Museum of Discovery

Name

Museum of Discovery

Legal name

Museum of Discovery

Website

https://museumofdiscovery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum & Educational Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Interactive science exhibits
• STEAM education programs
• Museum admissions
• Summer STEM camps
• Field trip programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to enter the museum. Adults $15, children 12 and under $13, seniors 60+ $13, teachers $13, Little Rock City Employees $13, Active/Retired Military $13. Children under 12 months free.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships providing unlimited admission. Tiers include Curiosity ($60/year for 2 people), Ignite ($130/year for 5 people), Wonder ($185/year for 7 people), Discovery ($500/year for 12 people), and Marie Curie Circle ($1,000/year for 15 people).
3. Birthday Parties: Premium party experiences with private room rental, party host, and optional features like slime activity, dino activity, live animals, and mad scientist demonstrations. Standard parties include 20 people (max 30); XL parties include 45 people (max 70).
4. Summer Camps: Week-long themed day camps for ages 6-12. Cost $350 for members and $375 for non-members. Camp days run 8am-5pm with themed activities, experiments, crafts, and museum exploration.
5. Field Trips & Outreach: School group visits at $11 per student/chaperone with additional fees for shows, labs, and lunchroom rental. Museum outreach programs bring science education to schools with pricing based on show type, travel distance, and group size.
6. Facility Rentals: Corporate events, reunions, fundraisers, and private gatherings. Full museum rental $3,500 for 3 hours; Helix Hall Experience $1,500; meeting spaces range from $100/hour (weekday) to $450 (weekend half-day) to $900 (weekend full-day).
7. Exhibits Leasing: Museum leases traveling exhibits (Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed, Magnificent Me, Mystery of the Mayan Medallion) to other museums, libraries, and institutions across the country for rental fees.
8. Homeschool Series & Educator Workshops: Homeschool classes at $15/student for members and $25/student for non-members. Educator workshops with per-educator pricing for professional development.
9. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting exhibits, educational programs, and outreach initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Museum of Discovery is a nonprofit science and technology museum that operates interactive, hands-on STEAM exhibits and educational programs for families, school groups, and children in Little Rock, Arkansas. Its core offering centers on permanent galleries (Small Fry Fish Camp, Curiosity Spot, Science Lab, Dynamic Earth, PPG STEAM Studio, Sensory Cove) plus signature attractions such as the Guinness World Record Tesla Coil, supplemented by admissions, memberships, summer camps, field trips, birthday parties, facility rentals, and traveling exhibit leasing.

Product overview

Museum of Discovery is a science and technology center offering a unified portfolio of interactive exhibits and educational programs. The core experience centers on permanent galleries including Small Fry Fish Camp (early childhood), Curiosity Spot, Science Lab, Dynamic Earth, PPG STEAM Studio, and Sensory Cove, complemented by signature attractions like the Guinness World Record Tesla Coil and Tornado Alley Theater. The museum extends its reach through fee-based programs (Summer Discovery Camps, Birthday Parties, Field Trips), community outreach (School Outreach, Educator Workshops, Homeschool Series), and traveling exhibit leasing. Membership programs provide year-round access with reciprocal admission benefits to other museums nationwide. The facility also serves as an event venue with rental options for corporate events and celebrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Fry Fish Camp Immersive early childhood exhibit designed for children 6 and younger to explore, play, and learn. Features Rainbow Trout Crawler (large-scale fish sculpture), Jump In! sensory area for infants and toddlers, and Fish Shack imaginative play restaurant.
• Curiosity Spot Hands-on gallery designed to inspire creativity and exploration for all ages. Features 15-foot mirrored Kaleidoscope tunnel, Make a Face digital self-portraits, Make a Fiddle custom instrument building, and Posts and Panels building activities.
• Science Lab Interactive science gallery featuring three content-focused zones: Forces & Energy, Light & Sound, and Electricity & Magnetism. Each area combines experimentation with intuitive exploration of scientific concepts.
• Dynamic Earth Gallery demonstrating how the planet changes through three zones: Adaptation, Transformations, and Forces of Change. Guests learn about microbial recycling of energy and geological changes.
• PPG STEAM Studio Tinkering space where guests explore new materials and tools at their own pace. Weekly rotating activities include flying machines, cardboard construction, circuits, zoetropes, and fluorescent play. Includes a Tinkering Tots sensory area.
• Sensory Cove Peaceful sensory-friendly space designed for families to rest and recharge. Features dimmable lighting, soft furniture, calming colors, marble wall, bubble wall, tactile toys, and a secluded hideaway with soothing lights for visitors with sensory or spectrum needs.
• Guinness World Record Musical Bi-Polar Tesla Coil Guinness World Records musical bi-polar Tesla coil emitting 200,000 volts of electricity at high frequency visible to the eye, playing a variety of songs through controlled electrical discharges. Located in the Entergy Theater.
• Tornado Alley Theater Seven-minute immersive theater experience reliving the F3 tornado that hit Little Rock in January 1999. Features survivor stories, TV footage from THV 11, and realistic audio effects including rumble and roar of the tornado. Sponsored by All-Clean USA Restoration Services.
• Annual Memberships Annual membership program with five tiers: Curiosity ($60/year for 2 people), Ignite ($130/year for 5 people), Wonder ($185/year for 7 people), Discovery ($500/year for 12 people), and Marie Curie Circle ($1,000/year for 15 people). Includes reciprocal admission to ACM and ASTC Passport Program museums plus Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs, AR.
• Summer Discovery Camps Week-long themed day camps for ages 6-12. Camps run 8:00 am-5:00 pm with themes including Pets & Vets, Nerf's Up, Pokemonology, Minecraft Camp, Lego Block Party, CodeBots, Splash Camp, Cosmic Quest, Dino Discoveries, Candy Lab, and more. Cost: $350 member/$375 non-member.
• Girls in STEM Free program providing week-long summer day camps for girls ages 12-14 and a leadership institute for ages 15-18. Offers opportunities to explore STEM careers with hands-on activities led by female STEM professionals. Hosted at University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), University of Central Arkansas, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, and museum locations. Program developed in 2013 to close the gender gap in STEM careers.
• Field Trips & Group Visits Guided group experiences for schools, churches, troops, and senior groups. Two-hour museum exploration with customized schedules. Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Group pricing: $11 per child/student, $11 per adult chaperone.
• School Outreach Programs Museum educators bring hands-on, interactive presentations and demonstrations to schools. Includes assembly programs, hands-on STEAM labs, and after-school enrichment sessions, with pricing based on show type, travel distance, and group size.
• Homeschool Series Hands-on science experiences for ages 7-12. Classes include Engineering Extrodinaries, Dissection: Starfish, Animal Adaptations, and Intro into Animation. Cost: $15 per student for members, $25 for non-members. Arkansas EFA funds accepted.
• Educator Workshops Professional development workshops for schoolteachers, homeschool educators, and librarians. Topics include Spooky Sci, Jurassic STEAM, Sound of Science, Let's Get Physics-al, Amazing Me, Tinker Tots, and Intro to Digital Design. Per-educator pricing.
• Birthday Parties Private party experiences with themes including Slime Activity, Dino Activity, Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream, Mad Scientist Demonstration, Live Animals, and more. Includes 2-hour room rental and all-day museum admission. Standard Party (up to 30 people) and XL Party (up to 70 people).
• Facility Rentals Event venue rentals including Full Museum ($3,500 for 3 hours, 25,000 sq. ft.), Helix Hall Experience ($1,500 for 3 hours), and meeting spaces (weekday $100/hour, weekend half-day $450, weekend full-day $900). Includes Family STEAM Night ($2,500 for up to 400 guests) and Museum Camp-In ($75/student, $35/adult, min 50, max 100).
• Traveling Exhibit Leasing (Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed, Magnificent Me, Mystery of the Mayan Medallion) Three proprietary traveling exhibits available for lease to museums, libraries, and institutions across the country: Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed (2,000 sq ft with dinosaur skeletal molds, 13 dinosaur skulls, and 6'1" Apatosaurus femur), Magnificent Me! (medical technologies and human body exploration with ultrasound imaging), and Mystery of the Mayan Medallion (immersive archaeological adventure in Palenque, Mexico).
• Daily Shows and Programs Scheduled daily programming included with admission: early learner programming at 10:30 am, Science shows at 11:30 am and 3:00 pm, Tesla shows at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm, and Animal Programs at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 member families with 90%+ having children ages 1-6
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arkansas Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Arts in Education funding for storytelling programs. Funded Hand Drums & Storytelling with Zinse Agginie summer series featuring African folklore and drumming.
• PPG (PPG Industries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of PPG STEAM Studio gallery featuring tinkering activities and Tinkering Tots sensory area for early learners.
• University of Arkansas (Fayetteville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site partner for Girls in STEM Northwest Arkansas camp, ages 12-14, held at university campus. Appropriate for new and returning participants.
• University of Central ArkansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site partner for Girls in STEM Conway camp, ages 12-14, held at university campus. Appropriate for new and returning participants.
• University of Arkansas Pine BluffcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site partner for Girls in STEM Pine Bluff camp, ages 12-14, held at university campus. Appropriate for new and returning participants.
• Museums, Libraries, and Institutions (nationwide)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExhibits leased to museums, libraries and other institutions across the country including Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed, Magnificent Me, and Mystery of the Mayan Medallion.
• Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFA (Education Freedom Account) vendor approved under Arkansas LEARNS Act, allowing families to use state education funding for museum memberships and programs.
• Hands On! StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned early childhood galleries Small Fry Fish Camp and Curiosity Spot. St. Petersburg, FL based exhibit design firm.
• Ravenswood StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFabricated and installed early childhood galleries Small Fry Fish Camp and Curiosity Spot. Lincolnwood, IL based exhibit fabrication company.
• Mid-America MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal admission partner included in Ignite, Wonder, Discovery, and Marie Curie Circle memberships. Located in Hot Springs, AR.
• Lost Forty BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for eclipse weekend happy hour events in the science center's great hall.
• Clinton Presidential MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearby parking availability for field trip buses at eastern end of President Clinton Avenue.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Largest U.S. children's museum with traveling exhibit programs, reciprocal membership network, and STEAM programming; aspirational scaled peer for the museum's early-childhood focus.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco, CA nationally prominent interactive science museum that pioneered the hands-on, inquiry-based exhibit model Museum of Discovery follows.
• COSI (Center of Science and Industry): Large Columbus, OH science center with a far broader footprint but overlapping hands-on STEAM focus, traveling exhibit business, and family audience — relevant as a scaled-up version of the same model.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle, WA established science center with comparable interactive exhibits, IMAX/theater programming, traveling exhibit leasing, and a reciprocal ASTC Passport membership footprint.

Direct peers

• Discovery Museum: Bridgeport, CT hands-on science center and children's museum, comparable in scale and interactive STEAM focus to the Museum of Discovery's galleries.
• Marbles Kids Museum: Raleigh, NC-based children's museum with comparable hands-on STEAM focus, traveling exhibit offerings, and field trip / summer camp programs targeting young families.
• The Science Zone: Casper, WY-based hands-on science center where incoming Executive Director Steven Schnell previously led; operates a comparable scale of interactive exhibits and education programming in a small metropolitan market.
• Discovery Center Museum: Rockford, IL-based children's science museum with similar interactive STEAM exhibits, early-childhood focus, and mid-sized regional footprint.
• WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology: Bloomington, IN small-city science and health museum offering hands-on exhibits and science programming at a comparable scale to Museum of Discovery.

Regional players

• Mid-America Museum: Hot Springs, AR-based science and technology museum that is a direct reciprocal admission partner and operates in the same Arkansas market with a comparable hands-on STEM focus, making it the closest geographic peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arkmod
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MuseumofDiscovery
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuseumofDiscovery
• Instagraminstagram.com/arkmod
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museum-of-discovery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Museum of Discovery