The Gordon Parks Museum is pleased to announce that Fort Scott, KS will be the host site for the 2024 Kansas Museums Association Conference. The Gordon Parks Museum will serve as the Member Host Organization and both The Fort Scott National Historic Site and The Lowell Milken Center will also serve as Additional Hosts.

Our host planning committee put together a competitive bid proposal. This three-day annual conference will attract 125-150 museum professionals from around the state of Kansas. The conference will provide breakout sessions and workshops with a wide range of topics and the latest trends in museums and preservation.

Jackson Tough, City of Fort Scott, Director of Public Relations & Tourism said, “The city of Fort Scott is thrilled that the Kansas Museums Association Conference chose our community. Being a part of that effort, I know a lot of groundwork was put forth by Kirk Sharp and the presentation committee. They worked on crafting a thorough proposal for several months (and wrote many drafts) that illustrate the many positive attributes that Fort Scott is known for. An event like the Kansas Museums Association Conference is a great opportunity to showcase our community.”

The conference breakout sessions will use several venues in Fort Scott such as: The Gordon Parks Museum, Ellis Fine Arts Center, and The River Room. Conference attendees will also go on tours and site visits at some of the attractions in the community to include the Fort Scott National Historic Site, Lowell Milken Center and many others. The tentative dates for the 3-day conference will be the first or second week of November in 2024.

Kirk Sharp, Director of the Gordon Parks Museum said, “We are very excited about this great opportunity to bring such large group of museum professionals from across the state to our town to not only show what we have to offer, but for them to shop, dine, stay and support our museums and other attractions in our community.”

For 53 years, the KMA Annual Conference has served as a focal point for its member institutions that range from Stanton County Museum in Johnson, Kansas to the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka. Officially formed in spring 1969 when its first organizational meeting was held in Abilene. The Kansas Museums Association offers numerous networking and professional development gatherings and opportunities across the state each year. The KMA is headquartered in Wichita.