What McNay Art Museum does

The McNay Art Museum is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) art institution founded in 1954 by Marion Koogler McNay in San Antonio, Texas, operating as the first modern art museum in Texas. It maintains a permanent collection of more than 22,000 objects spanning modern and contemporary art, prints and drawings, the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, and outdoor sculpture, all housed on a 25-acre campus that includes the original McNay mansion, the Stieren Center for exhibitions, Leeper Auditorium, and sculpture gardens. The museum runs an active exhibition program — eight concurrent exhibitions are typical, with 2026 banner shows including 'untitled: 20 Years of Collecting Contemporary Art,' 'Tony Walton: Designer of Dreams,' and 'A People's History: The American Experiment on Stage.' Educational programming is anchored by the award-winning Spotlight K-12 Artist Program, which engaged 1,672 students across 39 schools in 14 San Antonio-area districts in 2026.

The museum's core technology stack is modest: ticketing and membership run through the Blackbaud platform, while visitor-facing digital engagement is delivered through the Bloomberg Connects mobile app (a third-party product from Bloomberg Philanthropies) providing audio commentary, interactive maps, and multi-language accessibility features. Google Analytics supports website analytics. There is no disclosed proprietary AI or custom-built technology platform.

The business model combines earned and contributed revenue streams. Earned revenue includes admissions ($23 adult / $18 senior-student / $10 teen, with free entry for members, children under 12, SNAP/WIC recipients, active military, and during sponsor-funded windows such as H-E-B Thursday nights), membership dues across multiple tiers, private event rentals ($5,500–$8,000 for Saturday packages), and museum shop retail. Contributed revenue includes an annual fund, major donor giving, and institutional grants from foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Tobin Endowment, supplemented by corporate sponsorships from H-E-B, Bank of America, USAA, and Sotheby's.

Name

McNay Art Museum

Legal name

McNay Art Museum

Website

https://mcnayart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The McNay Art Museum is a San Antonio-based nonprofit founded in 1954 that operates the first modern art museum in Texas, serving the public with a 22,000-object permanent collection, rotating exhibitions, K-12 education programs, and private event rentals on a 25-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Modern art museum
• Art collection exhibitions
• Museum education programs
• Museum membership programs
• Private museum rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The museum charges admission fees for general entry and special exhibitions. Standard adult admission is $23, with discounted rates for seniors ($18), students ($18), and teens ($10). Children 12 and under, McNay members, SNAP/WIC/MAP recipients, and active military receive free admission.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with multiple tiers offering free admission, special exhibition access, member events, discounts at the museum store, and reciprocal benefits with other institutions.
3. Facility Rentals: Private event rentals including weddings, corporate events, and photography sessions. Saturday rental packages range from $5,500 to $8,000 depending on space selection. Additional fees for ceremonies ($400), security, catering, and lighting.
4. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations supporting the museum's Community Through Art annual fund, with various giving levels and recognition benefits.
5. Museum Shop: Retail gift shop selling art-inspired merchandise, books, and gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McNay Art Museum operates a 25-acre San Antonio campus where visitors can view modern and contemporary art, permanent-collection objects, and outdoor sculpture through general admission, memberships, and guided tours. It also provides educational programs, private-event and photography rentals, a museum shop, scholarly library access, and a Bloomberg Connects digital guide.

Product overview

The McNay Art Museum is the first modern art museum in Texas, offering a unified visitor experience centered on its collection of over 22,000 objects spanning modern and contemporary art. The museum provides admission-based access to galleries and grounds, supplemented by a membership program that offers free admission and exclusive benefits. Educational offerings include the award-winning Spotlight K-12 Artist Program and McNay Summer Art Camp. The museum also offers digital engagement through the Bloomberg Connects digital guide app, and hosts facility rentals for private events. The product portfolio is organized around core visitor services (admission, tours, exhibitions), educational programs (Spotlight, summer camp, docent training), and ancillary services (photography sessions, facility rentals, museum shop).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission
• Membership Program
• Digital Guide (Bloomberg Connects)
• Guided Tours
• McNay Summer Art Camp
• Photography Sessions
• Facility Rentals
• Museum Shop
• McNay Library

Quantifiable outcome

• The Spotlight program engaged 1,549 students from 31 San Antonio area schools in 2020, expanding to 1,672 students, 49 teachers, and 39 schools across 14 districts in 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bloomberg PhilanthropiescoreTechnology or IntegrationBloomberg Philanthropies provides the Bloomberg Connects digital guide app used by the McNay, allowing visitors to access audio commentary, collection exploration, and interactive features on mobile devices.
• H-E-BcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerH-E-B sponsors free general admission every Thursday from 4-9pm, making the museum accessible to the community on extended evening hours. This is the museum's flagship free admission program.
• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBank of America's Museums on Us program provides free general admission for cardholders on the first full weekend of every month.
• Dickson Allen FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Dickson Allen Foundation sponsors free general admission on the first Sunday of every month, complementing the H-E-B Thursday night program.
• Museums for AllcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational cooperative program providing free admission to SNAP, WIC, and MAP recipients, encouraging diverse and low-income families to visit museums.
• Sotheby'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSotheby's Preferred Client Cardholders receive free general admission for up to three guests, providing access to McNay's collections for high-value art collectors.
• USAAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUSAA generously provides free admission for active military and veterans, honoring service members' access to the museum.
• Texas Fashion Collection (University of North Texas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized Fashion Nirvana exhibition with the Texas Fashion Collection at UNT, featuring over 60 garments from the collection including pieces by Todd Oldham and other designers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blanton Museum of Art: University-affiliated art museum at UT Austin operating a comparable scale of permanent collection, rotating exhibitions, and K-12/higher-education programming in the Texas market. Similar asset base (campus, collection, endowment) and revenue model.
• San Antonio Museum of Art: Another major San Antonio art museum operating a permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programming in the same city. Directly comparable in geography, audience, and mission, though it focuses on broader art-historical periods rather than modern/contemporary specialization.
• Nasher Sculpture Center: Dallas sculpture-focused museum with a permanent collection and rotating exhibitions, plus sculpture garden on a smaller campus. Directly comparable in modern/contemporary art specialization, programming, and Texas regional positioning.
• Menil Collection: Houston museum with a notable permanent collection, free admission, and rotating exhibitions in a campus setting. Comparable in scale, modern art focus, and free/low-cost access model, though the Menil's endowment and collection depth exceed the McNay's.
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston: Houston-based contemporary art institution with no permanent collection but strong exhibition programming and educational outreach. Comparable in scale, regional Texas positioning, and modern/contemporary art focus, though operating model differs.

Broad incumbents

• Dallas Museum of Art: Major Texas art museum with a much larger collection, free general admission policy, and substantial educational programming. Comparable in mission and Texas regional audience but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Nationally significant art museum with free admission, extensive educational programming, and large-scale campus. Operates at substantially larger scale but comparable in educational mission, free-access philosophy, and modern/contemporary art focus.
• Kimbell Art Museum: Fort Worth-based encyclopedic art museum with a renowned permanent collection, special exhibitions, and educational programming. Larger institution with broader art-historical scope but overlapping visitor demographics and Texas market.

Regional players

• Pérez Art Museum Miami: Modern and contemporary art museum with permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programming in a different geography. Comparable institutional model and modern/contemporary focus, though serving a different regional audience.
• Phoenix Art Museum: Southwestern U.S. art museum with a comparable permanent collection, rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and membership/event rental revenue streams. Similar mid-sized museum operating model serving a regional Sun Belt market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McNayArt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@McNayArtMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/McNayArtMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mcnay-art-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcnayartmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about McNay Art Museum