Conference registration rates and discounts are listed below. Please read our Registration Policies, Code of Conduct, and Duty of Care Statement before registering.
Questions? Contact at Registration@ChildrensMuseums.org or 703.224.3100.
Registration, the ACM MarketPlace, and sessions will take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, unless otherwise noted.
| Full Conference Registration May 14–16, 2025 | Member | International Member | Nonmember | International Nonmember |
|---|---|---|---|---|
October 28, 2024–November 15, 2024 Up to a $165 discount off full registration. Only available to ACM Members and applies to full conference registration only. Use discount code FIRSTINLINEIA25 | ||||
| Early Bird October 28, 2024–January 27, 2025 Up to a $125 discount off full registration depending on membership category. | $625 | $625 | $775 | $775 |
| Regular January 28–April 14, 2025 Up to a $75 discount off full registration depending on membership category. | $675 | $625 | $825 | $775 |
| Late April 15–May 16, 2025 | $750 | $625 | $900 | $775 |
| One Day Registration May 15 or 16, 2025 | Member | International Member | Nonmember | International Nonmember |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bird October 28, 2024–January 27, 2025 Up to a $100 discount off One Day registration depending on membership category. | $340 | $340 | $490 | $490 |
| Regular January 28–April 14, 2025 Up to a $50 discount off One Day registration depending on membership category. | $390 | $340 | $540 | $490 |
| Late April 15–May 16, 2025 | $440 | $340 | $590 | $490 |
Full-time students in a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate program qualify for a 50% discount off the registration category they would otherwise fall into (member, nonmember, international member, international nonmember). Students must fax (703.224.3099) or email Registration@ChildrensMuseums.org) an official copy of their current course registration and their student ID. ACM staff will then provide a discount code for registration. Student rates are not eligible for First-in-Line discounts.
ACM member institutions registering five or more individuals (full-time and part-time staff members, interns, volunteers, board, and trustee members) at the Early Bird, Regular, or Late registration rates for the full conference will receive a rebate totaling five percent of the institution’s InterActivity registration total. An institution is not required to register its entire group at one time. Additional museum-sponsored individuals that register onsite will count towards the Take 5! Rebate. Surcharges, membership dues, pre-conference fees, and ticketed events are not included in calculating the total rebate. ACM’s InterActivity cancellation policy will apply to all Take 5! registrations. A canceled registration that causes an institution to send fewer than five individuals to the full InterActivity conference will void the Take 5! Rebate. The rebate will be issued to the member institution as a check and mailed by June 30, 2025.
Pre-registration is required for add-on offerings.
InterActivity Study Tours are popular among attendees and sell out quickly. This year, our Study Tours at our hosting partner, Explora, will be offered twice so that more attendees can plan to attend. Please only register for one. Note: All times are Mountain Time.
Sponsored by Imagination Playground, LLC
Pre-registration is required; Member, $235, Nonmember, $335. This event is limited to emerging museums and individuals starting a children’s museum. Registration fee includes breakfast and lunch, and handout materials.
ACM offers the annual Emerging Museums Pre-Conference to share foundational and effective practices of the field with those in the process of starting a children’s museum. The agenda changes each year to keep pace with new trends and insights, but always includes perspectives from recently opened children’s museums.
The MuseumLab for Museum Professionals (MLMP) Pre-Conference Workshop kicks off an 8-week complimentary program. Open to selected applicants only. To apply, complete this form by March 1, 2025. The workshop is limited to 30 participants, who will be notified by mid-March.
MuseumLab for Museum Professionals (MLMP) is a professional learning opportunity that nurtures skills for developing innovative and creative exhibits and programs. After piloting two 8-month versions of MLMP, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and ACM are excited to offer this pre-conference workshop as the kick-off to our inaugural, condensed 8-week program. Participants will work in groups to apply MLMP core principles, conceptualizing and developing a prototype that emphasizes creativity, authenticity, and originality. After the conference, participants will continue their learning with 8 weeks of assignments and meetings that will guide them through additional prototyping and planning, supported by our growing community of innovative museum professionals.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (21MP-256380-OMS-24).
Retreat sponsored by CambridgeSeven and Process Curiosity. Lunch sponsored by Spark Creative
Pre-registration is required; Member $95. Registration includes lunch. Attendance is limited to CEOs and Executive Directors at ACM member museums.
Museum CEOs and executive directors are once again invited to re-energize, recharge, and engage with their peers before the conference begins in full. Together we will explore issues and opportunities of interest to ACM member museums of all sizes. This retreat is a great opportunity for museum executives to network, learn from the scheduled speakers and one other, as well as develop new strategies for addressing shared challenges.
For this retreat, the theme is “Leading in Turbulent Times.” The museum workplace is being transformed. Turbulence and new normal are the adjectives now used to define the workplace environment. With presenters from the Yale School of Management and the School of Management at Case Western Reserve, the retreat will provide a platform for sharing experiences, strategies, and tools that have enabled museums and other organizations to navigate these turbulent times effectively.
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $45. Transportation is included.
Santa Fe Children’s Museum (SFCM) is located in the historic district of Santa Fe on the city’s Armory Campus. SFCM staff will present a guided tour of its facility and newly renovated outdoor space, The Backyard, an outdoor oasis, enabling safe, open-ended play, exploration, and discovery for children and families of all ages. This space designed for ADA accessibility is a collaborative re-design in partnership with National Wildlife Federation, ECHO (Early Childhood Health Outdoors), a national organization committed to “bringing nature and outdoor play to every child, every day,” and Surroundings Studio, a multidisciplinary design studio in Santa Fe. Tour SFCM’s campus, showcasing the museum’s unique approach to play while exploring in-depth sand play activities with partner, The Railyard Conservancy, and sampling effective practices for this unique addition to SFCM’s space. SFCM educators will include nature-based education with a Master Naturalist spotlighting native New Mexican flora and fauna found in The Backyard; a solar viewing with a NASA Solar System Ambassador; and an introduction to SFCM’s animal residents: Bisquick, the pancake tortoise; Fafnir, the uromastyx (spiny-tailed lizard); and Cornelius, the corn snake. Refresh during this study tour with a musical performance in SFCM’s newly renovated amphitheater and a take-home snack that can only be found in New Mexico!
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $35. Transportation is included. This Study Tour is also offered on Friday, May 16.
Tour the museum, classrooms, and outdoor spaces of Explora’s Brillante Early Learning Center. Opened in August 2023, Brillante is part of Explora’s Cradle through Career STEAM Learning Campus that works to improve both educational and economic outcomes in New Mexico and contribute to family and community prosperity. A growing program currently located inside the museum, Brillante is committed to supporting the Albuquerque community by providing accessible, high-quality early learning and child care, building our local workforce, and serving as a hub for family and community resources.
Explora staff will discuss the role of community listening and strategic planning in shaping the project, how the team leveraged community partnerships and state resources to turn big ideas into reality, lessons learned from the pilot experience, and our plans for the future. This study tour also will include a discussion with members of the Museum Playful Learning Collective, a national partnership of more than 17 museum-based preschool programs led by Miami Children’s Museum that examines the impact of museum-based early learning programs. Together we will further explore the opportunities, challenges, and possibilities of operating early childhood centers in museums and answer the question of one of our Brillante students, “I love this school. Why did you build this place for me?”
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $35. Transportation is included. This Study Tour is also offered on Friday, May 16.
Opened in February 2023 as phase one of Explora’s Cradle through Career STEAM Learning Campus, X Studio is an 8,000-square-foot space for teens to engage with hands-on learning, innovation, and workforce development. Through programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), X Studio connects teens to real-world tools, technologies, and industry leaders, preparing them for future careers in fields that solve big problems and pay well.
This study tour will offer a comprehensive look at X Studio’s physical space and teen program offerings, as well as a discussion on the valuable lessons Explora has learned in the first two years since the center opened. Guided by members of the X Studio team, participants will explore how partnerships with public schools, charter schools, local organizations, and STEAM employers help create deeper community connections. The tour will highlight how X Studio’s program offerings, tools, and design were informed and continue to evolve through community listening, teen focus groups, and guidance from our teen advisory board. This community listening was the motivating force for a children’s museum to transform into a workforce development center, as well, focused on both educational and economic outcomes.
Attendees will leave this tour with a deeper understanding of how a dedicated teen space can transform teen engagement, learning, and career preparation. Whether you’re looking to create teen programming for students aging out of your museum or you’re hoping to build a teen-specific area in your own institution, this study tour will provide practical takeaways on how to design and implement a space that truly serves young people.
Pre-registration required; tickets are $35. Transportation is included.
Founded in 1976, by New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo communities to serve as a gathering place, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center has become an important part of New Mexico’s cultural landscape. With a mission to preserve and perpetuate Pueblo culture, we continuously cultivate creative and cultural experiences for guests, while providing economic opportunities to Pueblo and local communities. This experience is sure to leave you with lasting memories. You will learn how the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico have joined together to create a museum, a for-profit entity that supports the non-profit, and how we’ve expanded our impact by opening up a 7,500 entrepreneurial complex focused on food and agriculture. Located in the heart of Albuquerque, on nearly 90-acres of land that was formally recognized as the Albuquerque Indian School, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a true example of self-determination and how tribal communities can work together for not only their benefit but the benefit of the community.
After an informational presentation on New Mexico’s cultural landscape and the formation of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, we’ll move to a guided tour of We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story, an exhibit space that was unveiled in celebration of IPCC’s 40th anniversary and continues to be a place of discovery, dialogue, and exploration. Spanning 11,000 square feet you’ll experience the Pueblo People’s legacy of resilience in our own words and voices tour where you’ll by inspired by the traditions, art and culture of New Mexico’s 19 Pueblo communities and gain an understanding of how culture and art have been passed down for generations, honoring our land and all living things. After this guided tour, we’ll move to the patio at Indian Pueblo Kitchen for an unforgettable menu sampling and hands-on experience to taste the flavors of New Mexico and participate in a hands-on cooking activity that is sure to delight!
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $50. Transportation is included.
The staff, board, and volunteers of Explora invite you to a delightful evening of food, fun, and friends on our Cradle through Career STEAM Learning Campus, which includes Explora, X Studio teen center, and Brillante Early Learning Center. Enjoy New Mexican and Native American cuisines, as well as local wines, beers, signature cocktails, and mocktails. Not only can you screen print in the new X Studio Makerspace, but you’ll also have fun painting with bubbles, building with 3D pens, and playing soccer with robots! Listen to the sounds of New Mexico with mariachi, flamenco, and a variety of local artists. Didn’t get a chance to join us for the International Balloon Fiesta? Come and watch the sky light up with a radio-controlled hot air balloon. Even the cars are coming—check out our New Mexican lowriders as they visit Explora.
In our Lower Gallery, experience the power of air as you help a buddy with a parachute and drop it from the sky, pilot a plane, and learn how to go with, not against, the flow. Make fun poses in front of the heat cam, and meet Lucy, our axolotl, and the rest of Explora’s animal team. Visit our Upper Gallery for bigger-than-life bubbles, puzzles and brainteasers, and the Science of Kindness. We can’t wait to host you for an energetic evening of all that makes New Mexico great!
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $35. Transportation is included. This Study Tour is also offered on Thursday, May 15.
Tour the museum, classrooms, and outdoor spaces of Explora’s Brillante Early Learning Center. Opened in August 2023, Brillante is part of Explora’s Cradle through Career STEAM Learning Campus that works to improve both educational and economic outcomes in New Mexico and contribute to family and community prosperity. A growing program currently located inside the museum, Brillante is committed to supporting the Albuquerque community by providing accessible, high-quality early learning and child care, building our local workforce, and serving as a hub for family and community resources.
Explora staff will discuss the role of community listening and strategic planning in shaping the project, how the team leveraged community partnerships and state resources to turn big ideas into reality, lessons learned from the pilot experience, and our plans for the future. This study tour also will include a discussion with members of the Museum Playful Learning Collective, a national partnership of more than 17 museum-based preschool programs led by Miami Children’s Museum that examines the impact of museum-based early learning programs. Together we will further explore the opportunities, challenges, and possibilities of operating early childhood centers in museums and answer the question of one of our Brillante students, “I love this school. Why did you build this place for me?”
Pre-registration is required; tickets are $35. Transportation is included. This Study Tour is also offered on Thursday, May 15.
Opened in February 2023 as phase one of Explora’s Cradle through Career STEAM Learning Campus, X Studio is an 8,000-square-foot space for teens to engage with hands-on learning, innovation, and workforce development. Through programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), X Studio connects teens to real-world tools, technologies, and industry leaders, preparing them for future careers in fields that solve big problems and pay well.
This study tour will offer a comprehensive look at X Studio’s physical space and teen program offerings, as well as a discussion on the valuable lessons Explora has learned in the first two years since the center opened. Guided by members of the X Studio team, participants will explore how partnerships with public schools, charter schools, local organizations, and STEAM employers help create deeper community connections. The tour will highlight how X Studio’s program offerings, tools, and design were informed and continue to evolve through community listening, teen focus groups, and guidance from our teen advisory board. This community listening was the motivating force for a children’s museum to transform into a workforce development center, as well, focused on both educational and economic outcomes.
Attendees will leave this tour with a deeper understanding of how a dedicated teen space can transform teen engagement, learning, and career preparation. Whether you’re looking to create teen programming for students aging out of your museum or you’re hoping to build a teen-specific area in your own institution, this study tour will provide practical takeaways on how to design and implement a space that truly serves young people.
