EdVenture Children's Museum

What EdVenture Children's Museum does

EdVenture Children's Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization that operates two hands-on children's museums in South Carolina — a primary location at 211 Gervais Street in Columbia and a second at 4005 Howard Avenue in Myrtle Beach — serving children ages 0–10 and their families through interactive exhibits and standards-aligned programming. Its core products are purpose-built physical installations, including a 40-foot, three-story interactive human body ("Eddie"), a Boeing 757 cockpit extending over the Congaree River with flight simulators, a Tesla Coil theater, a Draw Alive digital animation exhibit, the A-Ha! Makerspace, farm-to-market and veterinary role-play galleries, and a Quantum Jungle STEM exhibit; it complements these with structured programs such as Cooking Lab, Bio Lab, Toddler Time, Home Safe Home 4D theater, themed summer/spring camps, field trips for K–5 schools, mobile Ed-to-Go outreach, Sensory Nights, and birthday-party packages.\n\nThe business model is diversified direct-to-consumer and B2B revenue: per-visit admission ($15 Columbia / $10 Myrtle Beach, with discounts for first responders, military, seniors, teachers, and SNAP/TANF/WIC recipients), annual memberships ($169 standard, $119 discounted, $49 for underserved families), fee-for-service camps ($245–$289/week), birthday parties ($262–$379), field trips ($6–$12 per student), facility rentals ($100/hour to $5,000 full-museum), and tax-deductible donations/grants. Go-to-market is omnichannel: own ticketing platform (sales.edventure.org), organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), earned media/newsroom, community partnerships, and direct B2B sales to schools and event hosts.\n\nThe institution is governed by a board chaired by Dr. Jamelle Ellis and led operationally by CEO Andy Marquart and Deputy Director & CFO Fred Mutz. It sustains a sizable sponsor/partner ecosystem (Aflac, Prisma Health, Publix, Chick-fil-A, Cummins Inc., FEMA, WP Rawl, AgFirst, Dominion Energy, MUSC, Advance Auto Parts, EPA, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers), reports 150,000+ annual visitors, and operates with an 11–50 employee headcount. Recent strategic activity includes the March 2026 grand opening of the "Fossils to Futures" exhibit, a 2026 Cummins-funded STEM partnership through the Association of Children's Museums, a 2025 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award regional win, and Governor's proclamations of SC Children's Museum Week in 2023 and 2026.

Name

EdVenture Children's Museum

Legal name

EdVenture Children's Museum

Website

https://edventure.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EdVenture Children's Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that operates two hands-on children's museums in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, serving children ages 0–10 and families through interactive exhibits, camps, field trips, and accessibility programs funded largely by donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes) (THAJAKAO)

Keywords

• Children's museum experiences
• Interactive educational exhibits
• School field trips
• Summer camp programs
• Event rental venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Direct ticket sales for museum admission at both Columbia ($15) and Myrtle Beach ($10) locations. Children under 2 are free. Discounts available for first responders, military, and seniors.
2. Memberships: Annual family memberships providing unlimited admission to both locations, guest passes, and discounts on events. Standard membership $169/year, discounted memberships $119 for first responders, military, educators, and seniors.
3. Birthday Parties: Private party room rentals with 120 minutes of celebration time, museum admission for guests. Columbia: $379 non-members/$322 members. Myrtle Beach: $309 non-members/$262 members. Limited to 35 guests.
4. Camps: Spring Break and Summer Camp programs for children ages 4-10. Non Members: $289 per child per week. Members: $245 per child per week. Extended day services available for $12 per day.
5. Field Trips: School field trip programs with standards-based educational content. Columbia public schools: $8-10 per student. Myrtle Beach public schools: $6-8 per student. Additional chaperones and programs available.
6. Ed-to-Go Programs: Mobile outreach programs bringing EdVenture experiences to schools and groups. Pricing varies by program and location.
7. Facility Rentals: Event venue rentals including The Canal Room ($100/hour), The Terrace ($2,500 for evening), Program Rooms ($150-400), First Floor ($1,500-3,500), and Full Museum ($4,000-5,000).
8. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support facility maintenance, enhanced experiences, new content development, educational programming, outreach, and underserved communities.
9. Yes, Every Child Program: Reduced admission ($5 per visitor) for families receiving SNAP, TANF, or WIC benefits. Discounted memberships ($49) for underserved families when funded.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EdVenture Children's Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) children's museum operating locations in Columbia, SC and Myrtle Beach, SC, founded in 2003. The museum provides hands-on interactive exhibits and educational programs for children, including museum admission, memberships, summer camps, school field trips, birthday parties, and event rentals. It serves as a community learning destination with a staff of 11-50 employees.

Product overview

EdVenture Children's Museum is a dual-location children's museum (Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) offering fully-immersive, hands-on exhibits and educational programs for children ages 0-10. The museum operates as a unified experience platform combining interactive exhibits (Eddie, Dalmation Station, Fossils to Futures, Flight, Draw Alive, A-HA! Makerspace), educational labs (Cooking Lab, Bio Lab, Tesla Theater), camps, field trips, Ed-to-Go outreach, Sensory Nights, and birthday party services. Core exhibits include the 40-foot-tall Eddie humanoid body, farm-to-market experiences, veterinary clinics, aviation simulators, and art technology. The museum also provides accessibility programs (Yes, Every Child, Yes, Every Family, Yes, Every Student) and facility rentals for events. Myrtle Beach location features location-specific exhibits including Coastal Cafe, Beachside Autoworks, Seashore Dentistry, and Lighthouse Lumber.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 150,000 annual visitors across both locations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Carolina First StepscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Carolina First Steps for Toys for Tots Literacy Program distribution events, providing books to preschool children in low-income communities and Title I schools. Over 300 copies of 'The Smile' distributed to preschool children in Columbia, SC.
• Prisma Health Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership supporting MedVenture exhibit, Teddy Bear Clinic annual events, and Celebration Circle honoring pediatric patients and families. Features include multi-sensory anatomy experiences and career exploration in healthcare fields.
• Publix Super MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Neighborhood Market exhibit at both Columbia and Myrtle Beach locations. Publix Super Markets Charities supports nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity, education, and youth development. Partnership includes sponsorship of EdVenture Myrtle Beach.
• WP RawlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Busy Bee Farm exhibit showcasing the journey of food from field to family. WP Rawl is a family-owned farm founded in 1925 in Gilbert, SC, specializing in leafy greens and produce. Partnership promotes healthy eating and farming careers.
• FEMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner supporting Dalmatian Station fire safety exhibit, providing resources for firefighter gear, educational content, and Home Safe Home 4D theater experience teaching fire safety.
• Richland School District 2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership supporting MedVenture exhibit and field trip programs.
• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through IF/THEN Champions Network connecting EdVenture with national STEM organizations. ASTC Senior Manager of Programs collaborates on funding educational programs and developing tools for museums and science centers.
• South Carolina QuantumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing Quantum Jungle interactive quantum science exhibit to EdVenture, helping children and families learn about quantum science and technology through hands-on experiences.
• MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare education partner supporting pediatric health programming and exhibits.
• Richland County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting EdVenture Library exhibit and literacy programming.
• Pittsburgh Institute of AeronauticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting EdVenture Myrtle Beach educational programming and exhibits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Discovery Place: Discovery Place operates hands-on science and children's museums serving families and school groups with interactive exhibits and educational programming. Its mix of admissions, memberships, STEM experiences, and outreach is closely comparable to EdVenture.
• Children's Museum of Atlanta: Children's Museum of Atlanta delivers hands-on exhibits, creative play, and educational programs for young children and their caregivers. Its age focus, admissions, memberships, camps, and school programming are directly comparable to EdVenture.
• Kidspace Children's Museum: Kidspace Children's Museum combines interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits designed to promote learning through play for young children. Its exhibits, camps, memberships, and caregiver-focused programming are similar to EdVenture's offering.
• Mississippi Children's Museum: Mississippi Children's Museum is a nonprofit children's museum offering interactive exhibits and programs spanning STEM, literacy, health, and the arts. Its family admissions, camps, memberships, and educational mission closely match EdVenture's operating model.
• Museum of Discovery and Science: Museum of Discovery and Science is an interactive science museum offering exhibits, simulators, labs, and educational programming for families and schools. Its STEM focus and immersive delivery mechanism are comparable to several of EdVenture's core experiences.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a large nonprofit children's museum combining immersive exhibits, collections, and educational programs for children and families. It is a scaled comparable for EdVenture's exhibit-led, membership-supported visitor model.
• Boston Children's Museum: Boston Children's Museum operates a broad portfolio of interactive exhibits, educational programs, and accessibility initiatives for children and families. Its nonprofit operating model and focus on experiential learning make it a strong direct peer.
• Please Touch Museum: Please Touch Museum is a children's museum centered on immersive role-play, historical environments, and hands-on learning. Its family audience, interactive exhibit model, memberships, and educational programs closely overlap with EdVenture.

Broad incumbents

• The Strong National Museum of Play: The Strong is a larger play-focused museum with immersive experiences spanning toys, games, history, and learning. It is broader than a traditional children's museum but comparable in its ability to monetize destination exhibits, education, events, and memberships.
• South Carolina State Museum: South Carolina State Museum is a Columbia-based cultural and educational institution with permanent and temporary exhibits, programming, and event facilities. It competes for family visitation, sponsors, and donors, although its subject matter and audience are broader than EdVenture's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EdVentureChildrensMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/edventurechildrensmuseum/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@edventurechildrensmuseum
• Xx.com/edventure

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 EdVenture Children's Museum