DuPage Children's Museum

What DuPage Children's Museum does

DuPage Children's Museum (DCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum established in 1987 and headquartered at 301 N Washington St, Naperville, Illinois. The museum operates hands-on interactive exhibits and educational programs designed for children ages 0-10 and their families, with a core focus on STEAM learning through play. Its permanent exhibit portfolio includes AWEsome Energy (air, water, and electricity), Make It Move (physics of motion), The Questioneers (a licensed exhibit based on Andrea Beaty and David Roberts' book series), Construction House, and other themed neighborhoods. The museum also produces two traveling exhibits, The Questioneers and ABC: Awesome Black Creativity, which are licensed to other children's museums and libraries for $12,000 per 12-week rental.

DCM runs a diversified revenue model combining recurring memberships (four tiers at $175-$500 annually), one-time admission fees, summer camps, Scout STEAM Labs, school field trips, birthday parties, private events, on-site retail (Explorer Store), and a third-party-operated cafe (Bean Sprouts). It also generates philanthropic revenue through donations and year-end giving campaigns, supported by the Blackbaud donor platform. The museum reaches beyond its physical site through DCM Wonder Clubs (452 active), Exhibits-To-Go portable programs, and Museum PopUps delivered to local schools, libraries, and community organizations within a roughly 20-mile radius.

The organization operates primarily through community-led go-to-market, relying on word-of-mouth, school and library partnerships, scout troop engagement, and digital channels (website, Facebook, Instagram, email) to drive visitation and memberships. It is a member of the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) Reciprocal Network, extending member benefits to peer institutions nationwide. No subsidiaries, parent company, or external equity funding is evidenced; the museum is governed independently as a nonprofit.

Name

DuPage Children's Museum

Legal name

DuPage Children's Museum

Website

https://dupagechildrens.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DuPage Children's Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Naperville, Illinois operating hands-on STEAM exhibits, educational programs, and traveling exhibits for children ages 0-10, families, schools, and scouts, funded through memberships, admissions, programs, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual family memberships sold at multiple tiers (DCM Child $175, Family Play $220, Family Circle $250, Impact $500) providing unlimited visits and member benefits.
2. General Admission: One-time admission fees for museum visitors, with pricing tiers for individuals and families.
3. Birthday Parties and Private Events: Venue rental for parties with current promotions of 20-30% off summer parties.
4. Summer Camps and Programs: Tinkering camps and educational programs for children, including scout STEAM labs ($20-25 per scout).
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold through Clover e-commerce platform and physical gift cards sold in-person or by phone.
6. Explorer Store Retail: On-site retail store selling toys, books, puzzles, and DCM merchandise. Items range from $1.95 to $54.99.
7. Bean Sprouts Cafe: On-site cafe operated by Bean Sprouts offering food and beverages to visitors.
8. School and Group Programs: Field trips, STEM programs, museum popups, exhibits-to-go, and educator resources for schools and libraries.
9. Traveling Exhibits Licensing: Traveling exhibits including The Questioneers (1,500-2,500 sq ft, $12,000 for 12 weeks) and ABC: Awesome Black Creativity (500+ sq ft) licensed to other institutions.
10. Donations and Year-End Giving: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and corporate donors, with matching gift campaigns (up to $60,000 matched).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DuPage Children's Museum operates a hands-on, play-based learning facility for children ages 0-10, featuring permanent interactive exhibits focused on STEAM concepts, and delivers structured educational programs including summer camps, scout STEAM labs, field trips, and Wonder Clubs. The museum also licenses proprietary traveling exhibits (The Questioneers and ABC: Awesome Black Creativity) to other children's museums and libraries, and operates on-site amenities including the Bean Sprouts Cafe and Explorer Store retail.

Product overview

DuPage Children's Museum operates as a unified platform offering hands-on learning experiences for children ages 0-10. The museum's core portfolio includes permanent interactive exhibits (AWEsome Energy, Make It Move, The Questioneers, Construction House), educational programs (Summer Camp, Scout STEAM Labs, Field Trips, DCM Wonder Clubs, Exhibits-To-Go), and on-site amenities (Bean Sprouts Cafe, Explorer Store). The museum supplements its physical experience with gift cards and membership programs that provide ongoing access and benefits. Additionally, the museum offers traveling exhibits (The Questioneers and ABC: Awesome Black Creativity) that allow other institutions to host its proprietary content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AWEsome Energy Exhibit Interactive exhibit neighborhood exploring forces that power the world through three integrated sections covering air, water, and electricity. Children experience cause and effect by changing variables and working collaboratively to experiment and create solutions.
• Make It Move Exhibit Physics-based exhibit where children roll, bounce, slide, and spin objects to discover the energy of motion. Develops skills in science, mathematics, art, motor development, and language through hands-on exploration.
• The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY! STEAM-based exhibit featuring characters from Andrea Beaty's book series. Children engage in engineering, science, architecture, art, and leadership activities while learning about creativity, curiosity, bravery, and resilience. Bilingual with signs in English and Spanish.
• Construction House Interactive space where children use real tools to design and build, learning to overcome obstacles and adjust their approach when things don't work the first time.
• Summer Camp Week-long camp programs for children that immerse them in problem-solving adventures where they develop a failure-positive mindset through hands-on tinkering and experimentation activities.
• Scout STEAM Labs Hands-on STEAM programs for Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Lion, Tiger, and Webelos scouts that spark curiosity, support open-ended making and tinkering, and promote critical thinking. Each 60-minute lab includes materials and museum exploration time. Members $20/scout, non-members $25/scout.
• Field Trips School group visits and educational programs that include hands-on labs and programming designed to spark curiosity and promote critical thinking through interactive museum experiences.
• DCM Wonder Clubs Extended learning programs that bring problem-solving experiences beyond the museum walls to children who might otherwise miss these opportunities. The program has reached 452 Wonder Clubs.
• Exhibits-To-Go Portable exhibit experiences that bring museum-quality hands-on learning to schools, libraries, and community organizations.
• Birthday Parties and Private Events Venue rental for birthday parties and private events, with seasonal promotions of 20-30% off summer parties.
• Bean Sprouts Cafe On-site hip and healthy cafe offering a variety of food choices suitable for picky eaters and those with allergies or dietary challenges.
• Explorer Store On-site retail store offering unique, creative, and playful items including toys, books, puzzles, and small gift items priced from $1.95 to $54.99. DCM members receive 10% off all purchases.
• The Questioneers Traveling Exhibit Traveling version of the museum's flagship Questioneers exhibit. Size requirement: 1,500-2,500 sq. ft. Available for booking at $12,000 for 12 weeks plus inbound shipping.
• ABC: Awesome Black Creativity Traveling Exhibit Interactive traveling exhibit featuring LEGO brick-built figurines celebrating Black creativity across history and disciplines. Bilingual (English and Spanish), modular, minimum 500 square feet. Licensed at $12,000 for 12 weeks plus inbound shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• 452 DCM Wonder Clubs extending reach beyond museum walls
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Richard DrydencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creator of ABC: Awesome Black Creativity traveling exhibit, providing content writing for figurines celebrating Black creatives across disciplines.
• Dave KaletacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEGO brick builder who constructed the 26+ figurines for ABC: Awesome Black Creativity exhibit, creating the visual representation of Black creatives.
• Andrea BeatycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthor of The Questioneers book series featuring Ada Twist, Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck, Sofia Valdez, and Aaron Slater. DCM licensed content and developed exhibit around characters.
• David RobertscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrator of The Questioneers book series. DCM developed traveling exhibit based on the book series featuring his distinctive character illustrations.
• ACM (Association of Children's Museums)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDCM offers ACM Reciprocal Network Benefits with membership, providing 50% general admission for up to 6 people at participating institutions nationwide.
• Local Schools and LibrariesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with local schools, libraries, and scout organizations for field trips, Wonder Clubs, and educational programming.
• Bean SproutsminorOthersOn-site hip and healthy cafe operated by Bean Sprouts, offering variety of food choices including options for picky eaters and those with allergies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boston Children's Museum: Long-established nonprofit children's museum offering hands-on exhibits, membership programs, and educational outreach. Closely comparable in mission, programming, and ACM Reciprocal Network membership.
• Discovery Children's Museum: Las Vegas-based children's museum with STEAM-focused interactive exhibits and traveling exhibit offerings. Comparable in exhibit-licensing business model and target demographic.
• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum focused on hands-on learning through play for young children. Comparable in educational philosophy, exhibit-based learning approach, and nonprofit membership model.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The largest children's museum in the world, operating hands-on exhibits and educational programs. Directly comparable as a nonprofit children's museum targeting similar age ranges with STEAM programming and traveling exhibits.
• Kohl Children's Museum: Children's museum in Glenview, IL serving the northern Chicago suburbs. Highly comparable given proximity to DuPage County, similar target demographic (children 0-10), and shared Chicago-area school/scout outreach.
• The Magic House: St. Louis-based nonprofit children's museum offering hands-on interactive exhibits and educational programs. Comparable in mission, age focus, and community partnership model.
• Children's Museum of Houston: Major nonprofit children's museum offering interactive exhibits and bilingual programming. Comparable in STEAM focus, school field trip programs, and tiered family memberships.
• Chicago Children's Museum: Regional children's museum serving the Chicago metropolitan area with interactive exhibits and educational programs. Comparable as a Midwestern children's museum with membership tiers and school outreach.

Others

• Association of Children's Museums (ACM): Industry association that operates the ACM Reciprocal Network referenced in DCM's membership tiers. Comparable as an ecosystem partner and channel that extends DCM's membership value nationwide.

Broad incumbents

• Mid-America Science Museum: Regional science museum with hands-on exhibits and educational programming. Comparable in STEAM educational mission and school group offerings, though broader in scope and audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DCMFanPage
• Instagraminstagram.com/dupagechildrens
• Xx.com/DuPageChildrens

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 DuPage Children's Museum