Article 3 - Definition of Terms

Section 1. Museum. A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.

(ICOM Statutes art.3 para.1)

Development of the Museum Definition according to ICOM Statutes (1946 - 2007)

ICOM News Thematic Files : The Definition of the Museum (ICOM News, vol. 57, 2004 n°2)