McWane Science Center
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) science museum in Birmingham, Alabama combining a children's museum, natural history museum, aquarium, and IMAX Dome Theater; serves families, schools, and researchers through hands-on STEM exhibits, statewide outreach, and a 500,000+ specimen collection.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What McWane Science Center does
McWane Science Center is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) science museum operating in Birmingham, Alabama, since 1998, when it was created through the merger of the Red Mountain Museum and the Discovery Place Museum. The institution combines a children's museum, a natural history museum, an aquarium, and an IMAX Dome Theater under a single facility at 200 19th Street N in downtown Birmingham. Its underlying technology platform is built around hands-on interactive exhibits (including Itty Bitty Magic City, World of Water, dinosaur and paleontology halls, and live animal encounters such as the Survival of the Slowest exhibit and Diamondback Terrapin nursery), an IMAX Dome projection system, and a Science on a Sphere data-visualization installation. The collections program houses more than 500,000 archaeological, paleontological, and zoological specimens and operates as a Federal and State repository, supporting active research collaborations with the Geological Survey of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mississippi State University, Samford University, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and the South Carolina State Museum.
The business model blends earned and contributed revenue. Earned revenue comes from one-time general-admission ticket sales, group bookings (field trips, homeschool groups, birthday parties), premium experiences (overnight adventures, McWane After Dark, summer camps, Tinker Club, homeschool labs), corporate facility rentals, IMAX tickets, and the on-site Bean Sprouts Cafe. Contributed revenue comes from an annual membership/subscription program with tiered benefits, individual and corporate donations across named giving societies (Archimedes, Marie Curie, Katherine Johnson and below), and grants. Statewide distribution is delivered through the McWane on the Move mobile STEM outreach program, which serves almost every county in Alabama and is anchored by McWane's role as the state's designated STEM Learning Ecosystem hub.
The institution serves four primary customer segments: families with children (the largest segment for ticketing and memberships), pre-K through 12th-grade schools and homeschool groups (field trips and outreach), corporate groups (meetings, team building, overnight events), and the scientific research community (specimen access and publications). Headcount is in the 51-100 range, and the organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Harrison Bishop, with Stephen Owens also referenced as Chairman of the Board; Brandan Lanman became CEO on May 27, 2025, succeeding Amy Templeton.
McWane Science Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McWane Science Center
- Legal name
- McWane Science Center
- Website
- https://mcwane.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3) science museum in Birmingham, Alabama combining a children's museum, natural history museum, aquarium, and IMAX Dome Theater; serves families, schools, and researchers through hands-on STEM exhibits, statewide outreach, and a 500,000+ specimen collection.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McWane Science Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science Museum and Educational Center
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)
Keywords
Where McWane Science Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
McWane Science Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Visitors purchase tickets for general admission to the museum, which includes access to permanent exhibits. Additional fees may apply for IMAX Dome films.
- Membership Program: Annual donor membership program providing member benefits including free admission, special events access, and discounts. Members receive exclusive perks in exchange for annual contributions.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations at various giving levels from $250 to $50,000+.
- Education Programs: Revenue from birthday parties, camps, field trips, and educational workshops for children and families.
- Facility Rentals and Events: Corporate meeting bookings, overnight adventures, and special event venue rentals generate additional revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
McWane Science Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McWane Science Center operates a nonprofit science museum, children's museum, natural history museum, aquarium, and IMAX Dome Theater in Birmingham, Alabama. The center delivers hands-on interactive exhibits, STEM educational programming, field trips, summer camps, birthday parties, overnight adventures, and mobile outreach across Alabama, alongside active paleontological research and fossil collections serving as a Federal and State repository.
Product overview
McWane Science Center is a nonprofit science museum and IMAX Dome theater offering a unified portfolio of hands-on exhibits, educational programming, and entertainment experiences. The core offerings center around permanent interactive exhibits (Itty Bitty Magic City, World of Water, Paleontology, Survival of the Slowest), the IMAX Dome Theater for cinematic experiences, and rotating special exhibits. Educational products include structured learning programs for schools (field trips, McWane on the Move outreach), camps, and homeschool labs. Premium experiences include birthday parties, overnight adventures, and adult-focused McWane After Dark events. Conservation initiatives include the Terrapin Nursery. Together, these products serve visitors from early childhood through adulthood with immersive STEM learning experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IMAX Dome Theater
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 4,000 participants engaged annually through Brain Awareness Week events
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use McWane Science Center
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
McWane Science Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
McWane Science Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- State of AlabamacoreMajor community partner at the $50,000+ level (Marie Curie Society). The State of Alabama designated Basilosaurus as the Official State Fossil in 1984. McWane serves as State repository for natural history collections.
- City of BirminghamcoreKey municipal partner at the $50,000+ level (Marie Curie Society). Contributed to the $5 million capital investment funding Itty Bitty Magic City in 2015.
- Regions BankcoreMajor corporate sponsor at the $50,000+ level (Marie Curie Society). One of the key private sector supporters of McWane Science Center's operations and programs.
- Alabama Power FoundationcoreCorporate sponsor at the $25,000+ level (Katherine Johnson Society). Major supporter of STEM education initiatives and science center programming.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)coreCollaborates on the Neuroscience for All program, hosting Brain Awareness Week events with nearly 4,000 annual participants. Partnership for Diamondback Terrapin conservation program.
- Poarch Band of Creek IndiansminorTribal partners collaborated on naming the fossil sea turtle Ueloca colemanorum, incorporating Mvskoke language into the scientific nomenclature.
- Geological Survey of AlabamacoreKey research partner for fossil discoveries. McWane serves as repository for specimens. Joint efforts on Alabama's fossil fish diversity research documenting 400+ species.
- Dauphin Island Sea LabminorCollaborated on the recovery and study of the Ueloca colemanorum fossil sea turtle discovery.
- South Carolina State MuseumminorOngoing research collaboration with Curator David Cicimurri on fossil shark discoveries including Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi and Atlantic Sharpnose Shark studies.
- Mississippi State UniversityminorCollaborated on Shark Weekend events and Atlantic Sharpnose Shark research with Marine Fisheries Ecology Lab at the Coastal Research and Extension Center.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of AlabamacoreCorporate sponsor at the $25,000+ level (Katherine Johnson Society). Supporting health and wellness-related programming at the science center.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McWane Science Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Orlando Science Center: Orlando Science Center is a direct peer nonprofit science museum with hands-on exhibits, IMAX-style theater, school programs, and similar visitor experience model. McWane's new CEO joined from Orlando, underscoring operational comparability.
- Discovery Place: Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC is a comparable nonprofit science and children's museum combining permanent exhibits, IMAX theater, live animal exhibits, and education programs serving a similar Southeast regional audience.
- Adventure Science Center: Nashville-based Adventure Science Center is a regional nonprofit science museum with hands-on exhibits, planetarium, school outreach, and similar scale and programming. Comparable in mission, geographic tier, and revenue model.
- Tellus Science Museum: Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, GA is a regional peer featuring permanent science exhibits including paleontology, fossils, and an observatory, with comparable collection-driven programming and scale.
- South Carolina State Museum: South Carolina State Museum is a state-focused museum with science, history, and natural history exhibits including paleontology collections. Already an active research collaboration partner with McWane, reinforcing direct peer comparability.
- Tennessee Aquarium: Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is a comparable Southeast nonprofit aquarium with live animal exhibits, conservation programs, and education outreach. McWane's World of Water and touch tank exhibits align with this peer.
Regional players
- Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI Tampa): Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa, FL is a regional Southeast peer with IMAX theater, hands-on exhibits, and school programs. Comparable in operational model though located in a different metro from McWane.
Broad incumbents
- Carnegie Science Center: Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh is a larger, more established science center with IMAX theater, extensive exhibits, and national brand recognition. Overlaps in programming but operates at greater scale and broader scope.
- Liberty Science Center: Liberty Science Center in New Jersey is a major regional science center with IMAX, planetarium, hands-on labs, and school programs. Significantly larger than McWane but operates a comparable nonprofit science museum model.
- Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a much larger children's museum with science exhibits, education programs, and donor-funded model. While broader in scope, its programming and audience overlap with McWane's family segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McWane Science Center social profiles
Digital presenceMcWane Science Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McWane Science Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
McWane Science Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McWane Science 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 McWane Science Center
What does McWane Science Center do?
McWane Science Center operates a nonprofit science museum, children's museum, natural history museum, aquarium, and IMAX Dome Theater in Birmingham, Alabama. The center delivers hands-on interactive exhibits, STEM educational programming, field trips, summer camps, birthday parties, overnight adventures, and mobile outreach across Alabama, alongside active paleontological research and fossil collections serving as a Federal and State repository.
Is McWane Science Center a public or private company?
McWane Science Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was McWane Science Center founded?
McWane Science Center was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is McWane Science Center based?
McWane Science Center is headquartered in Birmingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does McWane Science Center make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, donations and Charitable Contributions, education Programs and facility Rentals and Events.
Who are McWane Science Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Orlando Science Center, Discovery Place, Adventure Science Center, Tellus Science Museum, South Carolina State Museum and Tennessee Aquarium. Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI Tampa) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Carnegie Science Center, Liberty Science Center and Children's Museum of Indianapolis.
Does McWane Science Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for McWane Science Center.
What industry is McWane Science Center in?
McWane Science Center's product category is Science Museum and Educational Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAD, Science & Technology Museums, with a secondary code of THAJADAC, Natural History Museums. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 8731.