Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

What Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg does

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit art museum founded in 1965 by Margaret Acheson Stuart and located on the downtown waterfront at 255 Beach Drive NE in St. Petersburg, Florida. It operates one of the largest comprehensive art collections in Florida, spanning nearly 5,000 years of civilization across thousands of objects — including works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Rodin, Kehinde Wiley, and Jacob Lawrence — alongside significant holdings in Greek/Roman, Asian, African, Native American, and photographic art. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and serves general visitors, tourists, families, K-12 and college students, art patrons, corporate event clients, and teen audiences through rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and an active events calendar.

The institution runs a diversified revenue model. Ticketed admission ($24 adult / $19 senior-military-educator-student / $12 youth / free for children 6 and under, MFA members, SNAP EBT cardholders via Museums for All, Bank of America cardholders via Museums on Us, and military families via Blue Star Museums) is supplemented by a tiered annual membership program (Student $40 through Dual $125, Family $150, Friend $250, Supporter $500, Sustainer $1,000) and a Visionaries philanthropic track extending from Ambassador ($2,500) to Legend ($100,000). Additional revenue streams include private event rentals across multiple venues (Marly Room ballroom, McClendon Conservatory, Membership Garden, Sculpture Garden, North Straub Park), on-site Café Clémentine and MFA Shop retail, group tours, and donations/grants.

Technologically, the museum leans on a small number of third-party platforms: the Bloomberg Connects mobile app for a free digital guide with audio tours, video content, and accessibility features; Blackbaud for online ticketing, membership, and donations; and ParkMobile for parking. Digital engagement is supplemented by email newsletters and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn). The museum is currently executing a multi-year 'Art Unbound' campus transformation initiative and will host its inaugural fundraising gala in March 2027.

Name

Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

Legal name

Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

Website

https://mfastpete.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg is a 501(c)(3) AAM-accredited art museum on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, operating a comprehensive collection spanning nearly 5,000 years and serving general visitors, families, students, members, and event clients through exhibitions, memberships, educational programs, private event rentals, and a multi-tier Visionaries giving program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum and Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Art Dealers (459920)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Museums (THAJADAA), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Art museum exhibitions
• Art education programs
• Museum venue rentals
• Museum membership programs
• Art collection stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Revenue: Ticket sales for museum admission with tiered pricing for adults, seniors, military, educators, students, and youth. Children 6 and under admitted free. Additional revenue from Art After Dark evening events.
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships at multiple tiers (Individual $75, Dual $125, Family $150, Friend $250, Supporter $500, Sustainer $1,000, Student $40) with Visionaries levels starting at $2,500. Includes reciprocal benefits with partner museums.
3. Private Event Rentals: Venue rentals for weddings, receptions, corporate events, and private parties. Catering provided exclusively through Constellation Culinary Group. Spaces include Marly Room, Mary Alice McClendon Conservatory, Membership Garden, Sculpture Garden, and North Straub Park.
4. Retail and Food Service: On-site MFA Shop selling books, jewelry, artisan pieces, toys, and gifts. Café Clementine offering fresh, seasonal dining with 15% member discount. Both contribute to museum revenue while enhancing visitor experience.
5. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, the museum relies on charitable contributions, annual fund, planned giving, and sponsorship programs. The inaugural MFA Gala scheduled for March 2027 represents a major fundraising event.
6. Group Tours: Student group tours ($6/student K-12, $12/college), adult self-guided groups ($18/person for 15+), and docent-led private tours ($18/person + $50 docent fee). Revenue from school and community group visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg operates a comprehensive art museum offering public access to a global collection spanning nearly 5,000 years of civilization, including Greek/Roman, Asian, African, Native American, and American art, alongside photography. It provides rotating exhibitions, educational programs for all ages, on-site dining and retail amenities, private event venue rentals, and tiered annual memberships supported by philanthropic giving as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution.

Product overview

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg operates as a cultural institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of art experiences and services. The core product is its global art collection spanning nearly 5,000 years of civilization with exhibitions and programs. The museum complements this with the Bloomberg Connects digital guide mobile app for virtual/enhanced on-site experiences, educational programming across all ages, dining (Café Clementine) and retail (MFA Shop) amenities, private event venue rentals, and tiered membership programs (Individual through Legend Visionaries levels) providing exclusive access and benefits. The institution generates revenue through admission fees, memberships, event rentals, café/shop sales, and philanthropic giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art Exhibitions and Collections Core museum offering featuring a global collection of art spanning nearly 5,000 years of civilization, including works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Auguste Rodin, Kehinde Wiley, and Jacob Lawrence, plus ancient Greek/Roman, Asian, African, Art of the Americas, and Native American art. Available to the general public through museum admission.
• Café Clementine
• MFA Shop
• Private Event Rentals
• MFA Membership
• MFA Visionaries
• Bloomberg Connects Digital Guide
• Educational Programs
• Group Tours
• Affinity Groups
• Art in Bloom

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission for SNAP EBT cardholders through Museums for All program (up to 4 individuals per card)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Constellation Culinary GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive catering partner for all private events at the museum. Provides custom menu development and on-site catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private rentals.
• Bank of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in Museums on Us program providing complimentary general admission to Bank of America, Merrill, and Bank of America Private Bank cardholders on the first full weekend of each month.
• National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, Department of DefensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in Blue Star Museums program offering complimentary admission to active-duty military and their families from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
• Museums for All / Institute of Museum and Library ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNAP EBT cardholders receive free admission (up to 4 individuals per card) as part of the Museums for All initiative supporting access to culture for low-income families.
• Pinellas Public Library Cooperative and Pasco County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree family admission passes available for checkout at PPLC member libraries, providing community access to the museum's collections and exhibitions.
• Bloomberg ConnectscoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital guide platform provider enabling the museum to offer free multimedia content including audio tours, video, and accessibility features through a mobile app.
• USF Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutism Friendly Business partnership providing sensory objects, guides, and specialized programming for visitors with autism and related disabilities.
• Tampa Bay Watch Discovery CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative programming partner for Art & Nature Sunset Tours combining art exploration with environmental education and boating experiences.
• Tampa Museum of Art, The James Museum, The Dalí Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, Imagine Museum, FloridaRAMA, St. Petersburg Museum of HistorycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum reciprocal admission partners providing MFA members complimentary access to regional cultural institutions on a rotating monthly schedule.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Orlando Museum of Art: Mid-sized AAM-accredited art museum in Orlando, FL. Comparable scope and programming (collection, exhibitions, school tours, event rentals, memberships) serving a Florida regional audience.
• The Ringling: Art museum complex in Sarasota, FL (Ringling Museum of Art, circus museum, historic estate). Operates comparable revenue mix (admissions, membership, event rentals, café) at a similar Florida regional scale.
• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM): Modern and contemporary art museum in Miami with comparable size, AAM accreditation, membership tiers, and event rental business model. Comparable operating structure across Florida though different metro.

Direct peers

• Florida Holocaust Museum: History/heritage museum in St. Petersburg, FL. Reciprocal admission partner and competitor for group tours, school field trips, and event rentals in the same downtown market.
• Tampa Museum of Art: Regional contemporary art museum located across Tampa Bay in Tampa, FL. Direct competitor for visitors, members, and donors in the same metropolitan market; lists MFA as a reciprocity partner.
• The Dalí Museum: Single-artist (Salvador Dalí) museum in St. Petersburg, FL, just blocks from MFA. Competes for tourist traffic, premium memberships, and major gifts in the same downtown cultural corridor.
• Imagine Museum: St. Petersburg-based contemporary glass art museum and reciprocal membership partner. Competes for niche art tourists, collector donors, and event bookings in the same city.
• St. Petersburg Museum of History: Local history museum in downtown St. Petersburg. Listed as reciprocal partner; competes for tourist admission, school group visits, and event rental income in the same waterfront district.
• The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art: Specialty art museum in downtown St. Petersburg focused on Western and wildlife art. Reciprocal partner and direct competitor for local cultural tourism and member households.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: One of the world's largest encyclopedic art museums, also AAM-accredited. Similar name/mission and operational model (admissions, membership tiers, events, café, shop) but at vastly greater scale; benchmark for programming and donor development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MoFAStPete
• Facebookfacebook.com/MFAStPete
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mfastpete
• Instagraminstagram.com/mfastpete
• Xx.com/MFAStPete

Compliance4 records

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 Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg