What Petersen Automotive Museum does

The Petersen Automotive Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural institution headquartered at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life. The museum operates from a four-floor, 100,000+ square foot facility housing 17 current exhibitions across automotive history, racing, design, and culture, plus The Vault — a subterranean collection of over 300 rare vehicles spanning more than 120 years of automotive history presented by Hagerty. Permanent attractions include the Rob Walton Discovery Center (interactive family learning), the Forza Horizon 6 Experience simulator gallery, and rotating exhibitions featuring partners such as Universal Pictures (Fast & Furious 25th anniversary), Mercedes-Benz (centennial), BMW, Aston Martin, and Waymo (autonomous vehicles).

The museum generates revenue through a diversified set of streams including tiered admission tickets (Adult + Vault from $51 down to $25 for children), annual memberships ranging from $95 Individual to $1,800 CF200, venue rental across four event spaces with capacities from 100-600 guests, donations and vehicle donations, vehicle sweepstakes (e.g., 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren), an on-site Meyers Manx Cafe, the Petersen Store e-commerce, premium rally experiences such as the Road to Pebble Rally ($22,000+), and corporate partnerships spanning insurance (Hagerty), automotive OEMs (BMW, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz), luxury (Rolex), finance (JPMorgan), and technology (Microsoft, Waymo). GTM is event-driven and community-led, leveraging cruise-ins, educational programs, rotating exhibitions, and a multi-channel digital presence across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and Threads to drive visitation, membership conversions, and event bookings.

Name

Petersen Automotive Museum

Legal name

Petersen Automotive Museum

Website

https://petersen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Petersen Automotive Museum is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a four-floor, 100,000+ sq ft facility with 17 exhibitions and The Vault collection of over 300 rare vehicles. It serves automotive enthusiasts, families, educators, and corporate clients through admissions, memberships, venue rentals, donations, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Museum and Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Automotive museum exhibits
• Vehicle collection preservation
• Educational programs
• Corporate venue rental
• Museum membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: General admission and vault access tickets sold to visitors. General admission provides access to 3 floors of galleries; vault access requires additional combo ticket.
2. Membership Programs: Annual membership tiers (Individual $95, Dual $150, Family $185, CF200 $1,800) providing unlimited visits, discounts, exclusive events, and parking benefits.
3. Venue Rental: Four dynamic spaces (100,000+ sq ft) rented for corporate events, weddings, galas, and private celebrations with capacities ranging from 100-600 guests.
4. Donations & Vehicle Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting education, preservation, and community programs. Vehicle donations accepted for collection.
5. Sweepstakes: High-value vehicle sweepstakes (e.g., 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren) generating revenue while supporting education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Petersen Automotive Museum operates a 100,000+ square foot museum facility in Los Angeles exhibiting over 300 rare vehicles across three gallery floors, The Vault, and rotating exhibitions. It sells admission tickets, annual memberships, private tours, venue rentals, educational programs, and sweepstakes as primary offerings. The museum is operated by the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Product overview

Petersen Automotive Museum is a physical museum with supporting commerce operations, offering admission-based access to 17 exhibitions across 3 floors plus The Vault. The product portfolio includes core museum experiences (exhibits, The Vault collection, Discovery Center, Forza Horizon gaming gallery), membership programs, private tours, venue rentals, educational programs, rally experiences, and sweepstakes. The museum operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Petersen Store: The museum's retail store selling merchandise, apparel, and collectibles related to the museum and automotive culture.
• Meyers Manx Cafe
• The Vault

Products and services

• The Vault A subterranean collection featuring over 300 rare vehicles including prototypes, concepts, celebrity cars, and historical automobiles spanning 120+ years of automotive history. Presented by Hagerty.
• Current Exhibitions Rotating gallery exhibitions covering automotive themes such as A Fast & Furious Legacy, World-Class: 100 Years of Mercedes-Benz, Waymo autonomous transport, BMW M3 50 Years, Aston Martin, Transatlantic Lines, and more.
• Rob Walton Discovery Center A hands-on interactive Maker's Space on the 2nd floor featuring daily themed activities for children and families, including art projects, science experiments, building challenges, and automotive-themed educational experiences.
• Forza Horizon 6 Experience A permanent racing simulator gallery featuring the Forza Horizon 6 video game set in Japan, located in the Bobby Rahal Family Gallery on the 2nd floor.
• Petersen Membership Annual membership tiers (Individual $95, Dual $150, Family $185, CF200 $1,800) offering unlimited museum access, vault guest passes, parking validations, discounts at the cafe and store, and exclusive event access.
• Private Tours Guided tour offerings including Private Highlight Tour (60 min, $15/person), Private Vault Tour (90 min, $1,000 for 1-15 people), Private Spotlight & Highlights Tour (60 min), and VIP Experience.
• Venue Rental Event space rentals across four floors totaling 100,000+ sq ft, including the 4th Floor Penthouse & Pavilion (300 reception), 3rd Floor History space (100 seated), 2nd Floor Industry space (600 reception), and 1st Floor Artistry space (200 reception).
• Education Programs Youth programs including Little Sparks (ages 3-6), Mini Motors (ages 7-11), Petersen Labs (ages 11-14), Scout Programs (ages 5-21), and Summer Camp 2026. Adult workshops include Teen Auto Workshop, Detailing Workshops, and Roadside Assistance.
• Road to Pebble Rally An exclusive automotive rally experience during Pebble Beach Car Week (August 10-16, 2026) featuring private collection tours, fine dining, and exclusive auction access. Pricing starts at $22,000 for two people including accommodations.
• Petersen Sweepstakes Vehicle sweepstakes program featuring high-value prizes such as the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (sweepstakes closes September 30, 2026, drawing October 8, 2026).
• Meyers Manx Cafe On-site dining facility open 7 days a week, serving breakfast (8-11 AM) and lunch (11 AM-3 PM), with extended hours on Friday/Saturday (until 4 PM).
• Museum Events Regular events including cruise-ins (Italian Car & Motorcycle, All American, Porsche, Euro/OKTOBERFEST), Petersen Labs workshops, educational programs, and partner events such as Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and INDYCAR GrandPrix of Monterey.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 years of automotive history across 17 exhibitions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Cars & BidsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Online car auction platform partnership for on-site auctions during Velocity Invitational events. Cars & Bids members can submit vehicles for auction with featured entries displayed at the venue.
• WeatherTech Raceway Laguna SecacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026Partnership integrating raceway visits into museum rallies and tours. Collaborate on co-branded merchandise combining automotive museum and motorsport racing experiences.
• Luxury Experience & Co (LE&Co)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Hosted celebrity and athlete gifting lounge at the museum during NBA All-Star Week, featuring multiple brand partners.
• Family PromiseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Foundation partner for NBA All-Star Week event, raising awareness for the organization's mission.
• Vredestein TiresminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 November 2025Vredestein Tires celebrated 1980s and 1990s automotive culture at RADwood SoCal events, showcasing period-correct vehicles fitted with their tires.
• HagertyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHagerty is the presenting sponsor of The Vault exhibition, featuring over 300 rare vehicles. The partnership positions Hagerty as a key brand ambassador in the classic car insurance and collector vehicle space.
• Velocity InvitationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSonoma Raceway event partnership for hosting on-site car auctions featuring classic vehicles from the Petersen collection.
• Laguna SecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeatherTech Raceway partnership for motorsport events and rally experiences during Monterey Car Week.
• VredesteinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the How We Roll tire exhibit, showcasing the evolution of automotive tires.
• WaymocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExhibit sponsor for Driven by Possibility: Waymo's Road to Autonomous Transport, featuring Waymo's autonomous vehicle technology.
• RolexminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner brand visible during events and in museum spaces.
• BMWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Ultimate Racing Machine exhibit featuring 50 years of BMW 3 Series in motorsports.
• Aston MartincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand exhibit partner for Performance & Prestige: A History of Aston Martin exhibition.
• MicrosoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology partner providing operational support.
• JPMorganminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWealth management sponsor of World-Class: 100 Years of Mercedes-Benz exhibition.
• RM Sotheby'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAuction house partner sponsoring the World-Class Mercedes-Benz exhibition.
• Universal PicturescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFilm franchise partnership for A Fast & Furious Legacy exhibition celebrating 25 years of the film series.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BMW Museum: OEM-operated automotive museum in Munich adjacent to BMW Welt. Comparable exhibition scale and OEM-sponsored model, with current BMW M3 50-year exhibit paralleling Petersen's branded show strategy.
• Mercedes-Benz Museum: OEM-operated automotive museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Comparable as a large-scale automotive heritage institution, though sponsored by a single manufacturer rather than operating as an independent non-profit.
• The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Dearborn, Michigan museum complex with a major automotive collection housed alongside broader American innovation exhibits. Comparable as a large non-profit museum with deep automotive heritage content and educational programming.

Direct peers

• Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum: Philadelphia-based specialty automotive museum with a focus on racing history and rare competition vehicles. Directly comparable as a non-profit automotive museum curating a world-class vehicle collection for enthusiast audiences.
• LeMay - America's Car Museum: Tacoma, Washington-based automotive museum (ACM) operating a large multi-floor exhibition space and a comparable education/event programming model. Closest US direct peer in scale, structure, and non-profit operating model.
• Revs Institute: Naples, Florida automotive museum and research institute housing one of the world's most significant historic automobile collections. Comparable as a specialty automotive museum with deep collection focus and educational mission.
• National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection): Reno, Nevada non-profit automotive museum founded on the Harrah car collection. Direct peer as a regional specialty automotive museum with comparable collection-based operating model.
• Blackhawk Automotive Museum: Danville, California specialty automotive museum showcasing historically significant automobiles in a non-profit setting. Direct peer in collection-driven non-profit automotive museum space.

Others

• Hagerty: Classic/collector car insurance, media, and events company — and presenting sponsor of The Vault. Adjacent ecosystem participant; their media arm (Hagerty Drivers Club, Drive Tasteful) targets the same enthusiast demographic and could be a partner or competitor for content and events.
• RM Sotheby's: World's largest collector car auction house — and sponsor of the World-Class Mercedes-Benz exhibition at Petersen. Adjacent ecosystem participant with overlapping collector/enthusiast customer base and partnership overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/petersen_museum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PetersenMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/PetersenMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/petersenmuseum
• TikToktiktok.com/@petersen_museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Petersen Automotive Museum