annual surveys of American museum visitors, spanning from 2021 to 2025, reveal that museums rank as the public’s third most trusted source of information, falling just behind friends and public libraries. The survey found museums outranked researchers and scientists, local and national news agencies, and the United States government.
Party-by-Party Scores
The survey documented improvements across the political spectrum, placing them on a scale where 1 represents the least trustworthiness and 10 represents the most.
- Conservative respondents gave museums an average score of 7.3, exceeding their 2021 and 2025 ratings.
- Moderate respondents followed a similar upward trend with an assigned score of 7.2, a 0.6 jump from the 2021 number.
- Liberal participants scored museums at 7.8, matching last year’s average and moving slightly above their 2021 rating.
Wilkening’s Warning
The lead writer of the survey, Susie Wilkening, who is also the principal of Wilkening Consulting, warned Hyperallergic that political meddling could undo the progress made.
“People generally do not want political interference in museum content,” Wilkening said. “It can be perceived from all parts of the political spectrum, particularly with what’s happening with the Smithsonian.”
Trump’s Smithsonian Pressure
President Donald Trump has kept up his attacks on the Smithsonian, which have involved trying to change how US history is presented there and claiming that its museums promote “extreme political activism.”. He has also threatened to take away federal money from the Smithsonian system and pushed for one of the smallest budgets for the institution in ten years.
This week, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch revealed his plan to step down at the end of the year, a move that comes amid widespread turmoil.
Trust Rankings Compared
| Source of Information | Ranking |
|---|---|
| Friends | Tied for first |
| Public libraries | Tied for first |
| Museums | Just behind first |
| Researchers and scientists | Below museums |
| Local and national news | Below museums |
| US government | Below museums |
The Stakes
An August 17 visual infographic story featured the AAM’s findings. Researchers work with museums annually to establish which sources the public trusts most across 10 categories.
The survey shows growing American confidence in museums as trustworthy institutions, despite the federal government’s shift against them. Whether that faith endures will depend on how the battles over institutional independence unfold.
Source: hyperallergic.com
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