Museum of American Finance

What Museum of American Finance does

The Museum of American Finance (MoAF) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum and Smithsonian Institution affiliate founded in 1989 by John Herzog in the wake of the 1987 crash to educate the public about American capital markets and financial history. The museum operates with free admission underwritten by lead sponsors and serves three primary audiences: general public visitors and tourists, students and educators (anchored by the Museum Finance Academy certificate program for high school juniors and seniors), and financial industry professionals attending its 30+ annual lectures, panels, and galas.

Its product surface is anchored by seven exhibits at the new Boston Commonwealth Pier headquarters (opened July 3, 2026): the AI-Generated Alexander Hamilton Experience (built with Fidelity's Center for Applied Technology, supporting dozens of languages), America in Circulation (US paper currency), A Financial Revolution (18th century capital markets), Investing in US Financial History (interactive timeline), Hub of Innovation (Boston/Massachusetts finance), The Future of Finance (blockchain and digital assets), and the Personal Finance Gallery (10 touchscreens). Supplementary revenue and engagement products include Financial History Magazine (quarterly publication, free digital), the Museum Finance Academy, and a digital collections database with more than 13,000 record locators spanning stocks, bonds, currency, and ephemera.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly donation-and-sponsorship-driven: free general admission is underwritten by MassMutual; the Boston headquarters is underwritten by Fidelity, Bitwise, and collector Mark R. Shenkman on a 10-year lease; corporate sponsors (including BNY Mellon, CFA Institute, Protiviti, VanEck, Citadel Securities, BNP Paribas, Moody's, TIAA, ING, and ConsenSys) co-sponsor events; a $50/year Membership and a $150/year Membership Plus (with NARM and Smithsonian reciprocity) provide token recurring revenue; and major galas (a 2024 gala raised $1.5M from Wall Street leaders) anchor annual fundraising. The museum does not sell tickets and does not monetize content directly.

Name

Museum of American Finance

Legal name

Museum of American Finance

Website

https://moaf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Museum of American Finance is an independent nonprofit Smithsonian-affiliate museum that educates the public about American financial history through free-admission exhibits, the Museum Finance Academy for high school students, public events, and Financial History Magazine, now based in Boston's Commonwealth Pier.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Education Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Financial history education
• Museum exhibits
• Financial literacy programs
• Capital markets history
• Interactive learning experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Corporate Support: The museum receives financial support from corporate sponsors including Fidelity, Bitwise, MassMutual, Mark R. Shenkman, and various financial institutions for its exhibits and programs.
2. Membership Program: MoAF Events Membership ($50 per year) includes free admission to programs, lectures, walking tours. MoAF Events Plus Membership ($150) adds guest tickets, NARM museum access, and Smithsonian membership.
3. Museum Finance Academy: Free financial education programs for high school juniors and seniors, with scholarship opportunities.
4. Financial History Magazine: Quarterly magazine publication, the definitive voice of American financial history, available in digital edition for free.
5. Events and Programs: Public events including lectures, panel discussions, conferences, walking tours, and galas that may generate revenue through sponsorships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Museum of American Finance is an independent nonprofit museum that educates the public through interactive exhibits, financial literacy programs, public events, and a quarterly magazine focused on American financial history and capital markets. It operates seven inaugural exhibits at its Boston Commonwealth Pier location, delivers the Museum Finance Academy certificate program for high school students, and publishes Financial History Magazine.

Product overview

The Museum of American Finance is a physical museum institution (not a software product) operating as a Smithsonian affiliate, offering educational exhibits and programs focused on American financial history. The core offerings include seven permanent/temporary exhibits at its Boston Commonwealth Pier location (Alexander Hamilton Experience, America in Circulation, A Financial Revolution, Investing in US Financial History, Hub of Innovation, The Future of Finance, and Personal Finance), the Museum Finance Academy educational program, Financial History Magazine publication, public events/lectures, and a digital collections database with over 13,000 record locators. The museum is free to the public and serves as the nation's only independent museum dedicated to finance and financial history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Financial History Magazine: The museum's quarterly magazine and the definitive publication for the history of commerce and the development of American capital markets.
• Museum Finance Academy (MFA)

Products and services

• Alexander Hamilton Experience Interactive museum exhibit featuring an AI-generated version of Alexander Hamilton that answers visitor questions about finance and historical topics in dozens of languages, including rare artifacts such as his Report on the Public Credit.
• Museum Finance Academy (MFA) Free financial literacy certificate program for high school juniors and seniors, featuring an 8-week personal finance curriculum, boot camps, and merit scholarships for top achievers.
• Financial History Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission eliminates barriers to financial education for all visitors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• FidelityflagshipTechnology or Integration · 2 July 2026Lead sponsor of the museum's new Boston headquarters. Fidelity's Center for Applied Technology developed the AI version of Alexander Hamilton for the museum's interactive exhibit.
• Smithsonian InstitutionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution since 2001. This enables the museum to borrow from the Smithsonian's collection extensively and utilize the Smithsonian affiliate branding.
• New York Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 'Investing A to Z' virtual series and other educational programs.
• CheddarcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly video and interview series featuring C-Suite executives from across the financial industry. Videos featured on museum's YouTube channel and across social media platforms.
• ProtivitiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of cryptocurrency market panel discussions and events.
• VanEckminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of cryptocurrency market panel discussions.
• INGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored blockchain and cryptocurrency events at the museum.
• ConsenSysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlockchain technology company whose founder Joseph Lubin participated in museum events on blockchain technology.
• InvestopediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored blockchain and cryptocurrency educational events.
• Fordham University Gabelli School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for the Gabelli Center for Global Security Analysis. Joint sponsorship of events, lectures, and educational programs.
• Citadel SecuritiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of SPAC panel discussions and events.
• Vinson & ElkinsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of SPAC panel discussions.
• TIAAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of 'Democratizing Finance' FinTech panel.
• BNP ParibasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of corporate sustainability panel programs.
• Moody'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsor of corporate sustainability panel programs.
• NYC Department of Records and Information ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Ebb & Flow' exhibit on NYC water history. Exhibit explored the connection between the Manhattan Company (predecessor to JPMorgan Chase) and NYC water infrastructure.
• Heritage WerkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on digital exhibit commemorating Nasdaq's 50th anniversary, showcasing artifacts and stories representing the history of Nasdaq and financial technology evolution.
• Scripophily.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free stock certificates for museum tours and educational programs.
• Ric EdelmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurated the cryptocurrency exhibit at the museum, predicting blockchain adoption within 10-15 years.
• CFA InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark J. Higgins recognized as one of approximately three dozen 'Voices of Influence' by the CFA Institute's Research and Policy Center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston - The Fed Experience: Located in the same Boston metro and focused on U.S. monetary and financial systems education, the Fed Experience is a comparable, though smaller, public-facing exhibit on financial and economic topics.
• New-York Historical Society: A New York-based independent museum combining American history with curated exhibits, financial-themed galleries, and educational programming — closely analogous to MoAF's historic content-library model.
• Museum of the American Revolution: An independent, single-topic U.S. history museum in Philadelphia that combines an artifact-driven collection with educational programming and corporate sponsorship — a strong operational analog to MoAF.
• National Constitution Center: A nonprofit, civics-focused museum in Philadelphia offering exhibits and educational programming on foundational U.S. documents — closely aligned with MoAF's mission of educating the public on foundational American institutions.
• International Spy Museum: An independent, single-subject museum that relocated (from D.C. to a new flagship facility), built an interactive experience-based model, and relies on corporate sponsorships — directly comparable to MoAF's recent Boston move and free-admission model.

Broad incumbents

• National WWII Museum: A much larger, well-capitalized single-subject U.S. history museum that has built a national profile through major exhibits, events, and donor cultivation — a comparable scale benchmark for MoAF's growth trajectory.
• Strong National Museum of Play: An independent, single-topic museum that combines large-scale interactive exhibits with educational programming and corporate sponsorship — a useful peer for MoAF's interactive AI Hamilton exhibit strategy.
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: A large, donor-supported, single-topic museum in New York combining a signature artifact/venue with educational programs and corporate sponsorships — a comparable operational archetype for MoAF's combination of artifacts, exhibits, and sponsorship funding.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: The Smithsonian's flagship U.S. history museum, with which MoAF has affiliate borrowing access; provides a category anchor and the closest institutional counterpart for content and educational programming comparisons.

Regional players

• Federal Hall National Memorial (National Park Service): Operated by the NPS at the historic 26 Wall Street site, it presents free exhibits on early American financial history — overlapping with MoAF's content focus but free, government-operated, and smaller in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/financemuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/FinanceMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/FinanceMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museum-of-american-finance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Museum of American Finance