Calvert Marine Museum
The Calvert Marine Museum is a Calvert County, Maryland-operated public maritime museum serving Southern Maryland residents and visitors with estuarine biology, maritime history, and paleontology exhibits, historic vessels, educational programs, and ticketed events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSolomons, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Calvert Marine Museum does
The Calvert Marine Museum is a public, county-operated maritime museum located at 14200 Solomons Island Road in Solomons, Maryland, serving the residents and visitors of Southern Maryland (Calvert County). It is a function of Calvert County Government rather than a privately held company, with staff email addresses on the @calvertcountymd.gov domain. The museum is organized around three thematic pillars — Estuarine Biology, Maritime History, and Paleontology — and is designated Maryland's State Paleontology Center. Its campus includes permanent galleries (Estuarine Biology, Maritime History, Discovery Room, Paleontology, Mezzanine Changing Exhibit), outdoor features (Marsh Walk, Wood Carving & Model Boat Showroom), historic structures (1883 Drum Point Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse, reconstructed 1930s Lore Oyster House), and historic vessels including the National Historic Landmark passenger-carrying oyster buy-boat Wm. B. Tennison (built 1899) and the Dee of St. Mary's skipjack.
The institution serves a diversified audience spanning families with young children, K-9 school groups, summer campers, cruise passengers, concertgoers, members, donors, and lifelong learners, with programs including Sea Squirts & Little Minnows, CMM Camps, Fossil Field Experience, FrogWatch citizen science, Family Fun Fridays, Toy Boatbuilding, and the Night at the Museum for Friends with Disabilities accessibility program. It also runs the annual Patuxent River Appreciation Day (PRAD, since 1978), Otter Trot 5K, OtterMania, Solomons Maritime Festival, Sharkfest, Solomons Christmas Walk, and the Maritime Performance Series at the Waterside Pavilion.
The museum's technology stack is conventional and SaaS-based: the website runs on CivicPlus CMS with CivicPlus Identity Server (SSO via Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft 365), ticketing via Etix, program registration via DoubleKnot, donations and membership via DonorPerfect, race registration via RunSignUp, and YouTube for hosted lecture recordings and live otter cams. Revenue is generated through a hybrid mix: earned income from admissions, memberships (tiered annual subscriptions), programs, summer camps, cruises, ticketed concerts, Museum Store retail, venue rental, and the Otter Trot 5K; philanthropic income via donations, the CMM GEMs recurring giving program, and corporate sponsorships; and public funding from Calvert County Government as the operating parent. Curatorial research output includes Smithsonian Press publication on Calvert Cliffs fossil elephants, land mammals, and seals, and the museum was a key institutional supporter of the May 2026 designation of Otodus megalodon as Maryland's official State Shark.
Calvert Marine Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Calvert Marine Museum
- Legal name
- Calvert Marine Museum, MD
- Website
- https://calvertmarinemuseum.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Calvert Marine Museum is a Calvert County, Maryland-operated public maritime museum serving Southern Maryland residents and visitors with estuarine biology, maritime history, and paleontology exhibits, historic vessels, educational programs, and ticketed events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Calvert Marine Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Museum and Cultural Education Services
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks) (THAAAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Calvert Marine Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solomons
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Calvert Marine Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- General Museum Admission: Ticket-based access to museum exhibits at 14200 Solomons Island Road. Advance tickets sold via Etix; tickets at the door available. Annual membership pass for repeat visitors.
- Memberships: Recurring annual membership program with tiered benefits (membership saves 20% in store and provides event access). Member registration priority for summer camps.
- Donations & Fundraising: Donations processed through DonorPerfect, including CMM GEMs recurring giving program, general donations, and gift memberships.
- Program & Cruise Fees: Fee-based educational programs and cruises: Fossil Field Experience ($25/person), Family Fun Fridays ($15 nonmembers, $12 members), summer camps ($100-$130 depending on member status), Toy Boatbuilding ($2 donation/boat), Public Cruises on Wm. B. Tennison, and special event cruises (4th of July Fireworks Cruise, Blue Angels Performance Cruise, Father's Day Evening Cruise).
- Event Revenue (Concerts & Festivals): Ticketed concerts in the Motto Mortgage Preferred and RE/MAX One Waterside Pavilion (e.g., Almost Queen/Separate Ways, Warren Zeiders, Brothers Osborne, ZZ Top), plus large free festivals (PRAD, Solomons Christmas Walk) that drive on-site spending.
- Museum Store Retail: Physical Museum Store at the main campus (phone 410-326-2750) selling merchandise with members receiving 20% discount on the 20th of every month and during Solomons Christmas Walk.
- Venue Rental: Rental of event spaces: Cove Point Keeper's House, Harms Gallery Event Room, Drum Point Lighthouse, Corbin Nature Pavilion, Waterfront Lounge, and Weddings.
- Otter Trot 5K Race: Annual timed 5K race with paid registration; proceeds support the Calvert Marine Museum. Corporate sponsorships (Prince Frederick Ford, Asbury Solomons, Habit Fitness, SMECO, Shore United Bank, Sneades, Calvert Health, Blue Heron) also support the event.
- Public Funding from Calvert County Government: As a county-operated museum, CMM receives financial support from Calvert County Government, including direct operational funding and PRAD festival support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fossil Field Experience: $25 per person |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Family Fun Fridays: $12 members / $15 nonmembers per person |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Camps: $100-$130 depending on program and member status |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Toy Boatbuilding: $2 donation per boat (museum admission required) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Otter Trot 5K: paid timed race with same fee for all ages |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership: tiered benefits with 20% store discount and priority event access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Venue Rental: variable by space (Cove Point Keeper's House, Harms Gallery, Drum Point Lighthouse, Corbin Nature Pavilion, Waterfront Lounge, Weddings) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concert Tickets (Waterside Pavilion): sold via Etix |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Calvert Marine Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Calvert Marine Museum is a public maritime museum in Solomons, Maryland that delivers in-person exhibits, historic-site tours, and educational programming on three themes: Estuarine Biology, Maritime History, and Paleontology. Its core offering combines permanent gallery experiences (live otter habitat, paleontology fossil displays, maritime heritage exhibits), historic-site access (Drum Point Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse, the 1934 Lore Oyster House, and the 1899 Wm. B. Tennison oyster buy-boat), and a calendar of K-9 STEAM educational programs, summer camps, family programs, and annual festivals. The museum also operates a Museum Store, hosts ticketed concerts in its Waterside Pavilion, and rents out venue spaces for weddings and events.
Product overview
The Calvert Marine Museum operates as a single unified museum institution structured around three thematic pillars — Estuarine Biology, Maritime History, and Paleontology — with its offering combining permanent in-person exhibits and historic sites with programming, events, publications, and digital resources. The platform is anchored by core galleries and historic structures (Estuarine Biology Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Discovery Room, Marsh Walk, Paleontology Exhibits, Mezzanine Changing Exhibit Gallery, Wood Carving & Model Boat Showroom, Drum Point Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse, and Lore Oyster House) together with the museum's historic vessels (Wm. B. Tennison, Dee of St. Mary's, and Witchcraft) and research resources (Library & Archive). Layered on top of this core are annual and recurring event modules (PRAD, Sharkfest, OtterMania, Solomons Maritime Festival, Solomons Christmas Walk, Universal Coprolite Day, Night at the Museum for Friends with Disabilities, Maritime Performance Series, Otter Trot 5K, and CMM Lectures), educational program modules (CMM Camps, Sea Squirts & Little Minnows, Family Fun Fridays, Fossil Field Experience, FrogWatch, and Toy Boatbuilding), publications (The Ecphora Newsletter, Bugeye Times, and Currents blog), and digital offerings (Otter Cams, Virtual Resources, and the Museum Store). Ticketing, registration, donations, and identity are handled via third-party integrations with Etix, DoubleKnot, DonorPerfect, RunSignUp, YouTube, and the CivicPlus Identity Server on a CivicPlus-hosted site.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CMMS (Calvert Marine Museum Society): The Calvert Marine Museum Society appears to be the supporting/membership body referenced in the Otter Trot 5K event, distinct from the museum itself.
Products and services
- General Museum Admission Ticket-based general admission to the Calvert Marine Museum at 14200 Solomons Island Road, Solomons, MD. Includes access to all permanent galleries (Estuarine Biology Gallery, Maritime History Gallery, Paleontology Exhibits, Discovery Room, Marsh Walk, Mezzanine Changing Exhibit Gallery, Wood Carving & Model Boat Showroom), the Drum Point and Cove Point Lighthouses, and the Lore Oyster House. Targeted at general public visitors and families.
- Annual Museum Membership Annual recurring museum membership providing repeat-visit value, 20% off in the Museum Store on the 20th of every month and during the Solomons Christmas Walk, priority summer camp registration, and member-only event access. Sold via DonorPerfect. Targeted at repeat visitors, families, and supporters.
- Family Fun Fridays Recurring Friday family programming with themed activities for children and caregivers. Registration managed through DoubleKnot. Targeted at families with young children.
- CMM Summer Camps Multi-week summer camp programs (Junior Paleontologists, STEAMing Through the Museum, Marsh Detectives) for youth covering estuarine biology, maritime history, and paleontology themes. Registration handled via DoubleKnot; member priority registration. Targeted at K-9 students.
- Fossil Field Experience Guided fossil-collecting program held at Calvert Cliffs where participants search for Miocene-era marine fossils. $25 per person; preregistration required. Registration managed through DoubleKnot. Targeted at amateur fossil enthusiasts, families, and school groups.
- FrogWatch Citizen Science Program Citizen-science amphibian monitoring and education program hosted in conjunction with the Estuarine Biology Gallery. Trains volunteers in frog call identification and water turbidity measurement for the Chesapeake Bay. Targeted at local volunteers and STEM learners.
- Toy Boatbuilding Drop-in or registered craft program where visitors build small wooden model boats tied to the museum's boatbuilding and maritime themes. $2 suggested donation per boat; museum admission required; ages 5 and up. Targeted at families and young children.
- Sea Squirts & Little Minnows Early-childhood educational programs designed for preschool-aged children and their caregivers, featuring age-appropriate marine and natural-history activities. Targeted at families with preschool-aged children.
- Wm. B. Tennison Public Cruises Public interpretive cruises on the Patuxent River aboard the National Historic Landmark Wm. B. Tennison oyster buy-boat (built 1899), including scheduled public cruises and special-event cruises (4th of July Fireworks, Blue Angels, Father's Day Evening Cruise). Ticketed via the museum. Targeted at tourists and regional visitors.
- Maritime Performance Series / Waterside Music Series Concerts Ticketed concert series hosted in the Motto Mortgage Preferred and RE/MAX One Waterside Pavilion, featuring touring acts such as Warren Zeiders, Brothers Osborne, ZZ Top, and Almost Queen / Separate Ways. Tickets sold via Etix with general-admission seating and lawn chairs welcome. Targeted at general public concertgoers in the DMV region.
- Otter Trot 5K Race Annual timed 5K race fundraiser hosted by the Calvert Marine Museum Society. Corporate sponsorships from Prince Frederick Ford, Asbury Solomons, Habit Fitness, SMECO, Shore United Bank, Sneades, Calvert Health, and Blue Heron support the event. Registration managed through RunSignUp. Targeted at regional runners and community supporters.
- Patuxent River Appreciation Day (PRAD) Annual free festival celebrating the Patuxent River with environmental education activities, exhibitors, and family programming, held on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend since 1978. Targeted at regional families and environmental education audiences.
- Venue Rentals (Cove Point Keeper's House, Harms Gallery Event Room, Drum Point Lighthouse, Corbin Nature Pavilion, Waterfront Lounge, Weddings) Rental of museum event spaces including the Cove Point Keeper's House, Harms Gallery Event Room, Drum Point Lighthouse, Corbin Nature Pavilion, Waterfront Lounge, and Weddings. Rates are quote-based. Targeted at engaged couples, corporate event planners, and community organizations.
- Museum Store On-site retail shop at the main museum campus selling books, fossils, apparel, gifts, and educational items related to the museum's themes. Members receive 20% off on the 20th of every month and during the Solomons Christmas Walk. Targeted at museum visitors and members.
- Otter Cams (Otter Indoor Cam and Otter Outdoor Cam) Live webcams streaming the museum's resident river otters in their indoor habitat and outdoor enclosure, available to remote viewers online. Free digital offering hosted on YouTube and the museum website. Targeted at remote visitors, otter enthusiasts, and educators.
- Chestory Virtual Archive Digital archive of Chesapeake Bay-related historical and cultural materials accessible online. Targeted at genealogists, historians, and researchers.
- CMM GEMs Recurring Giving Program Recurring giving program and general donation channel for the museum, processed through DonorPerfect. Includes gift memberships. Targeted at individual donors and museum supporters.
Companies that use Calvert Marine Museum
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Calvert Marine Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature6 records
Calvert Marine Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Calvert Marine Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Maritime museum in St. Michaels, Maryland focused on Chesapeake Bay heritage, historic vessels, and boatbuilding — directly comparable in mission, regional scope, and offerings such as lighthouse tours, oyster-industry exhibits, and educational cruises.
- Annapolis Maritime Museum: Maritime museum on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis emphasizing local maritime heritage, ecology, and education. Comparable in regional scope, programmatic mix, and STEAM/environmental education offerings.
- Mystic Seaport Museum: Large maritime museum in Mystic, Connecticut operating historic vessels, a recreated 19th-century seafaring village, and educational programming. Comparable core mission around maritime heritage, vessel preservation, and hands-on education, though at a significantly larger scale.
- The Mariners' Museum and Park: Maritime history museum in Newport News, Virginia with a major lake, USS Monitor Center, and educational programming. Comparable in maritime-history focus and education-driven mission, though broader in scope and larger in scale.
- Virginia Living Museum: Regional museum combining live animals, native Virginia wildlife, paleontology exhibits, and outdoor nature trails. Closely comparable in combining estuarine biology exhibits, paleontology programming, and outdoor educational experiences.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: National natural history museum with deep paleontology exhibits and Smithsonian Press publishing ties. Comparable in paleontology research depth and Smithsonian Press publication channels referenced in the museum's curator work.
- Maryland Science Center: Baltimore-based science center with STEAM programming, school-group offerings, and interactive exhibits. Comparable K-9 STEAM education focus and reliance on membership/donation revenue, though broader in scope.
- National Aquarium: Major aquarium and marine education institution in Baltimore. Comparable estuarine biology and Chesapeake Bay education themes, but operates at much larger scale and as a private nonprofit rather than a county department.
Others
- Patuxent Small Craft Guild (Solomons): Local volunteer guild exhibiting model boats and small craft at the museum. Function as content contributors and ecosystem partners rather than direct competitors, but represent an adjacent community relevant to the museum's programming.
Regional players
- Calvert County Historical Society: Local historical society operating in the same Calvert County geography, focused on regional history and archives. Adjacent in mission (heritage preservation) and shares the same donor and visitor base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Calvert Marine Museum social profiles
Digital presenceCalvert Marine Museum compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Calvert Marine Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calvert Marine Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Calvert Marine Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calvert Marine 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 Calvert Marine Museum
What does Calvert Marine Museum do?
The Calvert Marine Museum is a public maritime museum in Solomons, Maryland that delivers in-person exhibits, historic-site tours, and educational programming on three themes: Estuarine Biology, Maritime History, and Paleontology. Its core offering combines permanent gallery experiences (live otter habitat, paleontology fossil displays, maritime heritage exhibits), historic-site access (Drum Point Lighthouse, Cove Point Lighthouse, the 1934 Lore Oyster House, and the 1899 Wm. B. Tennison oyster buy-boat), and a calendar of K-9 STEAM educational programs, summer camps, family programs, and annual festivals. The museum also operates a Museum Store, hosts ticketed concerts in its Waterside Pavilion, and rents out venue spaces for weddings and events.
Is Calvert Marine Museum a public or private company?
Calvert Marine Museum is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Calvert Marine Museum founded?
Calvert Marine Museum was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Calvert Marine Museum based?
Calvert Marine Museum is headquartered in Solomons, United States, in the North America region.
How does Calvert Marine Museum make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. General Museum Admission is the primary driver. The others are memberships, donations & Fundraising, program & Cruise Fees, event Revenue (Concerts & Festivals), museum Store Retail, venue Rental, otter Trot 5K Race and public Funding from Calvert County Government.
Who are Calvert Marine Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Annapolis Maritime Museum, Mystic Seaport Museum, The Mariners' Museum and Park and Virginia Living Museum. Broad incumbents are Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Maryland Science Center and National Aquarium. Patuxent Small Craft Guild (Solomons) is listed as an others. Calvert County Historical Society is listed as a regional player.
Does Calvert Marine Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calvert Marine Museum.
What industry is Calvert Marine Museum in?
Calvert Marine Museum's product category is Maritime Museum and Cultural Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAC, Natural History Museums, with a secondary code of THAAAFAJ, Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.