Maxwell Museum of Anthropology

One of the nation’s finest anthropology museums, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology offers exhibits and programs relating to cultures around the world, with a special emphasis on the cultural heritage of the Southwest. The Maxwell Museum was founded in 1932 as the Museum of Anthropology of the University of New Mexico, becoming the first public museum in Albuquerque. In 1972 it was renamed the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology in honor of philanthropists Dorothy and Gilbert Maxwell, whose donation of funds made possible a major expansion of the museum that same year. In 1973 the Maxwell Museum was awarded its first accreditation from the American Association of Museums and was re-accredited in 1985, 1997 and 2007. With its associated research institutes — the Office of Contract Archaeology, the Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies, and the Maxwell Center for Anthropological Research — the museum represents a comprehensive center for cultural studies and public education.