Hermosa Beach Museum nears national accreditation

The Hermosa Beach Museum – a small but mighty institution known for celebrating the city’s surf, skate, and beach culture – is closing in on a major milestone: national accreditation.

Officials said Sunday the museum is preparing for a pivotal site visit in August from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the primary accrediting body in the U.S. If successful, the museum would join other powerhouse institutions like the Getty, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Natural History Museum. 

Accreditation is considered the gold standard in the museum world, with just over 1,100 of the nation’s 35,000 museums having earned the designation.

“It was like Mira Costa deciding to play the Rams,” Board Member Pete Hoffman said of the decision to pursue accreditation five years ago. “We’re counting on winning.”

Accreditation would elevate the museum’s stature, open doors to competitive grants, and solidify its standing as the only AAM-accredited museum in the South Bay.

“We’re working diligently to prepare for that site visit in August,” said Museum President Greg McNally, addressing a crowd of docents, volunteers, staff, and board members gathered at the historic Bijou Theatre.

The Hermosa Beach Museum has already submitted a 90-page self-study and met staffing benchmarks. The AAM representatives will assess the museum’s files, facilities, and staff during their visit this summer.

“They want to make sure we fit the standards of an accredited museum,” said Museum Director Jamie Erickson. “If we are being ethical, serving the community and doing our due diligence to protect history.”

Treasurer Dan Inskeep emphasized that the museum is on solid financial footing. 

“We’re growing, and not on the brink of disaster,” he said. “We’re in a very good financial position.”

Museum Vice President Jake Courtney addressed the crowd at the Bijou Theatre with a call for support so the museum could expand its staff and programs.

“You all chose to come here because the museum is important to you, and that’s amazing,” he said. “But what we need to do is grow. We need to expand. So the next time we have this meeting, as lovely as this place is, we can’t fit in here next year. That’s what we want.”

“We need to raise money so we can be a better museum. We can do more and serve the greater community.”

Longtime resident and museum donor Dorothy Courtney, said the museum’s future rests in the hands of the community. 

“We are so proud to be a part of this museum because of all the wonderful people who live here and have not only made the museum grow but made the city a very important mark in the history of our state,” she said.

“But we can’t just relax on our laurels.”

Courtney said when she first came to the museum, she said it was functioning well. “It was already good. It already had people involved with it.” 

“But we could see, this city had more exciting things in the South Bay than some of those other cities, and we should be very proud of that.”

She urged residents to spread the word.

“Think about bringing other people to the museum, your neighbors, your friends, your friends from Manhattan Beach, Redondo, Lawndale, and Torrance — so they can see and also be a part of this.”

Donor Ricardo Reznichek, who helped spark the accreditation effort, summed it up: “I wanted us to be recognized for the things that make us special — beach volleyball, surfing, lifeguarding, skateboarding. That’s Hermosa.”

If the AAM grants accreditation later this year, the Hermosa Beach Museum won’t just be preserving the past — it’ll be securing its future.