Cranbrook Institute of Science

What Cranbrook Institute of Science does

Cranbrook Institute of Science is a 501(c)(3) natural history and science museum located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, within the National Historic Landmark-designated Cranbrook Educational Community. Founded in 1930 as a separate legal entity under the Cranbrook Foundation, the institute operates a full-dome Acheson Planetarium, a research-quality Cranbrook Observatory housing a 6-inch refracting telescope originally installed in 1927, an Erb Family Science Garden, and a Glacial Boulder Project featuring rocks up to 2.7 billion years old. Its core asset is a natural history collection of over 150,000 objects spanning anthropology, paleontology, geology, and cultural artifacts, which the institute uses for permanent and traveling exhibitions, research, and educational programming. The 2027 "Mastodons Did Not Survive" exhibition, anchored by the recently acquired Elmer the Mastodon skeleton from Oakland Community College, is a key upcoming content expansion.

The institute serves four primary customer segments: walk-in families and the general public (over 134,000 on-site visitors annually), K-12 school groups including field trips and statewide STEAM outreach reaching 234,000+ students across 455+ schools, underserved Michigan communities served through Cranbrook Cares and the Freshwater Forum, and corporate partners that fund exhibitions, sponsor the annual Women Rock Science gala, and rent museum facilities for events. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining general admission and planetarium ticket sales, annual memberships, facility rentals and birthday parties, summer Explore Camps with need-based scholarships, corporate sponsorships (Women Rock Science tiers ranging from $3,000 to $35,000), foundation grants, and individual donations. Women Rock Science has raised approximately $1.93 million since 2018 for STEAM education. The institute does not disclose financial results publicly and is funded by a diverse base of corporate and foundation sponsors including DTE Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, Masco, PNC, Kresge, Mott Foundation, GM, Denso, Bosch, and Flagstar.

Operationally, Cranbrook runs a lean team of approximately 18 staff across visitor services, education, communications, science/research/collections, and astronomy/experience functions, supplemented by volunteers and adjunct curators. Programming is delivered on-site, off-site via a Mobile Planetarium and in-classroom STEAM outreach, and through recurring speaker and community science events. Strategic direction is set by a Board of Governors chaired by Lee M. Smith (CFO of Flagstar Financial, Inc.), with corporate, civic, and education leaders from across Michigan, signaling strong institutional ties to the regional business and civic community.

Name

Cranbrook Institute of Science

Legal name

Cranbrook Educational Community

Website

https://science.cranbrook.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cranbrook Institute of Science is a 501(c)(3) natural history and science museum in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, serving families, K-12 schools, and corporate partners with exhibits, a planetarium, an observatory, and statewide STEAM outreach across 455+ schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History and Science Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• STEAM education programs
• Planetarium shows
• Museum facility rentals
• Science outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: General admission tickets sold to visitors for museum entry, planetarium shows, and changing exhibitions. Free admission for members.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program providing free admission, member-only events, and discounts on programs.
3. Facility Rentals: Museum rentals for corporate events, meetings, parties, and private gatherings.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations including annual fund, planned giving, IRA giving, donor-advised funds, and securities donations. Hosts annual Women Rock Science gala.
5. Camps and Programs: Explore Camp programs for children and educational outreach programs to schools across Michigan.
6. Named Funds: Specific funds like the Freshwater Forum Fund, Astronomy Fund, Earth Science Fund, Exhibit Fund support designated areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cranbrook Institute of Science operates a natural history and science museum featuring interactive exhibits, the full-dome Acheson Planetarium, the research-quality Cranbrook Observatory, and a 150,000+ object collection. It delivers STEAM educational programs including K-12 field trips and outreach, Explore Camps, Freshwater Forum water education, Community Science Network, and the Women Rock Science speaker and fundraising series. It also provides venue rentals, birthday parties, and a membership program for families and individual visitors.

Product overview

Cranbrook Institute of Science is a natural history and science museum offering a unified portfolio of educational products and services. The core experience combines interactive exhibits, a world-class collection of over 150,000 objects, a full-dome Acheson Planetarium, and a research-quality Observatory. The institute supplements its permanent offerings with changing exhibitions, free science programs, and the Women in Science Speaker Series. Additional offerings include Explore Camps for children, field trips for schools, community science programs, the Freshwater Forum for water education, and the Erb Family Science Garden. The museum also offers memberships, event rentals, birthday parties, and outreach programs including Cranbrook Cares for underserved communities. Major upcoming launches include the Elmer the Mastodon exhibition (2027) and AI Exhibit (2026-2027).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acheson Planetarium Full-dome planetarium offering live-narrated public programs, laser shows, and educational experiences including Michigan Sky Tonight, Young Stargazers Sky Journey, Totality, Mesmerica, and Taylor Swift: Dimensions, for families, school groups, and general visitors.
• Cranbrook Observatory Research-quality observatory with a 6-inch refracting telescope originally installed in 1927, offering public viewing nights and astronomy programs for visitors and school groups.
• Erb Family Science Garden
• Museum Exhibits
• Natural History Collections
• Explore Camps
• School Field Trips
• Free Science Programs
• Membership Program
• Museum Rentals for Private Events
• Birthday Parties
• Reflections Cafe
• Community Science Network
• Freshwater Forum
• Women Rock Science
• Women in Science Speaker Series
• Elmer the Mastodon Exhibition
• Glacial Boulder Project
• Cranbrook Cares

Quantifiable outcome

• 234,000+ students reached through STEAM outreach programs since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oakland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Long-term loan agreement for Elmer the Mastodon skeleton to be transferred from OCC to Cranbrook. OCC cared for Elmer for nearly 50 years after its reconstruction in 1982 by Dr. Jeheskel Shoshani. Partnership includes plans for joint programming and future exhibits expanding educational opportunities for the community.
• Warren Astronomical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal astronomy club that meets at Cranbrook Institute of Science on the first Monday of each month at 7:00pm. Provides volunteer astronomers for events and collaborates on public observatory programming.
• Masco CorporationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing Free First Friday general admission support through December 2026, enabling free museum access for all visitors on first Friday of each month.
• Wayne State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 1983 'Dig a Mastodon' program along with Cranbrook and Oakland Community College providing student excavation experiences.
• MSU Extension Michigan Conservation Stewards ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MSU Extension for Elizabeth Parkinson's light pollution lecture presented as part of the Women In Science Speaker Series.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Michigan Science Center: Detroit-based science museum serving southeast Michigan with hands-on exhibits, planetarium, and K-12 outreach. Closest geographic and mission peer to Cranbrook, competing for the same family, school, and corporate-sponsor pool.
• Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum: Regional hands-on science and technology museum in Michigan offering interactive exhibits, field trips, and STEAM programming — direct overlap with Cranbrook's family and K-12 audience.
• Cleveland Museum of Natural History: Mid-size natural history museum with comparable collections, planetarium, and K-12 outreach in a similar Midwestern metro — direct peer on natural history, science education, and family programming.
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Established natural history museum with a large research collection, planetarium, and educational programming — a clear functional peer on collections, exhibits, and STEAM outreach.
• Buffalo Museum of Science: Regional science museum serving a comparable mid-sized metro with hands-on exhibits, school programs, and a planetarium — a near-equivalent operating model to Cranbrook.
• Rochester Museum & Science Center: Multi-disciplinary science and natural history museum in Rochester, NY with planetarium programming, school outreach, and traveling exhibits — a strong comparable on size and operating model.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: Multi-museum complex combining natural history and science exhibits with a children's museum and education programs — a peer on integrated science/natural history programming and group experiences.
• Liberty Science Center: Mid-large science center in the Northeast with a planetarium, school outreach, and a slate of changing exhibitions including AI-themed programming — directly comparable on product mix and STEAM focus.

Broad incumbents

• Field Museum: Large, internationally recognized natural history museum with deep collections, research programs, and traveling exhibitions. Comparable on natural history collections and mastodon-class specimens, though at a substantially larger scale.

Others

• Detroit Public Library / Detroit Historical Society: Regional cultural-heritage institution serving southeast Michigan with education programming, exhibits, and donor base. Less a direct competitor than a complementary cultural-attraction and shared-community partner in the Detroit metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CranbrookInstituteofScience
• Instagraminstagram.com/cranbrookscience
• Xx.com/cranbrooksci

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cranbrook Institute of Science