This report highlights the rationale and outcomes of a spring 2024 visit to the East Coast United States with the dual purposes of fostering strong relationships with peer natural history museums and attending the annual American Alliance of Museums (hereafter AAM) conference. Three museums were chosen for in-depth interviews: the American Museum of Natural History, a large, private, and ticketed museum; the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, a large, public and free museum; and the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, a medium, private and ticketed museum. Additionally, with future capital projects in development, the AAM conference served as a strategic platform for discussion and learning on this year’s theme, “Thriving Museums, Healthy Communities,” examining the relationship and obligations between cultural and scientific institutions and their stakeholders. This is the first post-pandemic US visit by the National Museum of Natural Science.