What Science Museum of Minnesota does

Science Museum of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science education institution founded in 1907 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It operates a 370,000-square-foot facility on the Mississippi River containing permanent galleries, a 10,000-square-foot temporary exhibit gallery, the net-zero-energy Science House, and the 90-foot Omnitheater — one of the world's largest IMAX domed theaters, equipped with Digistar 7 and IMAX GT laser projection. The museum serves a broad audience of families, K-12 schools, and youth STEM-program participants, reaching more than one million people annually through on-site visits, outreach programs spanning all 87 Minnesota counties, online experiences, and a touring exhibits business that has placed 26 original exhibits in over 400 museums across 142 cities, reaching 48 million cumulative visitors.

The museum operates the wholly-owned St. Croix Watershed Research Station as a scientific research subsidiary, holds a permanent collection of more than 2 million objects across anthropology, biology, and paleontology, and runs the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center for STEM workforce development. Its core technology stack centers on immersive media (Digistar 7, IMAX GT laser, Science Live theater performances), digital collection infrastructure (Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas partnership with Bell Museum), and standard digital marketing and analytics tooling.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model including general admission and Omnitheater ticket sales, recurring membership subscriptions, retail through the Explore Store (online and on-site), event and facility rentals, professional development services for Minnesota teachers, touring-exhibit licensing royalties, and a substantial donations and grants base — including corporate grants such as Trane Technologies' $1.5 million three-year commitment. The museum is led by President and CEO Alison Rempel Brown (since 2016) and operates without a parent company under an independent Board of Trustees.

Name

Science Museum of Minnesota

Legal name

The Science Museum of Minnesota

Website

https://smm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Science Museum of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1907 in Saint Paul, operating a 370,000 sq ft facility with a 90-foot Omnitheater and 2M+ item collection to serve families, K-12 schools, and youth across Minnesota and touring-exhibit partners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum and Informal STEM Education

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Science museum education
• STEM learning programs
• Interactive science exhibits
• Omnitheater giant screen
• Museum touring exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from general admission tickets to the museum exhibits and galleries.
2. Omnitheater Movies: Revenue from giant screen Omnitheater movie screenings in the 90-foot domed theater.
3. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership providing unlimited visits, Omnitheater access, discounts, and member parking benefits.
4. Explore Store Retail: Physical and online retail store selling science-themed merchandise, fossils, apparel, books, and educational items.
5. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and grants from corporations like Trane Technologies ($1.5M grant).
6. Event Rentals and Private Events: Revenue from renting museum spaces for private events and corporate functions.
7. Exhibit Services and Touring Exhibits: Since 1983, 26 original exhibits have traveled to more than 400 museums in 142 cities, reaching 48 million visitors.
8. Professional Development Services: Training and professional development programs for science teachers, becoming the leading provider in Minnesota.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Science Museum of Minnesota operates a 370,000-square-foot interactive science museum in St. Paul, a 360-seat Omnitheater with IMAX GT laser and Digistar 7 projection, and a 2 million-object natural history collection. It sells admissions, Omnitheater movies, annual memberships, Explore Store merchandise, professional development for teachers, school field trips and outreach, KAYSC youth STEM workforce programs, private event rentals, and licenses original touring exhibits to museums worldwide. The St. Croix Watershed Research Station, a wholly-owned subsidiary, conducts environmental and water science research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Museum Admission Daily admission to the museum's 370,000-square-foot facility, providing access to interactive permanent exhibits (including Collections galleries, Our Backyard, and a 10,000 sq ft temporary exhibit gallery) and seasonal special exhibitions, for individual visitors and families.
• Omnitheater Movies Giant-screen film screenings in the 90-foot, 360-seat domed Omnitheater, including original productions such as Volcanoes: Fires of Creation and Stellar Tours, shown to individual ticket-buying visitors and members.
• Annual Membership Annual recurring subscription providing unlimited general admission, Omnitheater access, member discounts, and member parking benefits to individual visitors and families.
• Explore Store (Physical and Online Retail) On-site gift shop and online store at store.smm.org selling science-themed merchandise, fossils, apparel, books, and educational items, including viral products such as the Vintage Thunder Lizard hoodie (nearly 20,000 units sold following its appearance on Netflix's Stranger Things).
• School Field Trips and Outreach Programs Curriculum-aligned field trips to the St. Paul facility and outreach programming delivered across all 87 Minnesota counties, reaching more than 100,000 K-12 teachers and students annually and supporting classroom STEM instruction.
• Professional Development for Science Teachers Training and professional development programs for science teachers, with the museum positioned as the leading provider of science teacher professional development in Minnesota.
• Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (KAYSC) Programs Workforce development programs for young people interested in STEM careers, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, including industry certifications and career pathway programs supported by partners such as Trane Technologies.
• Private Event and Corporate Function Rentals Rental of museum spaces, including the Omnitheater and galleries, for private events and corporate functions.
• Touring Exhibits Licensing and Rental Licensing and rental of original touring exhibits to museums worldwide. Since 1983, 26 original exhibits have traveled to more than 400 museums in 142 cities, reaching more than 48 million visitors.
• St. Croix Watershed Research Station Scientific Research Scientific research on water systems, watershed protection, and climate change conducted at the wholly-owned Marine on St. Croix research station, including peer-reviewed publications on lake dynamics and environmental protection.
• Stellar Tours Omnitheater Show An original choose-your-own-space-adventure Omnitheater show using the Digistar 7 projection system, allowing museum visitors to take a guided digital telescope tour of the universe as a ticketed Omnitheater experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1 million people impacted annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trane TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Trane Technologies renewed its $1.5 million grant to support the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center's STEM programs over three years. The funding aims to enhance youth engagement in STEM education and career pathways through initiatives and employee volunteer opportunities. Trane employees serve on the Center's Workforce Innovation Committee, developing curriculum focused on data analytics and decarbonization.
• Bad Weather Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Partnership to create the Epoch Beaver Black IPA to celebrate the designation of the Giant Beaver as Minnesota's state fossil. The collaboration turned awareness-building into a creative community celebration.
• Metro TransitminorOthersMetro Transit provides public transportation access to the museum. Route maps are available through MetroTransit's trip planner.
• Indigenous Round TablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA committee of Indigenous people representing diverse perspectives and cultural affiliations. Their goal is to promote and incorporate Indigenous perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge throughout the museum.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Ed Fleming serves as a lecturer and senior research associate with the University of Minnesota's Department of Anthropology for 15 years. The museum collaborates on annual archaeological field school in the Upper Midwest.
• St. Croix Watershed Research StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum operates the St. Croix Watershed Research Station which conducts scientific research on water systems and environmental protection.
• Bell MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bell Museum for the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas digitization project, allowing digital exploration of collections.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The U.S. national natural history museum with massive collections, active research, and free admission. A broader incumbent and structural competitor in the same category — comparable collections and research, with a fundamentally different (federally funded) operating model.
• American Museum of Natural History: One of the world's largest natural history museums with multi-million object collections, active research division, and globally traveling exhibitions. A broader incumbent operating at greater scale than SMM but directly comparable in mission, collections, research, and touring exhibits.

Direct peers

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Pittsburgh-based natural history museum with comparable collections scale, active research, and paleontology programs (including Hell Creek-equivalent digs). Comparable to SMM's research-grade collection, academic partnerships, and paleontology emphasis.
• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia science museum and education institution featuring hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater, and established K-12 STEM programming. Directly comparable to SMM in core STEM education mission, immersive theater, and family/school audience focus.
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Denver-based museum combining natural history, space theater (Gates Planetarium), IMAX, and active research including a paleontology program. Comparable to SMM's mix of natural history, paleontology, Omnitheater, and statewide outreach model.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco interactive science museum emphasizing hands-on STEM learning and educator professional development. Comparable to SMM's interactive-exhibit model, teacher professional development programs, and emphasis on inquiry-based science learning.
• Pacific Science Center: Seattle-based science center with IMAX theater, permanent and traveling exhibits, and education programs. Comparable in scale and operating model: a regional science center with a giant-screen theater, school programs, and traveling exhibit offerings.
• California Academy of Sciences: A San Francisco-based science museum combining natural history, aquarium, and planetarium under one roof with active research programs. Most directly comparable to SMM in combining a major science museum, immersive theater, collections, and a research mission in a single institution.
• Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago): One of the largest science museums in the world, focused on technology, engineering, and physical sciences. Comparable to SMM in physical science focus, hands-on exhibit model, large-format theater, and K-12 field trip audience.
• Field Museum: Chicago-based natural history museum with comparable scale, multi-million object collections, active scientific research, and traveling exhibition operations. Directly comparable to SMM in collections depth, research orientation, and touring exhibit licensing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/sciencemuseumofminnesota
• Facebookfacebook.com/sciencemuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/sciencemuseummn
• TikToktiktok.com/@sciencemuseummn
• Xx.com/sciencemuseummn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-museum-of-minnesota

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Science Museum of Minnesota