National Liberty Museum
The National Liberty Museum is a nonprofit Philadelphia museum operating four floors of liberty-themed exhibitions, civic education programs (LEAP, Young Heroes), adult social events, and venue rentals, serving families, school groups, tourists, and corporate clients from a historic Old City location.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Liberty Museum does
The National Liberty Museum is a nonprofit museum founded in 2001 and headquartered at 321 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia's historic Old City, adjacent to Independence National Historical Park. It operates as the only museum in Philadelphia dedicated exclusively to the concept of liberty, offering four floors of exhibitions, interactive installations, and civic-themed programming including the Dale Chihuly "Flame of Liberty" sculpture as a centerpiece. Core products and programs include rotating exhibition series (the "Year of Free Speech" 2024-2025 and "The Forgotten Freedom: American Assembly at 250" in 2026), education initiatives such as the LEAP (Learning & Engagement Across Perspectives) curriculum for grades 4-8 and the Young Heroes/Teacher as Hero Awards, recurring adult social events (Liberty Hour, Tavern Tours, Third Thursdays, NLM After Hours, The Great American Tailgate), and facility rentals for private and corporate events. The technology stack is a standard small-museum SaaS composition: Blackbaud-powered online ticketing, a WordPress CMS-driven website, Constant Contact for email, HubSpot and Muse for CRM, with a single unsupported claim of "AI-powered exhibition technologies" embedded in interactive visitor experiences.
Revenue is diversified across seven streams: general admission ($6-$12 tiered), individual memberships ($70-$300 annually), corporate memberships ($1,000-$50,000 across five tiers), venue rentals, ticketed special events ($10-$150), donations/institutional giving, and museum shop retail. Pricing is published and consistent across tiers, with Pay-What-You-Wish Second Sundays serving as an accessibility lever. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the museum's own physical site and online storefront, supplemented by an Old City business partnership network (Campos Deli, Cuba Libre, Franklin Fountain, etc.), reciprocal admission agreements with 250+ North American museums, and earned media (e.g., 6abc coverage). A dedicated Venue Sales & Marketing Manager handles group bookings and corporate event rentals.
The museum employs approximately 11-50 staff (visible directory suggests ~20), is governed by an independent board with no parent company, and is led since January 2022 by Dr. Alaine K. Arnott, the first non-family CEO in its history. Recent strategic activity includes an NEH-funded podcast launch (January 2026, $100,000 grant), strategic content partnerships with FIRE and PEN America on the Free Speech exhibition series, and active corporate partnership development. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in the supplied material, limiting precise financial assessment.
National Liberty Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Liberty Museum
- Legal name
- National Liberty Museum
- Website
- https://libertymuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The National Liberty Museum is a nonprofit Philadelphia museum operating four floors of liberty-themed exhibitions, civic education programs (LEAP, Young Heroes), adult social events, and venue rentals, serving families, school groups, tourists, and corporate clients from a historic Old City location.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Liberty Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Museum & Civic Education Services
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- History Museums (THAJADAB), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
Keywords
Where National Liberty Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Liberty Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to access museum exhibitions and galleries. Ticket prices vary by age group with discounts for seniors, students, and youth.
- Individual & Family Memberships: Annual membership programs offering free admission, guest passes, discounts, and exclusive access to events. Tiers range from $70 (Ace) to $300 (Ambassador) annually.
- Corporate Memberships: Corporate partnership tiers from Patron ($1,000) to Paramount ($50,000) providing employee admission benefits, recognition, and private tour access.
- Venue Rentals & Facility Use: The museum generates revenue through facility rentals for private events, corporate functions, and group bookings, managed by a dedicated Venue Sales & Marketing Manager.
- Special Event Tickets: Revenue from ticketed special events including Liberty Hour ($10-$20), Tavern Tours ($34), and The Great American Tailgate ($76-$150), with VIP options available.
- Donations & Institutional Giving: Tax-deductible contributions from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation partners supporting programs and operations.
- Museum Shop: Retail merchandise sales including local art and Philadelphia-inspired items, with discounts offered to members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Adults |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Seniors (65+) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Students |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Youth (ages 6-17) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children Under 5 |
| Subscription | Annual | Museum Members |
| Subscription | Annual | Ace Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Ally Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Advocate Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Ambassador Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Patron |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Partner |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Principal |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Premier |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Paramount |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Liberty Hour |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Tavern Tours |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | The Great American Tailgate |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-What-You-Wish Second Sunday |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
National Liberty Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The National Liberty Museum operates a four-floor museum in Philadelphia's Old City, offering admission-based access to rotating exhibitions (such as The Forgotten Freedom: American Assembly at 250), permanent art installations (e.g., Dale Chihuly's Flame of Liberty), and educational programs including the LEAP civic learning curriculum for grades 4-8. The museum also generates revenue through tiered individual and corporate memberships, ticketed special events (Liberty Hour, Tavern Tours, The Great American Tailgate), venue rentals for private events, and donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Product overview
The National Liberty Museum is a nonprofit museum in Philadelphia offering a unified visitor experience centered on exhibits, educational programming, and special events. The core product is its exhibition series (The Forgotten Freedom: American Assembly at 250, comprising sub-exhibits like 'Showing Up Since 1776' and 'In the Arena: Sports & Assembly'), supplemented by permanent installations like the Dale Chihuly Flame of Liberty sculpture. The museum offers education programs including LEAP (Learning & Engagement Across Perspectives) for students, youth awards programs, and teacher recognition. Public programming includes Liberty Hour social events, Tavern Tours historical walking tours, Third Thursdays 21+ events, Speaker Series, and the annual Great American Tailgate. The museum also provides venue rentals for private events and membership programs at various tiers. Special exhibitions like 'Word Powered: Exploring Free Speech Through Art' are part of the Year of Free Speech initiative examining First Amendment rights through the past, present, and future lens.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Forgotten Freedom: American Assembly at 250
- Word Powered: Exploring Free Speech Through Art
- Free Speech: Our Right, Our Responsibility
- Flame of Liberty by Dale Chihuly
- Tavern Tours
- Liberty Hour
- The Great American Tailgate
- LEAP (Learning & Engagement Across Perspectives)
- Young Heroes Awards
- Teacher as Hero Awards
- Speaker Series
- Venue Rentals
- Membership Programs
- Museum Shop
- NEH-Funded Podcast on Liberty and Civic Dialogue
Quantifiable outcome
- Free admission for children under 5 and members
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use National Liberty Museum
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
National Liberty Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
National Liberty Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Old City Partner BusinessesminorLocal Old City businesses including Campos Deli, Cuba Libre Restaurant, Philly Magic Tours, Franklin Fountain, Lamberti Pizza Market, Lores Chocolates, Little Susie's, Positano Coast, Shane Candy Company, and Succession Fermentory offer 10% discounts to NLM members, creating mutual cross-promotional benefits.
- FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)coreFIRE serves as an advisory partner for The Year of Free Speech exhibition series, providing expertise on free speech issues and First Amendment rights. Talia Barnes from FIRE served as a juror for the Word Powered exhibition.
- PEN AmericacoreKasey Meehan, Freedom to Read Program Director at PEN America, serves as an advisor for the Free Speech exhibition series, contributing expertise on censorship and freedom of expression topics.
- WawacoreWawa Welcome America Festival partnership providing free museum days as part of the city-wide Independence Week celebration, including Wawa Free Museum Day.
- Roger Scruton Legacy FoundationminorFisher Derderian, Founder and Executive Director of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, served as a juror for the Word Powered exhibition on free speech and expression.
- First Person ArtsminorDanielle Marino, Director of Programming at First Person Arts, served as a juror for the Word Powered exhibition, contributing perspectives on personal storytelling and expression.
- Philanthropy RoundtableminorNLM's CEO contributed a guest post examining the shifting landscape of museum leadership amid ideological tensions and funding pressures, published by Philanthropy Roundtable.
- Man Full of Trouble TavernminorThe oldest standing tavern building in Philadelphia serves as the endpoint for Tavern Tours, a revenue-generating program combining history education with social experiences.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
National Liberty Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Museum of American Jewish History: Old City Philadelphia museum focused on American civic and immigration history. Direct peer in location, audience (tourists, school groups, members), and civic/heritage programmatic framing.
- National Constitution Center: Philadelphia-based civic and constitutional museum located steps from NLM on Independence Mall. Directly comparable as a paid civic-education museum competing for the same tourist, school-group, and corporate-event audiences.
- Museum of the American Revolution: Philadelphia history museum focused on the Revolutionary era, located in Old City. Closely comparable in mission (American civic/heritage themes), audience (tourists, schools, families), and pricing model.
- African American Museum in Philadelphia: Philadelphia cultural museum with a civic-rights and liberty-adjacent thematic focus. Comparable as a paid, mid-sized civic museum competing for similar tourist, school, and corporate audiences in the same metro.
- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site: Philadelphia historic site and museum with rotating contemporary-art installations (e.g., artist cells). Comparable as a paid, programmatically innovative historic site in Philadelphia that blends history with contemporary art and event programming.
- Philadelphia History Museum: Philadelphia civic museum operated by the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent. Comparable in scale, mission (civic identity), and audience within the same metro as NLM.
Broad incumbents
- The Franklin Institute: Larger Philadelphia science and education museum. Overlaps with NLM on K-12 school-group and family audience, special exhibitions, and venue rentals, but at substantially greater scale and brand recognition.
- Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology): Philadelphia university-affiliated museum with rotating special exhibitions. Comparable on exhibitions, K-12 programming, and membership programs, though at a much larger scale and broader thematic footprint.
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History: National flagship museum covering American civic and cultural history. Comparable on thematic mission (liberty, civic identity) and educational programming, though at vastly greater scale, brand, and zero-cost admission.
Others
- Independence Hall / Independence National Historical Park (NPS): Free federal heritage site adjacent to NLM in Old City. Not a paying competitor in the traditional sense, but the dominant substitute for civic-heritage tourism in Philadelphia that NLM must differentiate against.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Liberty Museum social profiles
Digital presenceNational Liberty Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Liberty Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
National Liberty Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Liberty Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Liberty Museum
What does National Liberty Museum do?
The National Liberty Museum operates a four-floor museum in Philadelphia's Old City, offering admission-based access to rotating exhibitions (such as The Forgotten Freedom: American Assembly at 250), permanent art installations (e.g., Dale Chihuly's Flame of Liberty), and educational programs including the LEAP civic learning curriculum for grades 4-8. The museum also generates revenue through tiered individual and corporate memberships, ticketed special events (Liberty Hour, Tavern Tours, The Great American Tailgate), venue rentals for private events, and donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Is National Liberty Museum a public or private company?
National Liberty Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Liberty Museum founded?
National Liberty Museum was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is National Liberty Museum based?
National Liberty Museum is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Liberty Museum make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. General Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are individual & Family Memberships, corporate Memberships, venue Rentals & Facility Use, special Event Tickets, donations & Institutional Giving and museum Shop.
Who are National Liberty Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Museum of American Jewish History, National Constitution Center, Museum of the American Revolution, African American Museum in Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and Philadelphia History Museum. Broad incumbents are The Franklin Institute, Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) and Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Independence Hall / Independence National Historical Park (NPS) is listed as an others.
Does National Liberty Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Liberty Museum.
What industry is National Liberty Museum in?
National Liberty Museum's product category is Cultural Museum & Civic Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty), with a secondary code of THAJADAB, History Museums. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.