Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

What Lake Champlain Maritime Museum does

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) is a 501c3 non-profit maritime museum founded in 1985 and headquartered on a 3-acre campus at 4472 Basin Harbor Road in Vergennes, Vermont. It operates seasonally from late May through mid-October, welcoming over 10,000 visitors annually to its exhibits, on-water programs, and educational offerings. The museum functions as the repository for archaeological materials recovered from Lake Champlain shipwrecks, holding collections owned by the State of Vermont and the U.S. Navy, with 932+ canal boat artifacts digitally documented through the CatalogIt platform. Core programmatic offerings include immersive historical exhibits (notably the new Fragments exhibit commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Philadelphia II replica gunboat, and an Underwater Archaeology exhibit), the Champlain Longboats boat-building and rowing flagship, youth camps and teen expeditions, the Giant Lake Champlain Map outreach program, shipwreck tours, lake history cruises, sailing and canoe programs, adult rowing clubs, and an annual Virtual Archaeology Conference. LCMM runs a free admission model for all visitors, supplemented by pay-what-you-can pricing across most paid programs, and distributes revenue across donations, business sponsorships, planned giving, boat donations, rowing club memberships ($175-$250 per season), and program fees ($25-$80 per activity). It also accepts donated boats as tax-deductible 501c3 contributions. Strategic distribution includes a partnership with Whistling Man Schooner Company to run Lake History Cruises from the Burlington waterfront, extending geographic reach beyond the Vergennes campus. The Champlain Longboats program has distributed museum-built boats to external partner rowing clubs, including Hull Lifesaving Museum and Mass Bay Rowing Club, building a multi-institution ecosystem around boat building and rowing heritage.

Name

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Legal name

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Website

https://lcmm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is a 501c3 non-profit maritime museum in Vergennes, Vermont, founded in 1985, that preserves Lake Champlain shipwreck archaeology and delivers free-admission exhibits, boat-building, rowing, sailing, and educational programs to 10,000+ annual visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Maritime museum exhibits
• Underwater archaeology
• Maritime heritage education
• Boat building programs
• On-water tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Vergennes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Free admission for all visitors, supported by donations and sponsorships rather than gate revenue
2. On-Water Tours and Rentals: Shipwreck tours ($25 youth, $45 adult), Lake history cruises ($80), whaleboat rentals ($60), dinghy sailing ($40), and canoe tours generate program revenue
3. Rowing Club Memberships: Seasonal rowing clubs (Rowing for Fitness, Community Rowing, Burlington Rows) at $175 single club or $250 for all three clubs, with pay-what-you-can model
4. Donations and Planned Giving: Individual donations, business sponsorships, and planned giving programs support museum operations
5. Boat Donations: Accepts donated boats (sailboats, powerboats, rowboats, canoes, kayaks) as tax-deductible 501c3 contributions to support educational programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum operates a seasonal (May–October) maritime museum on a 3-acre Vergennes, VT waterfront campus, offering free general admission to historical exhibits (including the Fragments American Revolution exhibit and the Philadelphia II gunboat replica), paid on-water tours (shipwreck tours, lake history cruises, canoe tours, whaleboat and dinghy rentals), educational programs (youth camps, school field trips, rowing clubs, sailing lessons, the Champlain Longboats boat-building program, and the traveling Giant Lake Champlain Map), and underwater archaeology research tied to its stewardship of Lake Champlain shipwreck collections.

Product overview

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum operates as a seasonal museum (May-October) offering a unified portfolio of maritime heritage experiences centered on Lake Champlain. The museum's core offerings include immersive historical exhibits such as the new 'Fragments: Voices of the American Revolution on Lake Champlain' and the replica Revolutionary War gunboat Philadelphia II, complemented by extensive on-water programming including sailing, rowing clubs, canoe tours, and shipwreck tours. Educational initiatives span youth camps, school field trips, the traveling Giant Lake Champlain Map, and the annual Virtual Archaeology Conference. The Champlain Longboats program serves as the flagship boat building and rowing initiative. All programs are provided with free admission, supported by a pay-what-you-can model for on-water activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fragments: Voices of the American Revolution on Lake Champlain Seasonal exhibit exploring the Battle of Lake Champlain during the American Revolution through artifacts, shipwreck archaeology, and immersive storytelling including VR experiences; aimed at general public, schools, and scholars.
• Philadelphia II Full-scale replica Revolutionary War gunboat where visitors explore living and working conditions of soldiers, learn vessel mechanics, and participate in rowing the oars; for general visitors and school groups.
• Champlain Longboats Program Flagship boat building and rowing program offering youth rowing, adult rowing clubs, and boat building education across skill levels; boats built are used by partner clubs regionally.
• Shipwreck Tours Scenic boat tours to historic Lake Champlain shipwreck sites with museum experts, featuring underwater ROV footage and archaeological narrative; ticketed for general public ($25 youth, $45 adult).
• Lake History Cruises Expert-led historical cruises aboard the traditionally-rigged Friendship sloop Friend Ship departing from Burlington waterfront through partnership with Whistling Man Schooner Company; for general adult visitors.
• Sailing Programs On-water sailing experiences including whaleboat sailing, open dinghy sailing, and sailing classes for multiple skill levels on Lake Champlain; for families, youth, and adult enthusiasts.
• Canoe Tours Guided ecological canoe paddles exploring Lake Champlain flora and fauna with no prior experience required; for families and adult visitors.
• Youth Camps and Expeditions Day camps for ages 6–16 and teen expeditions including Champlain Discovery, Expedition Champlain, and Sail Champlain; for parents enrolling children and teens.
• Rowing Clubs Seasonal adult rowing clubs including Rowing for Fitness, Burlington Rows!, and Community Rowing, meeting weekly May through October; subscription-based, pay-what-you-can.
• School Field Trips and Programs Curriculum-aligned educational field trips and programs for K-12 school groups covering maritime history, archaeology, and Lake Champlain ecology.
• Giant Lake Champlain Map 35' by 27' giant interactive map that travels to schools and libraries for hands-on programs on Lake Champlain ecology, history, and archaeology.
• Underwater Archaeology Programs Public-facing underwater archaeology programs including access to Vermont Underwater Historic Preserves for registered divers and archaeological exhibit programming.
• Metal Arts Program Blacksmithing workshops and metal arts educational programming teaching traditional metalworking skills to visitors and participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ annual visitors to museum programs and exhibits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Whistling Man Schooner CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Lake History Cruises departing from Burlington waterfront. Museum staff provide expert-led historical tours on the Friend Ship, a 31' Friendship sloop. Part of each ticket sale goes directly to support museum operations and mission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• South Street Seaport Museum: Urban maritime museum with historic ships, exhibits, and sailing/educational programs. Comparable in blending waterfront preservation, sailing programs, and seasonal programming.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Largest maritime museum in the U.S., combining a historic shipyard, exhibits, and educational sailing/rowing programs. Closest comparable in mission: maritime heritage preservation plus hands-on on-water programming for youth and adults.
• Penobscot Marine Museum: Small-to-mid-sized New England maritime museum with a similar focus on regional shipbuilding heritage, collections, and seasonal operating model.
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Waterfront maritime museum combining historic vessels, hands-on boatbuilding, and educational programming. Comparable scale and the same mix of in-person exhibits, youth programs, and on-water experiences.
• Maine Maritime Museum: Regional maritime museum with a comparable operating model — 501c3, exhibits on regional shipbuilding and naval history, plus boatbuilding programs and on-water excursions. Strong like-for-like operational peer.
• Mariners' Museum and Park: Major maritime heritage institution with significant collections, a research library, and educational programming; useful as a scaled-up comparison for collections-driven programming and donor models.
• Hull Lifesaving Museum: Regional maritime museum and partner of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum's Champlain Longboats program. Comparable in scale, New England regional focus, and reliance on small staff and volunteer-driven programming.
• Independence Seaport Museum: Maritime museum operating historic vessels and offering on-water and educational programs, including youth and adult boating. Comparable integration of museum content with active boating programs.

Regional players

• Eckerd College Dolphin Project / Lake Champlain Basin Program: Regional institution focused on Lake Champlain's natural and cultural resources. Comparable as a Lake Champlain–focused educational nonprofit and natural heritage partner for the museum's ecology and canoe programming.

Emerging players

• Vermont Historical Society: Vermont-wide heritage organization with overlapping interest in Revolutionary-era history relevant to the Fragments exhibit. Comparable as a state-level heritage and education partner rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakechamplainmaritime
• Xx.com/lcmaritime

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Lake Champlain Maritime Museum