What Creative Discovery Museum does

Creative Discovery Museum (CDM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum located at 321 Chestnut Street in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, founded in 1995 as an outgrowth of a children's-wing concept originally explored with the Hunter Museum of American Art. The museum operates a multi-floor, hands-on experiential facility targeting families with children, school groups, and tourists, with a mission centered on play-based learning across arts, sciences, and technology. It serves nearly 300,000 visitors annually and has welcomed over 5 million cumulative visitors since opening.

The museum's core product is a portfolio of permanent interactive exhibits — STEM Zone (maker, robotics, build/test, energy), TreeHouse Adventure (outdoor treehouse with sensory and weather pods), Tennessee RiverPlay (water tables, tow boat, climbing structure), UnEarthed (natural sciences with AR sandbox and volcano), Little FarmHouse (early childhood farm), and ArtSpace (visual and performing arts) — supplemented by rotating traveling exhibits from peer institutions such as Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and The Magic House. Technology across exhibits is experiential rather than digital-platform in nature: physical installations (3D printers, mBot robots, wind turbines, laser cutters) augmented with limited consumer AR. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining one-time admission tickets, tiered annual memberships ($40–$190, with grandparent, teacher, and EBT-accessible tiers), summer/specialty camps, birthday parties and facility rentals, donations and capital campaigns (the $12.5M Ignite Discovery campaign funded recent renovations), adult events (Drink & Discover, 21+), and grants (IMLS, CARE Foundation, TVA, corporate sponsors including Volkswagen Chattanooga). Membership stands at approximately 6,000 households, and the museum employs 101–250 staff across education, exhibits, development, marketing, hospitality, and operations functions under President and CEO Tim Sears.

Name

Creative Discovery Museum

Legal name

Creative Discovery Museum

Website

https://cdmfun.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Creative Discovery Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, operating hands-on interactive exhibits in STEM, arts, and natural sciences for families, schools, and tourists, serving nearly 300,000 visitors annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Children's museum
• Hands-on exhibits
• STEM education
• Early childhood programs
• Museum memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Visitors pay for general admission tickets to access the museum's exhibits and programs
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual memberships providing unlimited free visits for named adults and children, with various tiers from Discovery ($105) to GrandDiscovery (grandparents with all grandchildren)
3. Camps and Programs: Revenue from summer camps, school-age camps, preschool camps, specialty camps, PlayGym, Little Explorers, and other educational programs
4. Facility Rentals and Parties: Birthday party packages and facility rentals for private events
5. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting the museum's mission; annual campaign fund
6. Special Events: Adult-oriented events like Drink & Discover (21+) with ticket sales for themed nights

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Creative Discovery Museum is a nonprofit children's museum operating hands-on interactive exhibits, educational programs, summer camps, and traveling exhibitions in downtown Chattanooga. The museum offers permanent galleries covering STEM, natural science, visual and performing arts, river ecosystems, and early childhood play, supplemented by rotating traveling exhibits, school field trips, membership subscriptions, birthday parties, and adult-only events.

Product overview

Creative Discovery Museum is a nonprofit children's museum offering hands-on educational exhibits and programs in arts, sciences, and technology. The museum operates a multi-floor facility in downtown Chattanooga with permanent exhibits including STEM Zone (maker, robotics, build/test, and energy galleries), TreeHouse Adventure (outdoor treehouse), Tennessee RiverPlay (water and river exploration), UnEarthed (natural sciences), Little FarmHouse (early childhood farm theme), and ArtSpace (visual/performing arts). Temporary traveling exhibits rotate through the museum's Temporary Exhibit Gallery, including Ciao Bambini! (Italian culture) and Measurement Rules. Programming includes summer camps, PlayGym, Little Explorers, Club Discovery (inclusive), homeschool, and educator offerings. The museum also hosts adult events (Drink & Discover), family events (Monster Bash, Holi Festival), operates Bean Sprouts Café, and offers birthday party packages and facility rentals. Membership programs provide unlimited admission with tiered benefits. The museum serves approximately 300,000 visitors annually and is located at 321 Chestnut Street, Chattanooga, TN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission General admission tickets providing access to all permanent exhibits, most temporary exhibits, and museum programming. Open Sunday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Targeted at families with children and individual visitors.
• Membership Programs Annual membership tiers providing unlimited free visits and member benefits including exclusive events, program discounts, and guest discounts. Includes Discovery ($105), Discovery Plus ($130), TeamDiscovery ($165, most popular), TeamDiscovery Plus ($190), GrandDiscovery for grandparents, GrandDiscovery Plus, EdDiscovery ($100 for teachers), and AccessDiscovery ($40 for EBT cardholders).
• STEM Zone Permanent science, technology, engineering, and mathematics exhibit on the second floor comprising four zones plus Make It Workshop: Make It (maker activities, Rigamajig, 3D printing, woodworking), Robotics (mBot robots, programmable puppets), Build and Test (rocket launch, catapult, car track), and Energy (solar power, wind turbine).
• TreeHouse Adventure Outdoor permanent exhibit featuring multi-pod treehouse structure with themes including The Gathering House (pretend play), Weather Pod (sensory observation with sensors and weather instruments), Relaxation Pod, Reflection Pod (color wheel, reflection wall), and Observation Nest with 360-degree views of downtown Chattanooga.
• Tennessee RiverPlay Permanent outdoor exhibit exploring river ecosystems with two water tables featuring lock/dam system, hydropower plant, barge loading dock, and weather system. Includes tow boat River Ranger with pilot house, engine room, and galley designed with Serodino Barge Company. Three-story climbing structure with cave, hang gliding, and hot air balloon elements.
• UnEarthed Permanent natural science exhibit building environmental literacy through Dino Dig fossil excavation, shake/wind table for earthquake/hurricane testing, augmented reality sandbox showing water topography, volcano walk-through, AR arthropod encounter, and insect construction station. Features T-Rex skeleton.
• Little FarmHouse Permanent early childhood exhibit for children 5 and under featuring farmhouse with kitchen, nursery, and garage; barn with tractor; farmer's market; and meadow. Includes Jayne's Little Explorer's Classroom for PlayGym and Little Explorers programming.
• ArtSpace Permanent visual and performing arts exhibit on the second floor featuring Appalachian Arts, Guatemala: Family Traditions, Textile and Weaving, Theater with puppet show and costumes, Dance studio, Music room, and Indoor-Outdoor Art Studio with rotating staff-guided projects.
• Measurement Rules Temporary interactive exhibit exploring concepts of length, time, volume, and weight through hands-on stations including Chicken Scale, Height Wall, Treadmill Odometer, Giant Tape Measure, Ball Stopwatch, and Balance Scale. Created by Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.
• Ciao Bambini! Nationally-traveling cultural exhibit exploring Italian culture through immersive environments: Ristorante (Italian cooking), Gelateria and Bar Pasticceria (gelato/pastry shop), Traditional Italian Home (pasta making, mosaics), Scuola Elementare (elementary school with Italian lessons), and Piazza (wishing fountain, Vespa). Created by The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum.
• The Pigeon Comes to Chattanooga! A Mo Willems Exhibit Traveling exhibit inspired by Mo Willems' beloved children's books, co-organized by Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
• Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit Bilingual English/Spanish traveling exhibit based on Disney Junior's Peabody Award-winning series Doc McStuffins, featuring a backyard clinic and McStuffins Toy Hospital where families help perform check-ups and learn healthy habits.
• Summer Camps STEAM-focused day camps for various age groups including Friends' Discovery Camp (inclusive), Preschool Camp, School Age Camp, and Specialty Camp. Features themed weeks and hands-on projects with museum access.
• PlayGym Early childhood programming for young children and their caregivers featuring drop-in activities and structured classes in Jayne's Little Explorer's Classroom.
• Little Explorers Toddler-focused programming with classes held in Jayne's Little Explorer's Classroom, part of the Little FarmHouse exhibit.
• Club Discovery Inclusive programs for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, designed for exploration alongside typically developing peers.
• Homeschool Programs Educational programming designed specifically for homeschool families with specialized curriculum and museum access.
• Educator Programs Professional development and resources for teachers including school tours, outreach lessons, and curriculum-aligned programming.
• Drink & Discover Events Adults-only (21+) evening events featuring themed programming, cocktails, and museum access. Examples include Beach Bash and Mad Science.
• Monster Bash Annual family-friendly Halloween event featuring costume activities, crafts, character meet-and-greets, live animals, bounce house, and bonfire with s'mores. Held annually in October.
• Bean Sprouts Café Family-friendly café operated by Bean Sprouts, featuring fresh, wholesome, kid-friendly menu offerings. Nationally recognized café brand serving cultural destinations including children's museums, zoos, and science centers.
• Parties & Rentals Birthday party packages and private facility rentals for events, providing exclusive museum access for celebrations and gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 1 million students through school and outreach programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bean SproutscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Nationally recognized café brand partnering to operate the museum's café. Bean Sprouts brings fresh, wholesome, kid-friendly menu offerings and reimagined dining experience designed especially for families. Café closed April 20, 2026 for renovations and expected to reopen early summer 2026. Bean Sprouts operates cafés in cultural destinations across the country including children's museums, zoos, and science centers.
• Food CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Summer camp sponsor providing $2,500 donation. Food City is committed to supporting local organizations making a difference in communities they serve. Their newest Chattanooga location opened June 12 on Broad Street.
• Volkswagen ChattanoogacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Presenting sponsor of STEM Zone exhibit. Volkswagen Chattanooga is a leader in innovation and technology. CEO Chris Glover expressed commitment to developing next generation of creative innovators, engineers, and problem-solvers. Also local sponsor of Measurement Rules exhibit.
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022TVA contributed $250,000 to Ignite Discovery capital campaign for Tennessee RiverPlay exhibit renovation. TVA plays important role in managing resources of the region and RiverPlay provides families opportunity to explore activities that happen on the river. TVA Regional Vice President Carol Eimers highlighted teaching young minds about water power and potential.
• Serodino Barge CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnered with CDM to design the new towboat River Ranger for Tennessee RiverPlay exhibit. Serodino Barge Company contributed expertise to create the boat with engine room, galley, and pilot house features for children to explore.
• Tennessee Valley RoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Robotics Zone within STEM Zone exhibit, supporting robotics activities including the robotics table, mBot robots, and robotic arm.
• Dairy AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Little FarmHouse early childhood exhibit. Created The Southeast Dairy Trail map showing families dairy farms in the region. Provides recipes, nutrition information, and learning opportunities.
• ArtsBuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of ArtSpace exhibit along with Tennessee Arts Commission. CDM is an ArtsBuild Community Arts Partner. Supports visual and performing arts exhibits and programming.
• The Magic House, St. Louis Children's MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of Ciao Bambini! traveling exhibit about Italy. Advisory committee consisting of professionals with deep-rooted connections to Italy ensured authentic cultural experience. Ciao Bambini opened January 17, 2026.
• Children's Museum of PittsburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreator of Measurement Rules traveling exhibit about measurement concepts. Exhibit ran May 16 - September 13, 2026 at CDM. Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is a leading creator of traveling children's museum exhibits.
• The Children's Museum of IndianapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit along with Disney Junior. Exhibit ran January 14 - May 7, 2023 at CDM's new Temporary Exhibit gallery.
• Disney JuniorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Doc McStuffins: The Exhibit along with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Peabody Award-winning series modeling good health practices for young children.
• Riley Children's at Indiana University HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner for Doc McStuffins exhibit. Helps children become comfortable in healthcare settings by teaching visitors about healthy habits and what healthcare providers do.
• PlayCorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting sponsor of 30th anniversary celebration and sponsor of TreeHouse Adventure exhibit. PlayCore is a leading provider of commercial playground equipment and recreation solutions.
• Local 3 WRCBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Weather Pod in TreeHouse Adventure exhibit, providing weather sensors and instruments for scientific weather observation activities.
• Chattanooga Tourism CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of climbing structure in Tennessee RiverPlay exhibit with strong ties to Tennessee landscape including cave, hang gliding, hot air balloon features.
• Dr. Brett Eschman and UTC Psychology DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partners supporting STEM SPARKS: Brain Power event, providing expertise on brain science and psychology for educational programming.
• India Association of ChattanoogaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Holi Festival at CDM celebration of spring festival of colors, bringing cultural programming and traditional activities.
• Swati PatelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Engagement Coordinator advising on Holi Festival cultural connections and sharing heritage and traditions with the community.
• Hunter Museum of American ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in original museum concept discussions in 1989; explored possibility of adding children's wing which led to creation of independent children's museum.
• Tennessee AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership as part of 21st Century Waterfront Trust Plan; offers member discounts to CDM members; nearby attraction for bundled visits.
• 21st Century Waterfront TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partnership transforming Riverfront District including opening of CDM's RiverPlay (2002) and Rooftop Fun Factory (2005). CDM was part of comprehensive waterfront revitalization.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: One of the largest children's museums globally; co-produced the Doc McStuffins exhibit hosted at CDM. Comparable as a multi-exhibit, multi-program nonprofit children's institution with strong IP partnerships and traveling exhibit distribution.
• Please Touch Museum: A children's museum focused on learning through play for ages 0-7, operating in a historic venue with multi-disciplinary exhibit galleries. Highly comparable single-site nonprofit model with similar membership and program structure.
• The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum: St. Louis–based children's museum and creator of the Ciao Bambini! traveling exhibit currently hosted at CDM. Operates immersive culture, art, and STEM exhibits for young children on a comparable nonprofit museum model.
• Boston Children's Museum: One of the oldest children's museums in the U.S. with hands-on STEM, culture, and early childhood exhibits. Comparable scale, mission, and exhibit-driven nonprofit operating model targeting families and school groups.
• Adventure Science Center: Nashville-based science center where CDM's current CEO Tim Sears spent 12 years. Comparable as a Tennessee family STEM/science destination, with similar scale, school program emphasis, and nonprofit operating model.
• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: A leading children's museum that creates traveling exhibits hosted at CDM (Measurement Rules, Mo Willems). Directly comparable: hands-on maker/STEM focus, similar exhibit architecture, and partnerships with national content creators serving families with young children.
• The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: Picture book art museum that co-organized the Mo Willems traveling exhibit hosted at CDM. Comparable as an arts/culture-focused nonprofit museum for young children that develops and circulates traveling exhibits nationally.

Regional players

• Tennessee Aquarium: Chattanooga-based attraction and CDM partner offering member discounts for bundled visits. Comparable as a downtown Chattanooga family destination on the same waterfront corridor, though focused on aquatic rather than hands-on play exhibits.
• Hunter Museum of American Art: Chattanooga art museum where the concept for CDM originated in 1989. Adjacent cultural institution serving the same downtown tourism and education ecosystem, but focused on fine art collection rather than interactive children's programming.

Others

• Association of Children's Museums: Industry trade association that has recognized CDM with Best Practices distinctions and provides standards, networking, and best-practice dissemination across the children's museum sector. Adjacent/ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cdmfun
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/creativediscovery
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativediscovery
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdmfun
• TikToktiktok.com/@cdmfun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Creative Discovery Museum