Autry National Center
The Autry Museum of the American West is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit museum operating in Griffith Park, housing 600,000+ cultural objects focused on the American West and Native American heritage, serving visitors, K-12 schools, researchers, and Indigenous communities through exhibitions, theatre, education, and repatriation programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Autry National Center does
The Autry Museum of the American West (legal entity: Autry National Center) is a California not-for-profit public benefit corporation founded in 1988 by Jackie Autry and headquartered at 4700 Western Heritage Way in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, with a secondary collections stewardship facility — the 100,000+ sq ft LEED-certified Chrystina and James R. Parks Research Center — in Burbank. The museum is the only AAM-accredited institution in the United States focused on the American West and houses over 600,000 cultural objects, including one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American materials in the country, augmented by the 2003 merger with the Southwest Museum of the American Indian (founded 1907 by Charles Fletcher Lummis). The Autry serves general visitors, K-12 schools (including Title I districts), researchers, Native Nations and Indigenous communities, and Native American playwrights through exhibitions, educational programs, community events, repatriation services, and Native Voices at the Autry — the only Actors' Equity theatre in the country devoted to developing new works by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights (founded 1994).
Revenue is generated across six primary streams: museum admission and ticketed events (including partnerships with Feverup for online sales), tiered annual membership programs (Supporter, Patron, Curator's Circle), retail sales through the Autry Store (physical and shop.theautry.org), donations and contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors (including Annenberg Foundation, Bank of America, Mellon Foundation, NEA, NEH, Doris Duke, Shubert Foundation, Edison International, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Nissan Foundation), facility rentals for private events and filming, and theatre/performance revenue from Native Voices Equity productions. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees with Jackie Autry as Founding Chair and Life Trustee; leadership includes Stephen Aron (President and CEO since 2021), Gaspare Benso (CFO/COO), Amy Scott (EVP Research and Interpretation), Joe Horse Capture (VP Native Collections), and Native Voices Artistic Director DeLanna Studi. Operating geographies are concentrated in the Western United States with national and international touring via Native Voices productions.
The museum has no disclosed technology platform, no patents or trademarks, no AI/ML capabilities, and operates on a diversified but moderately concentrated donation base. Strategic posture emphasizes content programming (five new exhibitions through 2026), educational outreach, Native community engagement, and institutional renewal through recent leadership transitions, while maintaining a stable, mature operating profile.
Autry National Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Autry National Center
- Legal name
- The Autry Museum of the American West
- Website
- https://theautry.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Autry Museum of the American West is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit museum operating in Griffith Park, housing 600,000+ cultural objects focused on the American West and Native American heritage, serving visitors, K-12 schools, researchers, and Indigenous communities through exhibitions, theatre, education, and repatriation programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Autry National Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Museum Services
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)
Keywords
Where Autry National Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Autry National Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Admission and Tickets: Revenue from museum admission tickets sold online and at the door for general exhibitions and special events.
- Membership Programs: Annual membership programs offering benefits including free admission, exclusive events, and discounts at the museum store.
- Museum Store: Retail sales of merchandise, books, jewelry, and art through the Autry Store.
- Donations and Contributions: Charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors supporting museum programs and collections.
- Facility Rentals and Events: Rental of museum spaces for private events, filming, and community gatherings.
- Theatre and Performance Revenue: Native Voices theatre productions generate revenue through ticket sales for Equity productions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | General Admission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Autry National Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Autry National Center is a museum of the American West that curates and exhibits over 600,000 cultural objects, operates an Actors' Equity theatre (Native Voices) dedicated to Native American playwrights, delivers K-12 educational programs, manages a library and archives research center, and hosts community events. It generates revenue through admission tickets, annual memberships, museum store sales, donations, facility rentals, and theatre ticket sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Native Voices at the Autry: The only Actors' Equity theatre company in the country devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights. Founded in 1994.
Products and services
- Autry Museum General Admission and Exhibitions
- Native Voices Theatre Productions
- Annual Membership Program
- Autry Museum Store
- K-12 Educational Programs and School Tours
- Library and Archives Research Access
- Repatriation and Consultation Services
- Facility Rentals and Private Events
Quantifiable outcome
- Produced 29 plays including 23 world premieres in 42 productions over the organization's history
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Autry National Center
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Autry National Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Autry National Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Vidiots FoundationminorCollaboration to bring 'We Are Coming' art installation to Vidiots Eagle Rock theatre; extension of Imagined Wests exhibition.
- Latino Theater CompanycoreCollaboration on Native Voices theatrical productions, including 'Desert Stories for Lost Girls' presented in collaboration with Latino Theater Company.
- Occidental CollegeminorPast venue for Native Voices Annual Playwrights Retreat, providing facilities for emerging and established Native American authors.
- UCLAminorPast venue for Native Voices Annual Playwrights Retreat, supporting new play development.
- San Diego State UniversityminorPast retreat location for Native Voices Playwrights Retreat; Randy Reinholz serves as professor at SDSU.
- La Jolla PlayhousecoreCollaborative partner for playwrights retreats and past productions; included in National Reading Panel evaluation process.
- La Jolla Playhouse (Association)coreCo-production partner for productions including 'They Don't Talk Back' presented in association with La Jolla Playhouse and Perseverance Theatre.
- Perseverance TheatrecoreCo-production partner for theatrical productions including 'They Don't Talk Back' presented in association.
- National New Play Network (NNPN)corePartner organization supporting new play development and Rolling World Premiere initiative.
- WriteGirlminorLos Angeles-based creative writing and mentoring organization for young women; collaborative partner for Discovery Fellows workshop series.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Autry National Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heard Museum: Phoenix-based museum focused on Native American art, cultures, and history with a world-class collection of Indigenous art. Directly comparable to the Autry in thematic focus (Native American collections and Western/Indigenous storytelling) and operational model (museum + education + community events).
- Gilcrease Museum: Tulsa-based museum housing one of the world's largest collections of art and artifacts of the American West. Comparable collection scale and Western art/Indigenous focus; recently transitioned to University of Tulsa stewardship.
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art: Indianapolis-based museum focused on the art, history, and cultures of the American West and Native peoples. Closely comparable in thematic focus (Western art + Native American culture), scale, and education-driven programming.
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Oklahoma City museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating Western heritage, including Native American and frontier artifacts. Highly comparable thematic scope and educational programming focus on the American West.
Regional players
- Bowers Museum: Santa Ana-based cultural museum with strong Native American, Asian, and California history collections. Comparable as a Southern California museum with educational programming and notable collections, though broader in thematic scope.
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Major LA museum with anthropological and Native American collections and significant educational programming. Comparable as a Los Angeles cultural institution with education focus, but operates in natural science rather than American West specialty.
- Museum of Us (formerly Museum of Man): San Diego anthropology museum focused on human cultures including Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Comparable in cultural/educational programming and Indigenous collections focus, though Southern California regional peer.
Broad incumbents
- Denver Art Museum: Major regional art museum with a significant Native American art collection and Western art holdings. Comparable collection dimensions but operates as a broad art museum rather than a Western/Indigenous specialist.
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: Federal Smithsonian museum dedicated to Native American life, history, and culture with extensive collections and exhibitions in NYC and DC. Comparable in collections scale and Indigenous-focused programming, though federally operated and broader in geographic remit.
Emerging players
- California Indian Museum and Cultural Center: Santa Rosa-based cultural center focused on California Indian history, repatriation, and education. Comparable in Native American collections stewardship and repatriation services, though smaller scale and California-specific scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Autry National Center social profiles
Digital presenceAutry National Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Autry National Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Autry National Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Autry National Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Autry National Center
What does Autry National Center do?
The Autry National Center is a museum of the American West that curates and exhibits over 600,000 cultural objects, operates an Actors' Equity theatre (Native Voices) dedicated to Native American playwrights, delivers K-12 educational programs, manages a library and archives research center, and hosts community events. It generates revenue through admission tickets, annual memberships, museum store sales, donations, facility rentals, and theatre ticket sales.
Is Autry National Center a public or private company?
Autry National Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Autry National Center founded?
Autry National Center was founded in 1988. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Autry National Center based?
Autry National Center is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Autry National Center make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Admission and Tickets are the primary driver. The others are membership Programs, museum Store, donations and Contributions, facility Rentals and Events and theatre and Performance Revenue.
Who are Autry National Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heard Museum, Gilcrease Museum, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Regional players are Bowers Museum, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Museum of Us (formerly Museum of Man). Broad incumbents are Denver Art Museum and Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. California Indian Museum and Cultural Center is listed as an emerging player.
Does Autry National Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Autry National Center.
What industry is Autry National Center in?
Autry National Center's product category is Cultural Museum Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAK, Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions, with a secondary code of MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies. Its NAICS code is 712110.