Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

What Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum does

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) maritime museum founded in 1965 and headquartered on the Miles River waterfront in St. Michaels, Maryland. The organization preserves and interprets the history, environment, and culture of the Chesapeake Bay region through a permanent collection of more than 90,000 objects, a floating fleet of historic vessels (including the 1955 skipjack Rosie Parks and the Hooper Strait Lighthouse), a working shipyard, and a campus of exhibition buildings. In 2018 CBMM adopted a three-phase, 7–10 year Master Plan; Phase I delivered the Norman & Ellen Plummer Center for Museum Collections and Howard I. Chapelle Library in spring 2022, and Phase II delivered a 12,000-square-foot ADA-accessible Welcome Center in fall 2023.

CBMM operates a diversified revenue model spanning admissions ($10–$30 tiers), annual memberships, on-water cruise experiences ($10–$150), summer camps for ages 4–15 ($175–$390/week), shipyard workshops and intensives ($150–$600), wedding and private-event rentals, a museum store, a charity boat donation/resale program, and philanthropic donations. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through its own campus, online ticketing (visit.cbmm.org), and group-sales channels for K–12 and adult groups. Primary customer segments are families with children, Maryland K–12 schools (5,000+ students served annually), maritime enthusiasts, and regional tourists, with secondary revenue from corporate events and private charters.

The organization is governed by a Board of Governors led by Chair Craig Fuller and President & CEO Kristen Greenaway, with a leadership team covering education, curatorial affairs, finance, advancement, and shipyard operations. CBMM holds Charity Navigator accreditation, Maryland Green Registry Leadership status (2019), and Certified Clean Marina Partner recognition, and maintains strategic partnerships with the Talbot Watermen Association, Traditional Small Craft Association, Maryland State Arts Council, Mystic Seaport Museum, and PNC Bank.

Name

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Legal name

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Website

https://cbmm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CBMM is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) maritime museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, preserving Chesapeake Bay history through a 90,000+ object collection, historic vessel fleet, working shipyard, and educational programs serving families, K–12 schools, maritime enthusiasts, and regional tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Marine Outfitting & Interior Refurbishment (TLAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Maritime museum
• Historic boat preservation
• Shipyard education
• Sailing cruises
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Michaels

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission & Tickets: General admission tickets to the museum campus, with various pricing tiers for adults, seniors, youth, and children
2. Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission, discounts on programs, and exclusive access to events and early registration
3. Cruises & On-Water Experiences: Revenue from cruise tickets including Old Point Miles River Cruises, Rosie Parks Skipjack sails, Historic Workboat Experience Cruises, and Patriot Cruises
4. Event Rentals: Venue rentals for weddings, private events, and private charters at campus venues
5. Summer Camps: Multi-week summer camp programs for children ages 4-15 with various themes and age-appropriate activities
6. Shipyard Programming: Fees for workshops, intensives, and educational programs including boatbuilding, seamanship, and traditional skills courses
7. Museum Store & Retail: Museum store sales including gifts, books, apparel, and model kits
8. Charity Boat Donation Program: Program accepting boat donations and reselling to generate revenue while supporting maritime access
9. Donations & Annual Fund: Philanthropic contributions from individuals supporting museum operations and Master Plan improvements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational maritime heritage museum that delivers interpretive exhibitions, hands-on shipyard programming, river and skipjack cruises, K-12 and youth summer camps, and venue rentals on an 18-acre waterfront campus in St. Michaels, Maryland. Earned revenue comes from general admission, memberships, cruises, summer camps, shipyard workshops, special events, and a museum store, supplemented by donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) is a maritime museum offering a diverse portfolio of products and experiences centered on preserving and celebrating the history, environment, and culture of the Chesapeake Bay region. The core offerings include general museum admission with access to exhibitions, a floating fleet of historic vessels, and a working Shipyard. CBMM operates several interconnected product lines: (1) On-the-water experiences including Patriot Cruises, skipjack sails aboard Rosie Parks, Old Point Miles River Cruises, and Historic Workboat Experience Cruises; (2) Educational programming including Shipyard Programming with traditional skills workshops, Summer Camps for ages 4-15, and Tours & River Cruises; (3) Exhibitions including long-term exhibitions and rotating special exhibitions; (4) Collections & Research accessible through an online searchable database; (5) Venue rentals for weddings and private events; and (6) The Charity Boat Donation Program. CBMM also offers a Membership Program providing free admission and discounts as an add-on benefit. The 2023-opened Welcome Center serves as the primary visitor entrance with Museum Store and exhibition spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Admission to the Museum Campus Day-of access for visitors of all ages to the museum's 18-acre waterfront campus in St. Michaels, Maryland, including exhibition buildings, historic structures, and outdoor exhibits of vessels and small boats. Pricing is tiered by audience (adult, senior, youth, child, military) and is free for museum members.
• Patriot Cruises Seasonal narrated river cruises offered to the public, departing from the museum's waterfront campus on the Miles River and surrounding Chesapeake Bay waters. Designed for tourists, families, and individuals seeking an on-the-water experience tied to the museum's maritime heritage.
• Skipjack Cruises on the Rosie Parks Sailing cruises aboard the 1956 Chesapeake Bay skipjack Rosie Parks, offered seasonally to visitors. Provides an authentic traditional sailing experience aboard a historic vessel in the museum's collection.
• Shipyard Programming (Workshops and Intensives) Hands-on boatbuilding and woodworking workshops and multi-day intensives held in the museum's working shipyard. Programs teach traditional Chesapeake vessel construction and shipwright skills to adult learners, hobbyists, and aspiring boatbuilders.
• Summer Camps Multi-day summer camps for school-aged children held on the museum's waterfront campus. Programming combines boatbuilding, sailing, ecology, and Chesapeake Bay history for enrolled youth during summer months.
• K-12 Field Trip Programs Curriculum-aligned field trip experiences for K-12 school groups visiting the museum's campus. Programs are designed for teachers and group leaders and serve more than 5,000 students annually through hands-on maritime history and boatbuilding lessons.
• Venue and Event Rentals Rental of the museum's 18-acre waterfront campus and historic structures for weddings, receptions, corporate retreats, and private celebrations. Bookings are coordinated directly with the museum's events team.
• Membership Program Annual membership subscription offering free or discounted admission to exhibitions and cruises, along with other member benefits. Supports the museum's recurring donor and engagement base.
• Charity Boat Donation Program Program that accepts donated classic and historic vessels into the museum's collection, with donors receiving a charitable tax deduction. Vessels are preserved, exhibited, or used in the museum's sailing fleet.
• Museum Store On-site retail store selling maritime-themed merchandise, books, gifts, and educational products to museum visitors. Operated as a distinct retail unit under a Museum Store Manager.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 5,000+ Maryland public school students annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maryland Green RegistrycoreOthers · 1 January 2019CBMM named a member of the Maryland Green Registry, a sustainability program sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment. CBMM received a Leadership Award for its environmental initiatives.
• Mystic Seaport MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on single-use plastic-free initiative, with Mystic Seaport Museum providing a benchmark model for other maritime museums to replicate. CBMM began working toward eliminating single-use plastics at its waterfront campus in early 2018.
• Maryland Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland DNR recognized CBMM as a Certified Clean Marina Partner through the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative, acknowledging voluntary pollution prevention practices at its waterfront facilities.
• Traditional Small Craft Association (TSCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSCA members participate in the annual Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival at CBMM. Small craft owners from around the region gather for demos, workshops, races, and activities.
• PNC BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPNC Bank presents Family Funday Sundays at CBMM, a regular weekend program bringing fun family activities to the museum campus.
• Talbot Watermen AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Watermen's Appreciation Day celebrations and support of Chesapeake Bay watermen and the local community.
• Chesapeake CowboyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for Watermen's Appreciation Day events including boat docking competitions and community celebrations.
• Universal Sailing ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the annual Souls at Sea ceremony, an on-water remembrance honoring ancestors lost during the Middle Passage.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mystic Seaport Museum: The preeminent East Coast maritime museum, located in Mystic, CT. Directly comparable to CBMM as a maritime heritage museum with a working shipyard, floating fleet, and educational programming; CBMM explicitly collaborates with Mystic Seaport on its single-use plastic-free initiative.
• Calvert Marine Museum: A regional maritime museum in Solomons, MD, also on the Chesapeake Bay. Competes for the same Maryland cultural-tourism audience, school groups, and donor base, with overlapping exhibits on Bay heritage, paleontology, and watermen history.
• The Mariners' Museum and Park: A large maritime museum in Newport News, VA, with a substantial collection, library, educational programming, and on-water experiences. Comparable in mission (maritime preservation and education) and in the mid-Atlantic tourism corridor.
• Maine Maritime Museum: A New England maritime museum in Bath, ME, with a working boatyard, traditional skills workshops, vessel cruises, and K-12 educational programming—an almost template-aligned peer to CBMM's Shipyard Programming and cruises.
• Maritime Museum of San Diego: A West Coast peer operating a fleet of historic vessels (including a skipjack-equivalent), sail training, and educational programming. Comparable in floating-fleet operation, vessel experiences, and youth maritime camps.
• South Street Seaport Museum: A New York City maritime museum operating historic vessels, sailing programs, shipyard activities, and exhibits. Comparable in model (working water-front campus, vessels, and shipyard skill programs) though in an urban setting.
• Independence Seaport Museum: A Philadelphia-based maritime museum with historic vessels, exhibits, and educational programming. Comparable as an East Coast maritime museum with on-water experiences and school programming.
• Wisconsin Maritime Museum: An inland maritime museum in Manitowoc, WI, focused on Great Lakes maritime history with vessels, exhibits, and youth programming. Comparable mission and educational programming model, though on a different body of water.

Regional players

• Annapolis Maritime Museum: A smaller maritime museum on Chesapeake Bay's western shore in Annapolis, MD. Same regional museum category, similar Chesapeake heritage focus; competes for school groups and visitors to the Bay area but draws from a different catchment.
• Watermark Tours: A DC/National Harbor-based sightseeing boat tour company operating harbor cruises, dinner cruises, and water taxi services on the Chesapeake region's Potomac. Comparable as a regional sightseeing boat tour operator competing for tourist cruise demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CBMMorg1965
• Facebookfacebook.com/mymaritimemuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/chesapeakemaritime
• Xx.com/cbmmorg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum