USS Midway Museum

Maritime Museummidway.org

The USS Midway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a retired aircraft carrier as a permanent museum ship in San Diego, serving tourists, school groups, veterans, and corporate clients through exhibits, tours, and event hosting.

Company typePrivate
Founded1945
HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What USS Midway Museum does

The USS Midway Museum operates a retired U.S. Navy aircraft carrier (CV-41) as a permanently docked museum ship and visitor attraction on San Diego's waterfront. Commissioned in 1945 and decommissioned in 1992, the 1,001-foot vessel historically supported a crew of approximately 4,500 and serves as the museum's central artifact, allowing visitors to experience naval aviation and military history through more than 60 exhibits, audio tours featuring recordings from Midway sailors, flight simulators, and overnight youth programs. The organization is structured as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and is recognized by Forbes as San Diego's biggest tourist attraction, with TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice recognition in 2024.

USS Midway Museum firmographics

Firmographics

Name: USS Midway Museum
Legal name: USS Midway Museum
Website: https://midway.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1945
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The USS Midway Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a retired aircraft carrier as a permanent museum ship in San Diego, serving tourists, school groups, veterans, and corporate clients through exhibits, tours, and event hosting.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

USS Midway Museum industry classification

Industry

Product category: Maritime Museum
NAICS: Museums (712110)
SIC: Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
akta.pro primary industry: Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

Maritime museum exhibits
Naval aviation history
Aircraft carrier museum
Historical museum tours
Educational museum admissions

Where USS Midway Museum is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: San Diego
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

USS Midway Museum business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Ticket Sales: Admission tickets sold to visitors for access to the museum, flight deck, and exhibits. Last admission at 4:00 p.m., open Monday-Sunday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Membership Program: Annual membership program offering benefits to repeat visitors and supporters of the museum.
Donations: Charitable donations accepted through the USS Midway Foundation; museum is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Retail (Jet Shop): On-site gift shop selling merchandise, souvenirs, and naval-themed items.
Food & Beverage (Café 41): On-site cafe providing food service to visitors.
Private Events: Event venue rentals for corporate events, weddings, and private gatherings on the aircraft carrier.
Group Tours & Programs: Docent VIP tours, guided island tours, overnight adventure programs, and school/youth group discounted admissions.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	General Admission - Adult
Unit Pricing	One time/ perpetual license	School & Youth Groups

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

USS Midway Museum product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The USS Midway Museum is a non-profit living museum housed on the retired USS Midway aircraft carrier docked at San Diego's bayfront. It sells admissions to multi-level exhibits (flight deck, hangar deck, below deck, interactive displays), guided and self-guided tours, overnight adventure programs, annual memberships, private event rentals, and on-site retail and food and beverage. Revenue is supplemented by charitable donations through the USS Midway Foundation.

Product overview

The USS Midway Museum is a single-site living museum offering self-guided and guided experiences aboard the historic USS Midway aircraft carrier. The core offering consists of multi-level exhibits on the flight deck, hangar deck, and below deck areas, supplemented by interactive displays. Add-on experiences include Docent VIP Tours, Guided Island Tours, and Overnight Adventure programs. Supporting services include the Jet Shop gift store, Café 41 restaurant, Private Events hosting, and School & Youth Programs. The museum also publishes Currents Magazine and maintains a Real-Life Stories storytelling platform. A major development project, Freedom Park at Burnham Navy Pier, is scheduled to open in 2028.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

General Admission Tickets Dated admission tickets granting visitors access to the USS Midway flight deck, hangar deck, below deck, and interactive exhibits. For individual visitors, families, and tourists to San Diego.
Annual Membership Program Annual membership offering benefits including free admission and special events for repeat visitors and museum supporters.
Docent VIP Tours Guided tours led by expert docents providing in-depth historical commentary and access to exclusive areas of the aircraft carrier. For visitors seeking a deeper-curated experience.
Guided Island Tours Expert-led tours of the ship's island superstructure and navigation/command systems. For visitors interested in the operational side of the carrier.
Overnight Adventure Program Overnight program allowing guests to experience sleeping aboard the aircraft carrier with guided activities. For families, youth groups, and experience-seeking visitors.
Private Event Venue Rentals Event hosting services for corporate events, weddings, and special occasions aboard the aircraft carrier. For event planners, corporate buyers, and individuals seeking a unique venue.
School & Youth Programs Discounted admission and educational programs designed for K-12 school groups and youth organizations. Offers hands-on history and STEM learning experiences.
Jet Shop (Gift Shop) On-site gift shop selling memorabilia, apparel, and souvenirs themed around the USS Midway and naval history. For museum visitors and gift buyers.
Café 41 (Food & Beverage) On-site restaurant and café serving food and beverages to museum visitors.
Charitable Donations (USS Midway Foundation) Charitable donation program administered through the USS Midway Foundation, supporting the museum's preservation and educational mission. For donors, veterans, and community supporters.

Companies that use USS Midway Museum

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

USS Midway Museum technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

USS Midway Museum partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Freedom Park at Burnham Navy PiermajorOthers · 1 January 2028San Diego's newest bayfront park will be located at the footsteps of the USS Midway, honoring veterans, celebrating freedoms, and providing engagement moments for all visitors. Opening scheduled for 2028.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

USS Midway Museum competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

USS Lexington Museum on the Bay: Aircraft carrier museum docked in Corpus Christi, Texas. Direct peer: same warship-to-museum conversion concept, comparable exhibits, overnight programs, and tourist attraction positioning.
Battleship Missouri Memorial: Historic battleship museum at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Direct peer: retired U.S. Navy warship converted into a museum, comparable educational programming, and similar tourism-driven revenue model.
USS Constitution Museum: Museum interpreting the USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") in Boston. Direct peer: another historic U.S. Navy ship museum serving tourists, school groups, and families with similar educational programming.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: Aircraft carrier-turned-museum on the Hudson River in New York City. Closest direct peer: same product category (historic naval aircraft carrier museum), similar visitor experience, and overlapping tourist/military audiences.
Battleship USS North Carolina: Retired WWII battleship museum in Wilmington, North Carolina. Direct comparable: a historic naval vessel serving as a visitor attraction with self-guided exhibits, overnight programs, and event rentals.

Regional players

San Diego Zoo: Iconic San Diego zoo and major regional tourist attraction. Comparable as a competing San Diego attraction competing for tourist time and wallet share, with similar membership and group visit programming.
Maritime Museum of San Diego: San Diego-based maritime museum operating historic vessels including the Star of India. Regional peer sharing the same waterfront tourist market and partial thematic overlap in naval/maritime history.
Fleet Science Center: San Diego's Balboa Park-based science museum. Regional peer sharing the same local tourist market and partially overlapping educational programming for school groups and families.

Emerging players

National WWII Museum: New Orleans-based museum covering WWII, including substantial naval aviation history. Comparable in educational mission, immersive exhibits, and veteran community engagement, though broader in scope than the Midway.

Broad incumbents

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Smithsonian-operated museum in Washington, D.C. covering aviation and spaceflight. Broad incumbent: overlapping aviation/heritage content and visitor base, but operates at much larger scale and as part of a multi-museum portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

USS Midway Museum financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

USS Midway Museum leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

USS Midway Museum funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

USS Midway Museum M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about USS Midway Museum

What does USS Midway Museum do?

Is USS Midway Museum a public or private company?

USS Midway Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was USS Midway Museum founded?

USS Midway Museum was founded in 1945. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is USS Midway Museum based?

USS Midway Museum is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.

How does USS Midway Museum make money?

Seven revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, donations, retail (Jet Shop), food & Beverage (Café 41), private Events and group Tours & Programs.

Who are USS Midway Museum's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, Battleship Missouri Memorial, USS Constitution Museum, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Battleship USS North Carolina. Regional players are San Diego Zoo, Maritime Museum of San Diego and Fleet Science Center. National WWII Museum is listed as an emerging player. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does USS Midway Museum have an API?

No public API is recorded for USS Midway Museum.

What industry is USS Midway Museum in?

USS Midway Museum's product category is Maritime Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAF, Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7990.