The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art

Name

The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art

Legal name

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Website

https://nelson-atkins.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum / Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Art museum services
• Cultural education programs
• Art exhibitions
• Museum event rental
• Art conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Programs: Annual membership program providing free general admission, exclusive exhibition tickets, free garage parking, and member discounts on classes and at the museum store.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations supporting museum operations, acquisitions, and expansion projects. The museum receives no public tax dollars for operations or capital projects.
3. Event Rental and Venue Services: Rental of museum spaces including Atkins Auditorium, Bloch Building Lobby, Kirkwood Hall, Lens 2 Room, Rockhill Room, and Rozzelle Court for weddings, corporate events, and private functions. Also includes catering partnerships and Tivoli Cinema rentals.
4. Earned Income Services: Revenue from parking garage, museum store/retail shop, Rozzelle Court Restaurant, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, and class/workshop registration fees.
5. On-site Amenities: Revenue from on-site food and beverage operations including Rozzelle Court Restaurant and Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, plus museum store merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art operates a free-admission encyclopedic art museum with over 42,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art history, offering rotating exhibitions, school and studio educational programs, museum membership, and event venue rentals. The institution also generates earned income through on-site dining (Rozzelle Court Restaurant, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters), a museum store, and parking, supported by philanthropic donations and grants.

Product overview

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an encyclopedic art museum offering free admission to its permanent collection. The museum operates as a unified institution with interconnected offerings: core visitor services include general museum admission, rotating exhibitions, and the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. Educational products encompass school tours/workshops, youth and adult studio classes, the Educator Resource Center, custom community programs, and the Spencer Art Reference Library. On-site amenities include Rozzelle Court Restaurant, Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, and the Museum Store. The museum also offers membership programs, event rentals, and digital offerings including the Collection Search database, Digital Catalogues, conservation services, and podcasts (Art Bytes and A Frame of Mind). The museum serves as an educational resource for the Kansas City region with programs spanning pre-K through adult learners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Museum Admission Free admission to the museum's permanent collection and galleries, open Thursday through Monday with extended hours on select days, including access to the 22-acre Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park.
• School Tours and Workshops Interactive gallery experiences, discussion, and art activities for Pre-K to high school students, including docent-led tours and hands-on workshops. Free school tours and workshops funded via Incentive Grant Programs for qualifying Title I schools (workshop fee $120 per classroom, $300 bus stipends).
• Youth and Adult Studio Classes Art instruction taught by experienced educators among the museum's collection, including Youth Studio Camps ($150 Members / $500 Non-members), adult studio classes, and need-based scholarships. Members receive 20% discount on all classes.
• Membership Program Annual membership subscription program for museum patrons, delivering free admission, free exhibition tickets, free garage parking, and exclusive discounts on classes and the museum store.
• Event Rental Rental of museum event spaces (Atkins Auditorium, Bloch Building Lobby, Kirkwood Hall, Lens 2 Room, Rockhill Room, Rozzelle Court) for weddings, corporate events, and private functions, with catering partnerships and Tivoli Cinema rentals.
• Museum Store Retail shop selling art-related merchandise, books, and gifts online and on-site at the museum campus.
• Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters On-site café in the Bloch Building offering coffee, espresso, tea, and pastries for museum visitors.
• Rozzelle Court Restaurant On-site museum restaurant offering dining options for visitors.
• Spencer Art Reference Library and Archives Research library offering free resources for exploring visual arts and their histories, available to the public.
• Educator Resource Center Hands-on activities, tools, and materials that K-12 educators can check out or download for their classrooms, supporting art education integration.
• Custom Community Programs Individualized programs including citizenship preparation classes and programs for people with disabilities and older adults.
• Art Bytes Podcast Original podcast exploring the art world with casual, accessible conversations with artists, collectors, and curators.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/UrbanismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2024Selected as lead architect for the museum's landmark expansion project. The firm is a New York City-based multidisciplinary practice known for dynamic integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape. Notable projects include Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park, Women's Memorial at Arlington Cemetery, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center. Supported by SCAPE, WeShouldDoItAll, Severud, Atelier Ten, Jaros Blum & Bolles, and Taliaferro & Browne.
• Linda Hall LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition 'Mapping the Heavens: Art, Astronomy, and Exchange between the Islamic Lands and Europe' exploring connections between scholars, scientists, historians, and artists. Also jointly awarded Climate Planning Grant from National Endowment for the Humanities.
• Christo and Jeanne-Claude FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGift of exhibition 'Wrapped Walk Ways' documenting the Christo and Jeanne-Claude project at Jacob Loose Park in Kansas City (1977-1978). Exhibition highlights the temporary art installation project.
• University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMKC hosted symposium in conjunction with the museum's 'Painted Worlds: Color and Culture in Mesoamerican Art' exhibition, featuring discussions of Mesoamerican art open to the public.
• Charlotte Street FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for KC Art Now initiative featuring Charlotte Street Visual Artist Awards exhibition showcasing regional artists. Museum serves as venue for annual awards exhibition.
• Kansas City Society for Contemporary PhotographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Postcards from the Middle' program examining exhibition 'Strange and Familiar Places' and inviting participants to create photo postcards.
• Lawrence Lithography WorkshopmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive established at the Nelson-Atkins for The Lawrence Lithography Workshop, which collaborated with over 200 artists since 1979. Archive includes lithographs by 55 artists including many underrepresented artists of color and women.
• Belger Crane Yard StudiosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Lawrence Lithography Workshop operates from the light-filled space in the Belger Crane Yard Studios at 20th and Tracy Avenue, supporting the local printmaking ecosystem.
• Philadelphia Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual 'MuseumBowl' friendly wager with Philadelphia Museum of Art during Super Bowl, with master works from each collection staked on the game's outcome between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
• Malcolm Reading ConsultantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategic consultancy leading the international design competition process for the museum expansion. MRC is the leading specialist in devising and managing design competitions internationally with over 200 design competitions completed.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Art Institute of Chicago: Major encyclopedic American art museum with a comparable breadth of collections (paintings, sculpture, photography, Asian art) and similar educational and exhibition programming. Comparable on scale, mission, and operating model, though anchored in a larger urban market.
• Minneapolis Institute of Art: Mid-size encyclopedic American art museum with free general admission and deep collections spanning global cultures. Closely comparable on free-admission policy, regional Midwest footprint, and educational outreach scope.
• Saint Louis Art Museum: Free-admission encyclopedic art museum in a neighboring Midwest market with comparable collection breadth, free general admission policy, and educational programming for regional schools.
• Cleveland Museum of Art: Mid-size encyclopedic art museum with free general admission, deep Asian and photography holdings, and significant expansion/renovation history. Closely comparable operating model and collection profile.
• Philadelphia Museum of Art: Major encyclopedic American art museum with comparable collection breadth, recent expansion (Frank Gehry project), and a public-facing 'MuseumBowl' tradition with Nelson-Atkins. Direct peer on institutional scale and programming.
• Denver Art Museum: Western US encyclopedic art museum with comparable collection scale, significant expansion history (Libeskind), and active educational programming for regional schools. Comparable operating profile and audience model.
• Kimbell Art Museum: Mid-size art museum renowned for its collection quality, free general admission policy, and recent expansion (Renzo Piano pavilion). Comparable on mission, free admission, and curatorial prestige in a non-coastal market.
• Cincinnati Art Museum: Free-admission encyclopedic art museum in a mid-sized Midwest city with comparable collection breadth and educational outreach programs. Strong operating-model peer for Nelson-Atkins.

Broad incumbents

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Largest encyclopedic art museum in the US with a globally recognized collection spanning 5,000+ years of art history. Comparable on collection breadth and educational mission, though substantially larger and globally dominant.

Regional players

• Spencer Museum of Art (University of Kansas): University-affiliated art museum in Kansas serving the regional Kansas audience with comparable educational programming and collection scope. Adjacent peer in the same regional market with overlapping school-outreach mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nelson_atkins
• YouTubeyoutube.com/nelsonatkins
• Facebookfacebook.com/nelsonatkins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-nelson-atkins-museum-of-art
• Instagraminstagram.com/nelsonatkins

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Nelson-Atkin Museum of Art