What ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain does

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 501(c) nonprofit science and nature museum located front and center on the Burlington, Vermont waterfront at 1 College St. Founded in 2003 and operating year-round (10am-5pm daily), the museum operates across three floors with 100+ interactive exhibits and 50+ live animal species. Its core physical assets include Vermont's largest freshwater aquarium (a 15,000-gallon Lake Tank), the 30+ foot Champ sculpture (the largest and most realistic recreation of the Lake Champlain Monster), and live animal care facilities supporting a 15+ year turtle headstart conservation program with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Permanent exhibits cover Lake Champlain ecology (Into the Lake), weather and physics (Awesome Forces), engineering design (Engineer It), early learning (Champ Lane), and a 3D Theater showing rotating nature films. The museum also operates three lightweight browser-based Champ mini-games and a Lake Weather display integrating Weather Underground and USGS data.

ECHO generates revenue across multiple streams: general admission ($23 adult / $20 child; Vermont residents receive $3 discounts), annual memberships (family, sustaining, corporate tiers with ASTC Passport Program access to 300+ museums), reduced-rate school field trips ($4/student for K-12), specialized Teacher's Choice Programs aligned with Next Generation Science Standards ($80/program), summer camps ($400-440/session), birthday parties ($225-275), back-of-house animal tours ($10-15), venue rentals (Rent ECHO, with exclusive catering by Sugarsnap), and donations/grants. As a nonprofit, it also operates discounted access programs including Museums for All ($2 with EBT/WIC), Open Door Program via social service agencies, and 600+ library partnership passes at $7/person. Multimodal revenue mix diversifies exposure across consumer, education, and event verticals.

The museum's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the physical waterfront location, supplemented by online ticketing (Veevart), group bookings, and event-driven community engagement including mobile STEM festivals, ECHO After Dark adult events, sensory-friendly programming, and an annual Sturgeon Gala. Key strategic partnerships span GlobalFoundries (10+ year STEM workforce development), Vermont Fish & Wildlife (conservation), WCAX (media/webcam), Lake Champlain Basin Program (campus co-location), and Sugarsnap (exclusive catering). The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by a Board of Governors and Trustees, with no private equity, venture capital, or parent company ownership.

Name

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Legal name

Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Inc.

Website

https://echovermont.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 501(c) nonprofit science and nature museum on the Burlington waterfront offering 100+ interactive exhibits, live animal displays, K-12 STEM programs, camps, and conservation initiatives for families, schools, and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science & Nature Museum / Informal Education

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibits
• Freshwater aquarium programs
• Hands-on STEM education
• Lake ecology stewardship
• School field trip programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

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. General Admission: ECHO charges admission fees for all visitors. Adults pay $23 (VT residents $20), students and seniors $21 (VT residents $18), children ages 3-17 pay $20 (VT residents $17). Children 2 and under enter free. 3D film add-ons cost $3 for members or $5 for nonmembers.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships provide free unlimited admission, parking discounts, and access to ASTC Passport Program (300+ museums globally). Corporate and family membership tiers available.
3. School Field Trips: School groups pay reduced rates ($4/student for Pre-K-12, $10 for college students) with free chaperone ratios. Optional Teacher's Choice Programs cost $80/program for up to 25 students.
4. Birthday Parties: Party packages at $225 for members or $275 for non-members include 2 hours private space, admission for up to 14 people, tables/chairs, and exhibit access. Additional guests cost $12 adults and $10 youth.
5. Back-of-House Tours: Seven different animal care and behind-the-scenes tours priced at $15/person for nonmembers or $10/person for members, in addition to museum admission.
6. Summer Camps: Week-long science camps for children entering grades 1-3, priced at $400 for members and $440 for non-members. Two-day sessions cost $160 for members and $200 for non-members.
7. Event Venue Rental (Rent ECHO): Corporate events, weddings, and celebrations hosted at ECHO's lakefront venue with catering by Sugarsnap. Revenue from facility rentals supports museum mission.
8. Donations & Grants: As a 501(c) non-profit, ECHO relies on charitable contributions, corporate sponsorships, and government grants including STEM outreach funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ECHO is a 501(c) nonprofit science and nature museum on the Burlington, VT waterfront that delivers paid public admission to 100+ interactive exhibits, live animal displays, a 15,000-gallon freshwater aquarium, a 3D theater, and seven back-of-house animal care tours. The museum also sells school field trip programs aligned with NGSS, summer science camps, birthday party packages, memberships with reciprocal ASTC access, and event venue rental of its lakefront facility.

Product overview

ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science and nature museum on Burlington's waterfront offering hands-on exhibits, live animal displays, and interactive experiences focused on Lake Champlain ecology. The core experience comprises permanent exhibits including Into the Lake (featuring Vermont's largest 15,000-gallon freshwater aquarium), Champ: America's Lake Monster (with 30+ foot sculpture), Awesome Forces (weather/physics interactives), Engineer It (engineering challenges), Champ Lane (early learning), and the 3D Theater. Add-on paid experiences include Back-of-House Animal Tours (7 options), Birthday Party Packages, Venue Rental for events, and Summer Camps (Animal Superpowers, Science Loves Art, Junior Paleontologists). Educational programs encompass Teacher's Choice Programs for K-12 field trips, Preschool Field Trips, and STEM Outreach with GlobalFoundries partnership reaching thousands of K-8 students annually. Special programming includes Sensory Friendly Sundays, ECHO After Dark (18+ events), Café Sci discussions, and the Annual Gala. Online, the ECHO Learning Toolbox provides home/school science resources, and three Champ Mini Games extend the museum experience digitally. Visitors can access Lake Weather data (integrated from Weather Underground and USGS), live WCAX webcam, and parking via ParkMobile. Admission: adults $23, students/seniors $21, children $20; Vermont residents receive discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECHO Science Museum General Admission Paid public access to the museum's 100+ interactive science exhibits, live animal displays, 3D Theater films, and waterfront exhibits for adults ($23 / $20 VT resident), students and seniors ($21 / $18 VT resident), and children ages 3-17 ($20 / $17 VT resident), with children under 2 free.
• 3D Theater Films 3D science and nature films shown in the Dealer.com 3D Theater at $3 for members or $5 for nonmembers in addition to museum admission.
• Back-of-House Animal Tours Seven behind-the-scenes personal tours of ECHO's animal care facilities, including Animal Care Behind the Scenes, Snake Care, Fish Care, Lake Sturgeon Feeding, Neonate Turtle Care, Turtle Feeding, and Turtle Conservation, priced at $15/person for nonmembers or $10/person for members in addition to museum admission.
• Birthday Party Packages Private 2-hour party packages including private room rental, museum admission for up to 14 guests, tables/chairs, and exhibit access for $225 (members) or $275 (non-members) with a $50 deposit; additional guests at $12 adults and $10 youth, plus 3D film and face painting add-ons.
• Rent ECHO Event Venue Rental Lakefront facility rental for corporate events, weddings, proms, bar/bat mitzvahs, and celebrations with optional catering exclusively through Sugarsnap and indoor/outdoor flexible event space.
• ECHO Summer Camps Week-long (and 2-day) science, stewardship, and engineering-themed day camps for children entering grades 1-3 during summer break, including Animal Superpowers, Science Loves Art, and Junior Paleontologists sessions priced $400-440 (5-day) or $160-200 (2-day).
• K-12 School Field Trips Self-guided and facilitated school group visits offering exhibit access, optional Teacher's Choice Programs aligned with NGSS, 3D film options, and ECHO Treks resources for Pre-K through 12th grade ($4/student) and college students ($10/student), with free chaperone ratios.
• Preschool Field Trips Self-guided and educator-led science experiences for preschool and daycare groups focused on early learning, science play, and Champ Lane early learning activities, priced at $4 per student.
• Teacher's Choice Programs Educator-led 50-minute add-on programs aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for K-12 school field trips including Wetland Wonders, Launch Fling Fly, Safe Crossing, Nest Rescue, Journey to the Sea, Native American Artifact Inquiry, Zip Carts, and Renewable Ride, at $80 per program for up to 25 students in addition to admission.
• STEM Outreach Programs Off-site STEM education programs including mobile STEM festivals, classroom visits, and the STEM Teacher Institute year-long professional development for teachers, delivered in partnership with GlobalFoundries and reaching thousands of K-8 students annually across Vermont.
• Annual ECHO Membership Annual membership providing unlimited free admission, parking and Museum Store discounts, camp and party discounts, and reciprocal admission to 300+ ASTC science center museums worldwide through the ASTC Passport Program, with family, sustaining, corporate, and gift-in-kind tiers.
• Dinosaur Safari Special Exhibit Seasonal special exhibit featuring seven animatronic dinosaurs including T. Rex and Triceratops in an immersive jungle setting with interactive dig stations, a climbable dinosaur, safari dress-up, and safari jeep pretend play, in the Northfield Savings Bank Special Exhibit Gallery (exhibit changes every 3-4 months).
• ECHO After Dark (Adult Events) Adults-only 18+ after-hours themed museum events with local food and cash bar, featuring immersive experiences such as Science of Fear, Mario Takeover, and Dungeons & Dinos.
• Sensory Friendly Sundays Free sensory-friendly early opening every second Sunday from 9-10am with reduced lighting and sound for families and visitors with sensory processing differences, autism, or developmental disabilities, sponsored by Wow Toyz.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of K-8 students reached annually through STEM outreach including mobile festivals and classroom visits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• GlobalFoundriesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2026Multi-year partnership supporting STEM outreach programs in Vermont, focusing on expanding access to STEM education and strengthening teacher development in rural and underserved communities. Includes mobile STEM festivals, classroom visits reaching thousands of K-8 students annually, and year-long professional development through STEM Teacher Institute. Partnership aligns with CHIPS and Science Act workforce development goals for semiconductor and advanced manufacturing talent. Extends a partnership spanning more than a decade.
• Vermont Fish & Wildlife DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for eastern spiny softshell turtle headstart and conservation program. Volunteers from Vermont Fish and Wildlife extract neonate turtles from nests and bring them to ECHO for care until release. Headstart turtles remain at ECHO over winter months and are released back to Lake Champlain in June when bigger and stronger. The species is threatened in Vermont with only 300 adult specimens estimated in the Lake.
• Lake Champlain Basin ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECHO is part of the Leahy Center Campus including the Lake Champlain Basin Program Resource Room on the top floor. The Resource Room provides a staffed library, computer research lab, video archive, and artifact exploration space with maps, charts, photographs, and children's books related to Lake ecology and stewardship.
• Vermont Reptile & Amphibian AtlasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuest partner for Wild Turtle Weekend event featuring turtle-themed programming and live animal presentations with ECHO's turtle ambassadors.
• Northfield Savings BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sponsor of the Dinosaur Safari special exhibit in the Northfield Savings Bank Special Exhibit Gallery (exhibit changes every 3-4 months).
• Wow ToyzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Sensory Friendly Sundays program offering free early access to families with sensory processing differences.
• Sugarsnap CateringcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive caterer and rental manager for ECHO's event venue (Rent ECHO). Provides catering for corporate events, weddings, and celebrations at the lakefront facility.
• Libraries (600+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with over 600 libraries distributing discounted day passes for entrance to ECHO at reduced rate of $7 per person for groups up to four people.
• Social Service AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agencies across Vermont provide $2 admission to community members through ECHO's Open Door Program, which breaks down financial and cultural barriers to access.
• WCAXcoreTechnology or IntegrationWCAX provides live waterfront webcam at ECHO. ECHO features WCAX Lake News Studio exhibit where visitors can record weather reports on green screen. Weather data partnership with Weather Underground and USGS.
• Kayla's DirectoryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSensory items including vibrating seat cushion, weighted lap pad, weighted stuffed animal, balance disc, noise-cancelling headphones, and adaptive stroller available for checkout thanks to Kayla's Directory.
• MamavaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMamava lactation suite available in Champ's Cafe for breastfeeding parents on the go.
• Jefferson Project at Lake GeorgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld of Plankton exhibit developed in collaboration with The Jefferson Project, a collaboration between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, IBM Research, and The FUND for Lake George.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New England Aquarium: Boston-based aquarium with live animal exhibits, conservation programs, and waterfront location. Closest peer to ECHO's aquarium and live animal components, though at substantially larger scale.
• Montshire Museum of Science: Vermont-based science museum with hands-on exhibits and live programming, serving a similar New England family and school audience. Closest geographic and mission-aligned peer to ECHO in the regional science center category.

Broad incumbents

• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia-based science museum with hands-on exhibits, 3D theater, and K-12 STEM programming. Comparable core product set and educational programming model at a larger scale.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum with strong emphasis on hands-on tinkering exhibits and educator resources. Shares ECHO's STEM pedagogy and online learning toolbox distribution.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based science center with IMAX theater, exhibit halls, school programs, and memberships. Comparable combination of permanent exhibits, 3D theater, and education-focused mission.
• Museum of Science, Boston: Large New England science museum with similar exhibit categories (live animals, 3D theater, hands-on STEM) plus IMAX. Comparable programmatic mix but at substantially greater scale and metropolitan reach.
• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based science center with hands-on exhibits, theater, and educational programming. Similar mix of ticketed exhibits, 3D films, school field trips, and camps.
• Science Museum of Minnesota: Minnesota-based science museum with permanent exhibits, theater, and K-12 educational programs. Comparable mission-driven nonprofit model with similar revenue diversification.
• Shedd Aquarium: Chicago-based major aquarium with freshwater and marine exhibits, animal care tours, and conservation partnerships. Comparable aquarium operations and conservation mission to ECHO's Lake Tank and turtle headstart program.

Regional players

• Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS): Vermont-based nature and wildlife center with live animal exhibits, raptor programs, and K-12 environmental education. Strong regional overlap with ECHO on live animal and STEM education programming in Vermont.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/echo-leahy-center-for-lake-champlain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain