Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center

What Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center does

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center (the Bong Center) is a 501c3 nonprofit museum located at 305 E 2nd Street in Superior, Wisconsin, on the Bay of Lake Superior. Founded in 2002 with the assistance of Major Richard Bong's widow Marge Bong Drucker, the museum honors Major Bong — America's top-scoring WWII fighter ace — alongside regional veterans from WWII through modern conflicts. The core offering is a physical museum housing over 15,000 artifacts, a military library of 3,000+ books, and a near-700-strong oral history archive, anchored by a restored P-38 Lightning aircraft and M-60 tank. Educational products include self-guided and tiered guided tours (Marge & The Major, Heavy Metal, Cool Stuff), traveling footlocker programs, school and group tours, essay contests, a high-school Bong Squadron guide program, a Junior Curator program, and college internships.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of paid admissions ($5-$12), guided and behind-the-scenes tour fees ($20-$50), six membership tiers ranging from $35 to $1,000 annually with NARM reciprocity at higher levels, museum store retail (apparel, books, memorabilia), private venue and theater rentals, special event programming (escape rooms, murder mystery dinners, speaker series), and tax-deductible donations — the latter including $185,000 raised cumulatively for the Mission: Marge humanitarian initiative in Papua New Guinea. In 2024-2026 the museum has extended its product surface via a Mission: Marge P-38 expedition partnership with Pacific Wrecks, a Sister Museum relationship with PNG's NMAG, a Poplar-Madang sister city partnership, a documentary film, a student flight simulator from Students in Aviation, and digital archival distribution through Recollection Wisconsin and mncollections.org. The organization is led by Executive Director John Gidley, governed by a 17-member volunteer board of directors, and operates with a small paid staff supplemented by an active volunteer and youth-intern pipeline.

Name

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center

Legal name

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center

Website

https://bongcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is a 501c3 nonprofit museum in Superior, Wisconsin, honoring WWII Ace of Aces Major Richard Bong and regional veterans through artifact preservation, guided tours, oral histories, and educational programs. It serves tourists, veterans' families, schools, and community groups via admissions, memberships, donations, and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military History Museum & Veterans Education Center

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (71212)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Military history museum
• Veterans historical center
• WWII artifact collection
• Veteran oral history
• Educational tour programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Superior

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Ticket sales for self-guided and guided museum tours with tiered pricing based on age and veteran status
2. Membership Program: Annual membership tiers from $35 to $1,000 providing unlimited admission, discounts, and special event access
3. Museum Store/Retail: Gift shop sales including apparel, books, toys, flags, patches, magnets, and military-themed merchandise
4. Facility/Venue Rental: Private event rentals including conference room, Pearl Harbor Theater, and entire facility for celebrations, meetings, and reunions
5. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting museum operations and Mission: Marge humanitarian efforts in Papua New Guinea; currently raised $185,000 for Mission Marge
6. Special Events: Revenue from escape rooms, speaker series, murder mystery dinners, and event programming

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is a 501c3 nonprofit museum that preserves and presents the legacy of WWII Ace of Aces Major Richard I. Bong and honors local veterans from WWII through modern conflicts. It operates self-guided and guided museum tours, maintains an artifact collection of over 15,000 items and an oral history archive of nearly 700 recorded interviews, and offers educational programs, youth programs, private event rentals, and a museum store.

Product overview

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is a 501c3 nonprofit museum offering a unified portfolio of products and services centered on honoring veterans and preserving military history. The core experience consists of self-guided museum tours and guided tour options (Marge and the Major, Heavy Metal, Cool Stuff) showcasing the WWII artifact collection of over 15,000 items and restored P-38 Lightning aircraft. Educational offerings include essay contests, traveling footlocker programs, Vietnam Veterans presentations, Bong Squadron youth employment, Junior Curator program, and internship opportunities. The museum store provides retail merchandise supporting the mission, while membership programs offer tiered benefits including NARM access. Special programs include Mission: Marge documentary project, escape room experiences, private venue rentals, Flag of Remembrance program, veterans retreats, and a Speaker Series. Digital archives include oral history collections (700+ recordings), research library, 3D digital collections, and online exhibits accessible via Recollection Wisconsin. Aviation programs feature a student flight simulator in partnership with Students in Aviation (SIA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Self-Guided Museum Admission Self-guided exploration of museum exhibits including the restored P-38 Lightning aircraft, M-60 tank, military vehicles, weapons displays, and WWII artifacts. Takes approximately 2 hours. Targeted at general visitors, families, and tourists.
• Marge and The Major Tour Guided tour exploring the love story between Richard Bong and his wife Marge Vattendahl, their WWII relationship, and its tragic ending. Offered to general visitors and tourists.
• Cool Stuff Tour Behind-the-scenes museum tour providing access to archives including military uniforms, model planes, weapons, and additional artifacts. Targeted at history enthusiasts, researchers, and dedicated visitors.
• Heavy Metal Tour Exclusive guided tour featuring access to the P-38J 'Marge' cockpit and M-60 'Patton' tank. Led by Bong Squadron high school student members during summer or by appointment.
• Museum Membership Program Tiered annual membership program from $35 to $1,000 per year providing unlimited museum admission, store discounts, special event access, and NARM benefits at higher levels. Targeted at repeat visitors, families, and supporters.
• Museum Store (Online & On-site Retail)

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 5 rated attraction in Superior on TripAdvisor with 4.5/5 stars from 105 reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mike Scholtz (Local Filmmaker)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2026Created the Mission: Marge documentary film premiering March 28, 2026 at Zeitgeist Theater in Duluth. Documentary tells the story of finding Bong's crashed P-38 in Papua New Guinea.
• Planes of Fame Air MuseumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Providing a P-38 aircraft for flyover at the Richard Bong Airport on July 9, 2026, coinciding with the Duluth Air Show. Part of Mission: Marge promotional activities.
• Sister Cities InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025Facilitated the sister city partnership between Poplar, Wisconsin and Madang, Papua New Guinea. Executive Director John Gidley and Curator Briana Fiandt traveled to Madang in July 2025 to formalize the relationship.
• Escape Room PartiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Created the Mission Marge Escape Room experience for the Bong Center. The escape room runs during special events and provides interactive engagement with the Mission Marge narrative.
• National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG) - Papua New GuineacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Official partner in Papua New Guinea working on the Mission: Marge initiative. NMAG Director Alois Kuaso visited the Bong Center in November 2024 to discuss formal 'Sister Museum' relationship and inspect artifacts. Permission secured for artifact recovery efforts.
• Pacific WreckscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2024Partnership to locate the wreckage of Major Bong's P-38 'Marge' in Papua New Guinea. Justin Taylan of Pacific Wrecks led the expedition team that successfully located the crash site on May 17, 2024. Ongoing collaboration includes the Mission: Marge documentary and future expeditions.
• Students in Aviation (SIA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Donated student flight simulator to the Bong Center to nurture youth interest in aviation. Provides complete online curriculum database for instructors and students interested in flight training.
• American Legion Post #435coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in veteran programs. Post acquired the original P-38 Lightning for the memorial and continues to support through the Flag of Remembrance Program ceremonies. Provides weekly flag raising ceremonies at the center.
• Commemorative Air Force Lake Superior SquadronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrently occupies exhibit space at the Bong Center with their aircraft. Partnership for Mission: Marge Phase 3 includes hosting the P-38 flyover press conference in their hangar at the Richard Bong Airport.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pima Air & Space Museum: Located in Tucson, AZ, the Pima Air & Space Museum is a large nonprofit aviation museum featuring WWII-era aircraft. Highly comparable to the Bong Center in nonprofit model, aviation restoration focus, and tour/educational programming. Operates at a larger scale.
• EAA Aviation Museum: Based in Oshkosh, WI, the EAA Aviation Museum showcases aviation history including WWII aircraft. Comparable to the Bong Center in aviation focus, regional Midwest presence, and exhibit-based educational mission. Both feature restored aircraft and oral histories of aviators.
• Commemorative Air Force (CAF): An organization dedicated to preserving WWII aircraft through a national network of units. The Bong Center partners with the CAF Lake Superior Squadron, indicating deep operational overlap. Comparable in mission of restoring and flying WWII aircraft (e.g., the upcoming P-38 flyover).
• Palm Springs Air Museum: A nonprofit aviation museum in Palm Springs, CA focused on WWII aircraft. Comparable to the Bong Center in nonprofit structure, WWII aviation mission, restoration of historic aircraft, and educational programming. Operates in a stronger tourism market.
• Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum: A Paine Field (Everett, WA) museum featuring restored WWII combat aircraft and armor. Comparable to the Bong Center in WWII aircraft restoration mission (including P-38 Lightning) and military vehicle display focus. Privately-funded museum model.
• Planes of Fame Air Museum: A California-based nonprofit aviation museum that operates WWII-era warbirds, including P-38s. Direct peer in WWII aviation collection/preservation mission and an active partner of the Bong Center (providing P-38 for the 2026 flyover).

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of the United States Air Force: Located at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH, this is the U.S. Air Force's official museum covering aviation and USAF history. Comparable to the Bong Center in aerospace/aviation military history focus, but operates at a much larger scale as a federal institution with broader scope.
• National Veterans Memorial and Museum: Located in Columbus, OH, this is the nation's primary veterans memorial and museum covering all conflicts. Comparable to the Bong Center in veterans-honoring mission but broader in scope (all veterans, all conflicts) and much larger in budget. Represents direct competition for veteran-focused donations and visitation.
• National WWII Museum: Located in New Orleans, the National WWII Museum is the premier U.S. institution dedicated to WWII. Comparable to the Bong Center in mission (preserving WWII history and veteran stories) but vastly larger in scope, budget, and audience. Sets the bar for visitor expectations and grant funding competitiveness in WWII museum space.

Others

• Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS): A statewide historical organization operating multiple sites including Fort Snelling. Indirectly comparable as a regional history/historic-site operator in the same Upper Midwest market as the Bong Center. Potential partner or competitor for local history grants and educational tourism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bongvetscenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/BongVetsCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/bongveteranscenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@bongveteranscenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-i-bong-veterans-historical-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center