WASHINGTON — Leaders from the Abbe Museum joined hundreds of their peers in the nation’s capital early this week to make the case for ongoing federal support of America’s museums.

“We are intent on making sure Congress knows about the vital work museums do, and their role as educational, economic and overall community assets,” Abbe CEO Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko said.

Ms. Catlin-Legutko and museum curator of education Raney Bench, flanked by other Maine museum leaders, visited with the Maine Congressional delegation to tout their work and share the economic and cultural benefit their institutions have.

More than 300 museum professionals from across the country were expected to participate in the fifth Museums Advocacy Day, organized by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).

According to the AAM, there are more than 850 million museum visits annually in the U.S.; more than the attendance at all major league sporting events combined. Museums invest more than $2 billion in educational programs each year, serving Americans of all ages and income levels, in all 50 states, the AAM states.

For every $1 in public funds invested in museums and other cultural institutions, there is a $7 return to community coffers, through cultural tourism and related economic activity, a study cited by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found, AAM materials state.

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