2025 AASLH Annual Conference | Cincinnati, Ohio | September 10-13, 2025

The American Experiment  |  In Partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance

Registration Opens in June

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States. The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future. The leaders of the founding era did not have all the answers. Though their innovations of representative democracy and rights-based constitutionalism were transformative, they knew the nation was a revolutionary experiment. Like many experiments, the United States has had many fits, starts, shortcomings, and outright failures. Indigenous dispossession and chattel slavery, Jim Crow and segregation, systemic racism, and many others. Yet, with each failure, Americans have challenged the status quo; driving new forms of experimentation to bring the United States closer to its lofty goal of a “more perfect union.”

The 1776 revolutionary experiment benefited mostly white males with property. In the years since, unheard voices emerged for the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence. Women, Black Americans, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, and immigrants have contributed their voices, lived experiences, and diverse perspectives to The American Experiment. As we approach America 250, we history practitioners can help the public at large explore the origins of our civic institutions, think critically about how they’ve changed, and how they will actively shape our nation for the next 250 years.

The role of history organizations as vibrant hubs of civic and community conversation is more important than ever. How might we partner with our communities to understand and address the pressing issues of today and the future? How can we empower our audiences to consider the effects of The American Experiment and engage in civic participation? What “leaps into the dark” are we taking now, and what can we learn from our own experiments and share with each other to advance our field?

The concept of experimentation does not presume success. We hope that conference attendees will further embrace the theme of experimentation to talk about our own leaps in the dark even if they were unsuccessful. While it is always great to hear about our successes, we also learn a great deal from our failures. Let us be brave and highlight our spectacular failures in ways that advance our learning and our knowledge in a way that advances the field.

It is fitting that the 2025 AASLH Annual Conference is in Cincinnati. The city was founded in 1788, but the Shawnee, Miami, and other indigenous people inhabited the land along what is now the Ohio River long before white men settled the area now known as southern Ohio. The city is named for the Society of the Cincinnati, which commemorated Roman general Cincinnatus as a hero of republican citizenship who gave back his military authority to retire peacefully. An outpost of the Northwest Territory after the forced removal of indigenous tribes, Cincinnati grew quickly from frontier town to “Paris of the West.” It boomed in the 19th century, fueled by westward expansion, bustling river traffic, and waves of new immigrants. By 1850, Cincinnati was the sixth largest city in the United States. The Ohio River, dividing free Ohio and slave-holding Kentucky, was a significant border for many freedom-seekers, even as it was also a conduit for the internal slave trade. Cincinnati became a destination for Black individuals escaping enslavement and a locus for the Underground Railroad and Abolitionist movement.

Later in the city’s history, railroads supplanted boats, and Cincinnati became a hub of reinvention. Today, Cincinnati’s colorful neighborhoods and thriving arts scene benefit from a resilient economy. In addition to the first professional baseball team and Skyline Chili, the city is home to Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Kenner Toys, Bicycle playing cards, and King Records. The city teems with museums, theaters, and public art—from the Taft Museum of Art and Cincinnati Museum Center in Union Terminal to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The city’s proud brewing history, once decimated by Prohibition, has come roaring back, and craft brews and farm-to-table cuisine fill beautiful historic buildings city-wide. The inscription of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, eight nearby monumental mound sites, to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2023 is bringing international attention to this vibrant region.

One constant among all this change is that Cincinnati has always been a borderland at the nexus of east and west, north and south, free and enslaved, red and blue. This mix of influences has helped Cincinnati keep constantly experimenting and evolving and makes it a place where people of difference can encounter each other and work together to create change. Cincinnati is, in all ways, a city that defines, contributes to, and reflects The American Experiment.

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

2025 Annual Conference Fellowships and Scholarships

The Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko Memorial Scholarship, Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowships, and Small Museums Scholarships are the three programs that AASLH offers to assist those who would like to attend the AASLH Annual Conference. Applications for all scholarships and fellowships are now open. Submissions are due June 27, 2025.

Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko Memorial Scholarship

Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko will be best remembered because she used her power to change lives, inspire movements, and challenge the status quo for the better. In memory of Cinnamon and her generational impact on museums, historic sites, and public history, AASLH has created a special scholarship in her name to advance her legacy of transformational change across the museum community. The fund will provide one $1,000 scholarship for the AASLH Annual Conference which includes a full conference registration. The remainder of funds can be used for ticketed events or travel costs. Eligible applicants include those working in small museums, as either full-time or part-time paid or volunteer employees and who are institutional or individual members of AASLH; and Indigenous persons and those employed as staff members with a tribal organization, program, or collection. Click here for guidance on what constitutes a small museum.

Apply Here

Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowship

The Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowship is named in honor of Douglas Evelyn, AASLH president from 1992-1994, and recognizes Evelyn’s strong support of AASLH’s professional development mission. A primary objective of the Douglas Evelyn Diversity Fellowship is to increase culturally diverse participation at the AASLH Annual Conference and in all the association’s programs. The scholarship covers full registration and a $750 travel stipend. Ticketed events with an extra fee are not included in the scholarship but can be covered with a portion of the travel stipend. AASLH will offer up to five full conference scholarships for culturally diverse attendees.

Apply Here

Small Museums Scholarship

AASLH’s Small Museums Committee is offering scholarships to any AASLH members who are full-time, part-time, paid, or volunteer employees of small museums. The $850 scholarship will cover the cost of registration and the Small Museums Luncheon. Any remaining funds can be used to offset travel and/or lodging expenses. To qualify, the applicant must work or volunteer for a museum with a budget of $250,000 or less and either be an individual member of AASLH or work for an institutional member.

Apply Here

History and museum professionals from all over the country attend the AASLH Annual Conference to learn new techniques, solve challenges, and find new products and services to improve their practice of history. The conference is a unique opportunity to meet prospective clients and network at dozens of sessions, tours, evening events, luncheons, and more.

Sponsor: Get maximum brand exposure as an Annual Conference sponsor. Packages start at $500

Exhibit: Reserve a booth in our two-day Exhibit Hall. Packages start at $825. Don’t delay! Exhibitor space is limited this year and is expected to sell out early.

Advertise: Raise awareness of your organization or product with a full-color ad in our online Preliminary Program. Prices start at $200.

2025 AASLH Annual Conference Marketing Kit
For questions or additional information, contact Rey Regenstreif-Harms, Senior Manager, Membership Data and Development, at [email protected].

This year’s Annual Conference will be held at two hotels in downtown Cincinnati: the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza and the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati. Room blocks are available at both hotels.

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza
35 West 5th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 421-9100

Room Reservations: https://group.hilton.com/q07ygn

Room Rates:

King, Queen, or two Queen Deluxe beds: $196 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

King Suite: $237 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

Room rate includes complimentary basic wi-fi in the sleeping room.

Room block cut-off date: August 18, 2025

Hotel check-in: 4 p.m. EST

Hotel check-out: 11 a.m. EST

Parking garage is secured and covered with in/out privileges.

Self-parking: On-site, $35.00 per day

Valet parking: $49.00 per day

Electric vehicle charging: On-site, electric vehicle charging stations available in the adjacent Mabley Garage.

Self-parking is located at 410 Race Street.

Hyatt Regency Cincinnati
151 West Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 579-1234

Room Reservations Link: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/CINCI/G-GHY1

Room Rates:

King: $205 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

Two Queen beds: $215 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

One King Bed Deluxe: $230 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

Two Queen Beds Deluxe: $240 plus local taxes (currently 19.3%)

Group rate available three days pre- and post conference date based on availability.

Room rate includes complimentary standard guest room internet in sleeping room.

Room block cut-off date: August 20, 2025

Hotel check-in: 4 p.m. EST

Hotel check-out: 11 a.m. EST

Parking and transportation details: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/cinci-hyatt-regency-cincinnati/parking-and-transportation

Valet Parking

Hyatt Regency Cincinnati offers valet parking with in-and-out privileges. Valet parking daily. Clearance is 6’8” feet.

0–8 hours: $25.00

8-24 hours: $46.00

Self-parking is located at 410 Race St., Cincinnati, OH

The preliminary program will be published later this month. In the meantime, this basic schedule can help you plan your trip to Cincinnati.

A $ indicates that the event has a fee outside the conference registration fee.

Tuesday, September 9
3-5 p.m. Registration Open
Wednesday, September 10
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration Open
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Full Day Tours ($)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Morning Tours ($)
9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Morning Workshops ($)
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Full Day Workshops ($)
1-5 p.m. Afternoon Tours ($)
5:30-6:30 p.m. Receptions ($)
6:30-9 p.m. Evening Event ($)
Thursday, September 11
7 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration Open
7-9 a.m. Walking Tour ($)
8:30-9:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
9:45-10:45 a.m. Break in Exhibit Hall
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Opening Keynote
12:30-1:45 p.m. Affinity Group Luncheons ($)
1:30-5:30 p.m. Afternoon Tours ($)
2-3:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
3:15-4:15 p.m. Break in Exhibit Hall
4:15-5:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
5:30-6:30 p.m. Receptions ($)
6-10 p.m. Evening Event ($)
Friday, September 12
7 a.m.-5 p.m. Registration Open
7-8:30 a.m. Walking Tour ($)
8:30-9:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Morning Tours ($)
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open
9:45-10:45 a.m. Exhibit Hall Break
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
12:30-2 p.m. AASLH Meeting of the Membership / Awards Luncheon ($)
1-5 p.m. Afternoon Tour ($)
2:15-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
4:30-6 p.m. Plenary Session
6:30-8 p.m. Evening Event ($)
8:30-11 p.m. AASLH After Hours ($)
Saturday, September 13
8 a.m.-12 p.m. Registration Open
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Full Day Tours ($)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Morning Tours ($)
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Full Day Workshops ($)
9-10:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
10:15-10:45 a.m. Refreshment Break
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
1:30-5 p.m. Afternoon Workshops ($)
1:30-5:30 p.m. Afternoon Tours ($)

What is the AASLH Annual Conference?

The AASLH Annual Conference is an in-person experience that engages and connects history professionals and volunteers and inspires them in their work. We encourage every attendee’s full participation in the sessions, workshops, tours, and discussions. Each session type is categorized so that attendees can see the level of participation it involves. Before you propose a session, think carefully about how it will engage your audience.

We hope the Annual Conference becomes a transformative moment for all, a chance to go deep, to reenergize, to build professional relationships, and to focus on a sense of place and history in the host city. In formal and informal spaces, participants will work through challenging discussions and learn new practices. While there will be an emphasis on communal events to build shared experience, we will offer multiple opportunities for personalized learning, in tours, workshops, and sessions.

AASLH envisions its Annual Conference as an opportunity to invigorate and promote our field’s honest approach to history. AASLH and its members, wherever they live and work, believe that whole history belongs to all of us.

Honest, inclusive approaches to history and other liberties are under fire in states and localities around the country. Periodically holding the AASLH Conference in these areas allows us, as a professional community, to show support for our colleagues who are working in challenging environments and to learn from their experiences. AASLH’s purpose, especially as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, is to share with people of all backgrounds and beliefs the entire sweep of our common history and its centrality to our continued progress toward “a more perfect Union.”

AASLH is committed to ensuring that our conference is a welcoming, respectful, intellectually stimulating, and safe event for all who attend. We have a robust policy on conference safety and responsibility, and we will strive to make it possible for all attendees to navigate their way through a fulfilling conference experience.

We hope you will join us in Cincinnati in September and add your voice to the chorus of those working to make history more meaningful to all people.

Cancellation / Refunds

All cancellations must be in writing. Cancellations postmarked on or before August 15, 2025, will be subject to a $55 processing charge on the cancelled registration fee and a 50% cancellation fee on all special events, including workshops. No refunds for registration, workshops, and special events will be made after August 15, 2025. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received. If you do not receive confirmation from AASLH within three weeks, please contact the AASLH office at 615-320-3203 or [email protected].

Waiver and Photo Release

By submitting a registration for the AASLH Annual Conference, you agree to the following:

  • AASLH is committed to provide a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and AASLH staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, AASLH staff, service providers, and others are expected to abide by the Meeting Safety and Responsibility Policy. You can read the full policy below.
  • You authorize AASLH to use, reproduce, and/or publish photographs and/or video that may pertain to you — including your image, likeness, and/or voice without compensation. AASLH may use this material in various publications, recruitment materials, or for other related endeavors in print and online, including the AASLH website and email correspondence.

Meeting Safety and Responsibility Policy

AASLH is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and AASLH staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, AASLH staff, service providers, and others are expected to abide by this Meeting Safety and Responsibility Policy. This Policy applies to all AASLH meeting-related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than AASLH but held in conjunction with AASLH events, in public or private facilities.

Unacceptable Behavior

AASLH has zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment in any form, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. This policy also covers any virtual meetings hosted by the association.

Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening, cyber-bullying, or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, AASLH staff member, service provider, or other meeting guests.

Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, AASLH staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest or disruption of presentations at sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by AASLH will not be tolerated.

Attendees should respect all participants’ personal choice on the mask issue and any harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, AASLH asks that you inform either John Dichtl, President and CEO, [email protected] or 615-320-3203, or Bethany Hawkins, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, [email protected] or 615-320-3203, so that we can take the appropriate action. You can also or email [email protected].

AASLH reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and AASLH reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting.

Based on guidelines from the American Society of Society Executives.

Upcoming Annual Conferences

September 16-19, 2026: Joint Annual Conference with National Council on Public History in Providence, Rhode Island

September 20-23, 2027: Annual Conference in Madison, Wisconsin

VISIT OUR SILENT AUCTION AT THE CONFERENCE!

The auction will be available from Wednesday, September 10th to the morning of Thursday, September 11th. Winning bidders will be notified by the afternoon of Thursday, September 11th. For questions, email Megan Spainhour at [email protected]

Thank you to the wonderful donors who have supported AASLH and our silent auction, and the items that they have donated!

More to come soon! Keep an eye out for new additions to the silent auction as they are received!