Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke

What Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke does

The Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke (MNS²) is a non-profit natural science museum located in downtown Sherbrooke, Quebec, operating from 225 rue Frontenac. The institution traces its origins to natural history collections assembled by the Séminaire de Sherbrooke beginning in the late 19th century and now stewards a catalogued collection of more than 65,000 specimens spanning zoology, botany, archaeology, and geology. Visitors access permanent exhibitions such as AlterAnima (taxidermy-based) and Sève (launched April 2026), rotating temporary exhibitions, behind-the-scenes reserve tours, children's birthday parties, summer programs, school and youth group workshops, tourist guided tours, an on-site boutique, and rented event space. The museum applies traditional preservation techniques including taxidermy and lyophilization (freeze-drying sublimation) to maintain specimen integrity for both onsite display and educational use.

Revenue is generated through a mix of admission tickets (children $10.35, students $12.65, adults $17.25, seniors $14.95, families $48.30, all taxes included in CAD), annual memberships, birthday party packages ($215+ tax for members and $250+ tax for non-members), tiered school group pricing ($11–$25 per participant depending on activity count), facility and room rentals, gift shop sales, the international rental of 12+ bilingual traveling exhibitions across Canada, Europe, and the United States, and donations including the 'Changez la donne' initiative and online giving channels. Public funding flows from Ville de Sherbrooke and the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec via the Entente de développement culturel 2025–2027, and the museum maintains an active partnership network with Université de Sherbrooke, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Séminaire de Sherbrooke, SLOE, CSBQ, Institut quantique, and other regional organizations that collectively support science outreach and curricular programming.

Name

Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke

Legal name

Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke

Website

https://mns2.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke (MNS²) is a non-profit natural science museum in Sherbrooke, Quebec, stewarding 65,000+ specimens and serving families, school groups, tourists, and science outreach audiences through permanent and temporary exhibitions, educational programs, traveling exhibition rentals, and facility hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Science Museum

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Natural science museum
• Science education programs
• Traveling exhibitions rental
• Museum collections management
• Specimen preservation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherbrooke

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Ticket sales for museum entry with tiered pricing for children (4-17), adults (18-54), students, seniors (55+), and families. Free admission for children 0-3 years and members.
2. Annual Memberships: Annual membership program offering free unlimited admission, exclusive benefits, and discounts throughout the year for individuals and families.
3. Children's Birthday Parties: 2.5-hour party packages including interactive museum tour, creative workshop (good luck charms), and private room rental. Priced at $215+ tax for members and $250+ tax for non-members.
4. Gift Shop Sales: On-site boutique offering Quebec and regional products including souvenirs and unique gifts.
5. Traveling Exhibitions Rental: More than a dozen bilingual exhibitions available for rental across Canada, Europe, and the US, sized between 100m² and 200m².
6. Facility and Room Rental: Meeting and event space rental services for private functions and gatherings.
7. Educational Programs: School group activities, youth programs, and educational workshops with tiered group pricing. Behind-the-scenes tours available for adult groups.
8. Donations: Donation programs including the 'Changez la donne' initiative supporting museum operations and exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke operates a natural science museum offering permanent and temporary exhibitions on zoology, botany, archaeology, and the environment, supported by a collection of more than 65,000 specimens. The museum sells general admissions, annual memberships, school and tourist group programs, birthday party packages, and rentals of over a dozen bilingual traveling exhibitions to cultural venues across Canada, Europe, and the United States.

Product overview

The Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke (MNS²) is a natural history and science museum offering a portfolio of core permanent exhibitions (AlterAnima, Sève), rotating temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and visitor services. The museum operates as a single venue with multiple service offerings including guided tours, behind-the-scenes access, children's birthday parties, and traveling exhibition rentals. The museum's collections contain over 65,000 natural specimens preserved through various conservation techniques including taxidermy and lyophilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AlterAnima (permanent exhibition) Permanent exhibition showcasing hundreds of taxidermied specimens from the museum's zoological collections, presented in an artistic setting where visitors must look closely to spot hidden animals. Targeted at families, school groups, and general visitors.
• Sève (permanent exhibition) Permanent exhibition on nature and the environment at the museum.
• Minéro en Safari (temporary exhibition) Temporary themed exhibition at the museum.
• Girafe, la grande passion d'Anne Innis Dagg (temporary exhibition) Temporary exhibition about Anne Innis Dagg's passion for giraffes.
• Visite des coulisses (Behind-the-Scenes Tours) Exclusive guided access to the museum's reserve of over 65,000 specimens, the regional archaeology display, and the production workshop where traveling exhibitions are built. For adult visitors, tourist groups, and science enthusiasts.
• Fêtes d'enfants (Children's Birthday Parties) 2.5-hour birthday party package with interactive museum tour, creative workshop (good-luck charms), and reserved room; priced at $215+ tax for members and $250+ tax for non-members. For families of children ages 5-10.
• Visites guidées scolaires et jeunesse (School and Youth Group Visits) Educational guided visits, workshops, animations, and virtual sessions for school and youth groups with age-appropriate science programming. Tiered pricing from $11 per participant for 1 activity to $25 per participant for 4 activities.
• Visites guidées groupes touristiques (Tourist Group Visits) Guided tours for adult tourist groups offering behind-the-scenes access, the AlterAnima exhibition, and temporary exhibitions. Pricing of $17 per adult and $15 per senior (55+) with 1 free guide per 15 visitors.
• Expositions itinérantes (Traveling Exhibitions Rental) Rental of more than a dozen bilingual in-house-produced traveling exhibitions (100–200 m² each) to museums and cultural venues across Canada, Europe, and the United States.
• Sherbrooke au naturel (Community Program) Cultural mediation initiative combining visual arts, natural sciences, and citizen participation through naturalist photography exhibitions, seasonal workshops, and field trips; tied to the Entente de développement culturel 2025-2027.
• Boutique du musée (Museum Shop) On-site gift shop offering Quebec and regional souvenir products to museum visitors.
• Location de salles (Room Rental) Facility and event space rental for private functions, corporate events, and receptions inside the museum.
• Collections (museum collection) The museum's permanent natural history collection of more than 65,000 specimens — including taxidermied mammals, birds, insects, botanical samples, and archaeological artifacts — preserved using taxidermy and freeze-drying techniques.

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cultural development partnership through Entente de développement culturel 2025-2027 supporting the 'Sherbrooke au naturel' citizen photography and natural science mediation project.
• Musée des beaux-arts de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership within the 'Quartier des musées' passport program allowing visitors access to all three Sherbrooke museums (Musée des beaux-arts, Musée d'histoire, and MNS2) with a single combined ticket.
• Musée d'histoire de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership within the 'Quartier des musées' passport program allowing visitors access to all three Sherbrooke museums with a single combined ticket.
• Université de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration, student programs, science outreach activities, and 'Le Musée vous ouvre les portes de l'innovation' field trip program to university labs and research facilities.
• Société de loisir ornithologique de l'Estrie (SLOE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on bird-related programs including the Rallye des oiseaux de Noël for youth and ornithological educational activities.
• Climatoscope 360minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for climate change education including Bar des sciences events, climate science publications, and awareness activities.
• Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec (CSBQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on biodiversity science programming including the 'Climat et biodiversité' Bar des sciences event.
• Cégep de SherbrookeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting scientific popularization competitions and student mentorship programs.
• Institut quantique (Université de Sherbrooke)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for quantum science education including escape game activity 'Avantage quantique' and field trips to the institute.
• ÉducazoominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLive animal presentation services during spring break and special events, providing ethical handling experiences with exotic and domestic animals.
• Sciences en folieminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScience show production company providing theatrical science demonstrations during school break programs and special events.
• Neurones atomiquesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerScience communication troupe providing interactive theatrical science demonstrations including 'Les grandes découvertes' shows.
• Maison de l'eau (Parc Lucien-Blanchard)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for aquatic education activities and events at the water education center located at 755 rue Cabana, Sherbrooke.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Museum of Nature: Canada's national natural history museum in Ottawa, operating permanent and temporary exhibitions, education programs, and a research and collection mandate. Directly comparable as a natural history museum with a multi-thousand-specimen collection, but at substantially larger scale and reach than MNS².
• Royal BC Museum: Provincial natural and human history museum in Victoria, BC, with extensive collections and exhibition production capabilities. Comparable in operational model — permanent galleries, traveling exhibitions, education programs — but at materially larger scale and budget than MNS².
• Canadian Museum of History: National museum in Gatineau covering Canadian history, archaeology, and cultural heritage with permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibitions. Comparable in museum operating model and bilingual mandate, with a much larger collection and visitor base than MNS².
• Ontario Science Centre: Long-standing Toronto-based science center with permanent and temporary exhibits, school programs, and traveling exhibitions. Comparable in science-education mission and traveling-exhibition production, though at a substantially larger scale than MNS².

Direct peers

• Redpath Museum: University-affiliated natural history museum at McGill University in Montreal, housing zoology, paleontology, and ethnology collections open to the public. Highly comparable in mission, scale, and Quebec operating context to MNS², with overlapping educational programming and exhibition style.
• Manitoba Museum: Regional natural history and human history museum in Winnipeg combining permanent galleries, planetarium, and education programs. Comparable to MNS² as a mid-sized regional museum with mixed natural science and human history collections and similar revenue model.

Emerging players

• Centre des sciences de Montréal: Montreal-based science center focused on interactive STEM exhibits, IMAX, and education programming. Comparable to MNS² as a science education venue targeting families and school groups, but with a hands-on STEM rather than natural history focus.
• TELUS Spark Science Centre: Calgary-based science center with permanent and rotating exhibits, a digital dome theatre, and youth education programs. Comparable to MNS² in targeting families and school audiences with a mix of science and nature content, though with a stronger interactive-STEM emphasis.

Regional players

• Espace pour la vie (Biodôme, Insectarium, Jardin botanique): Network of nature-focused attractions in Montreal (Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden, Planetarium) under a single operator. Comparable in nature-education mandate and Quebec operating context, but located in a much larger urban market and operated at greater scale than MNS².
• Musée du Fjord: Regional natural history and heritage museum in Saguenay, Quebec, focused on the Saguenay Fjord ecosystem, marine biology, and local history. Closely comparable to MNS² in scale, Quebec regional positioning, and natural history focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/museedelanatureetdessciencesdesherbrooke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke