Sacramento Children’s Museum

What Sacramento Children’s Museum does

Sacramento Children's Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operating a single hands-on interactive learning facility at 2701 Prospect Park in Rancho Cordova, California, serving children from birth through approximately eight years old and their caregivers. Core offerings include general admission tickets ($10 standard, with tiered discounts for seniors, military, SNAP EBT cardholders, and reciprocal museum-network members), annual memberships including a seasonal Heatwave Mini-Membership ($99 for 3 months), birthday party rentals, school field trips, and a mobile Van Go! program that extends the experience to off-site locations. Programming is anchored by two main exhibits—Leo's Learning Lab and the 'Play Around the World' cultural exhibit—alongside recurring programs such as Sensory Friendly Play, School Readiness with SCM, Pop Into STEM, Mess Fest, Grandparents' Day Butterfly Release, $5 Fridays, and a Summer Teacher Discount. Curriculum is aligned with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, and the museum participates in reciprocal networks including Museums for All, ACM, ASTC, Blue Star Museums, and Discover & Go.

The business model is a hybrid of consumer pay-per-visit revenue, recurring membership subscriptions, private event rentals, and donation/sponsorship solicitation typical of a community nonprofit. The museum derives supplemental revenue from corporate event rentals, gift certificates, and a diversified base of local corporate and municipal sponsors (SMUD, Republic Services, Raley's, Teichert, First US Bank, Atlas Disposal, CEIF, California American Water, Golden State Water, the City of Rancho Cordova, and Visit Rancho Cordova, among others). Distribution is regional, with foot-traffic-driven admissions at the physical venue supplemented by an online ticketing portal and direct outreach to local school districts. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is experiential and human-mediated, with growth driven by programming depth, community partnerships, and seasonal/annual programming cadence rather than software or AI capability.

Name

Sacramento Children’s Museum

Legal name

Sacramento Children's Museum

Website

https://sackids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sacramento Children's Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) hands-on learning museum in Rancho Cordova, California, serving children aged 0-8 and their families through exhibits, memberships, field trips, private events, and outreach programs supported by corporate sponsors and reciprocal museum networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rancho Cordova

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors pay per-entry admission fees to access the museum. Children under 1 are free. Various discount categories exist for seniors, military, and members of reciprocal programs.
2. Memberships: Annual and seasonal membership passes provide unlimited visits for a year. Heatwave Mini-Membership offers 3-month access for up to 4 named individuals for $99. Corporate memberships are also available.
3. Birthday Parties and Private Events: After-hours private event rentals for celebrations and group gatherings.
4. Special Programs and Events: Special ticketed events including Mess Fest, Pop Into STEM, Grandparents' Day Butterfly Release, and the annual fundraiser.
5. Donations and Fundraising: The museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events for a portion of revenue. The Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser generates proceeds for the Museum Access Program.
6. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold online that can be applied to general admission, memberships, museum store purchases, and event registrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sacramento Children's Museum offers a hands-on, play-based learning environment for children from birth through age 8 and their caregivers through General Admission and recurring Memberships. It supplements the on-site exhibit experience with Birthday Party rentals, School Field Trips, a mobile outreach program (Van Go!), and specialized programs including Sensory Friendly Play sessions, School Readiness classes, Pop Into STEM events, and Mess Fest.

Product overview

Sacramento Children's Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) children's museum offering a unified visitor experience centered on hands-on play and early childhood education. The museum's core offerings include general admission tickets and annual memberships that provide unlimited visits with member-only benefits. Supplementary offerings include private event rentals (birthday parties), field trips for school groups, and the mobile Van Go! program. The museum features two main exhibits: Leo's Learning Lab and the Play Around the World exhibit. Programming includes sensory-friendly play sessions, school readiness classes, Pop Into STEM events, Mess Fest, and discounted admission programs like $5 Fridays and Summer Teacher Discount. The Heatwave Mini-Membership offers seasonal access. All programs are integrated under one roof experience focused on children aged 0-8 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leo's Learning Lab: A dedicated learning space within the museum hosting the 'Play Around the World' exhibit.

Products and services

• General Admission Daily on-site museum entry with pricing based on visitor age tier (adult, child, infant). Open to walk-in and online ticket purchasers during operating hours.
• Memberships Annual recurring memberships providing repeat admission for families, often including guest passes and program discounts.
• Heatwave Mini-Membership A short-duration, summer-focused membership tier offering repeat visits during warm-weather months.
• Birthday Parties Private, hosted birthday party rentals at the museum for families and groups seeking a supervised venue for children's celebrations.
• Private Fundraisers Rental offerings for organizations and families hosting fundraising events at the museum venue.
• School Field Trips Guided, curriculum-aligned group visits for schools, homeschool groups, and educational organizations during field trip hours.
• Van Go! Mobile Museum A mobile outreach unit that travels to schools and community events to deliver museum programming off-site.
• Sensory Friendly Play Specialized play sessions with adjusted lighting, sound, and sensory accommodations for neurodivergent children and their families.
• School Readiness Program Structured educational programming designed to prepare young children for the transition into formal schooling.
• Pop Into STEM Targeted science, technology, engineering, and math programming events for young children.
• Mess Fest Annual community event featuring sensory play and messy-activity stations.
• Grandparents' Day Butterfly Release Recurring community event marking Grandparents' Day with a butterfly release celebration.
• $5 Fridays Recurring discounted admission pricing at $5 per person on designated Fridays, intended to broaden accessibility.
• Summer Teacher Discount Seasonal discounted admission offer for teachers during summer months.
• Museums for All (Museum Access Program) Access program partnering with SNAP/EBT and similar benefit holders to provide reduced-cost admission to lower-income families.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 visitors annually receive free or discounted admission through access programs

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Leadership Rancho Cordova Class XVIIIminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The 2025 Leadership Rancho Cordova cohort chose the museum's Seating Wall Project as their community-focused initiative. The project constructed a seating wall on the museum's front lawn to provide families a safe outdoor eating area away from the parking lot. Completed mid-May 2025.
• City of Rancho CordovaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor of the Seating Wall Project. City involvement demonstrates municipal support for the museum's community mission.
• Visit Rancho CordovaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the Seating Wall Project. Tourism partner supporting local cultural attractions.
• California American WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the Seating Wall Project.
• Golden State Water CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the Seating Wall Project.
• Procida LandscapeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor of the Seating Wall Project.
• Museums for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational access program administered by the Association of Children's Museums and created by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. Enables low-income families with SNAP EBT cards to visit for $3 per person. Over 700 institutions participate nationwide.
• Association of Children's Museums (ACM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal network partner allowing ACM members to visit for $5 per person (up to 6 admissions). Primary membership organization for children's museums.
• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience center reciprocal network providing FREE admission (up to 6 admissions) for ASTC Passport Program members.
• Blue Star MuseumscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration among National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and Department of Defense offering free admission to active duty military and families each summer (May 16-September 7).
• Discover & GocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary pass program providing free and low-cost passes for cultural destinations. Library cardholders obtain passes through their local library to visit the museum.
• Cummins ReadyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Pop Into STEM event on July 9th, supporting hands-on STEM programming at the museum.
• CEIFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• Republic ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• HNTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• Joe LittleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• Atlas DisposalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• Raley'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• TeichertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• First US BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Fifteen Years of Play fundraiser event.
• Sacramento Convention & Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides travel resources for out-of-town visitors planning trips to the museum.
• Rancho Cordova Travel and TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides hotel and local travel information for visitors coming from out of town.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Largest children's museum in the world, with extensive exhibits, memberships, and educational programming. Useful scale benchmark for children's museum operating and revenue models, though far larger in scope than SCM.
• Discovery Children's Museum: Las Vegas-based children's museum with hands-on science and culture exhibits targeting young children and families. Similar hands-on exhibit model, age focus, and nonprofit operating structure.
• Children's Museum of Houston: One of the largest U.S. children's museums, operating hands-on exhibits, memberships, school programs, and special events. Comparable mission and diversified revenue model (admission, memberships, donations, events).
• Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: Northern California children's museum offering interactive exhibits and educational programming for young children. Comparable audience, age range, and revenue model (admission, memberships, field trips, donations) to Sacramento Children's Museum.
• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum focused on interactive play and learning for young children. Comparable age focus, museum-based GTM, and nonprofit reliance on admissions, memberships, and donations.
• Kohl Children's Museum: Chicago-area children's museum with interactive exhibits for ages 0–8, plus memberships, field trips, and access programs. Direct comparable in age band, programming, and nonprofit model.
• Bay Area Discovery Museum: Children's museum in Sausalito, CA focused on hands-on play and early childhood learning for ages 0–10. Closest in mission and model to Sacramento Children's Museum within California, with overlapping school field-trip and family membership offerings.
• Habitot Children's Museum: Small children's museum in Berkeley, CA targeting ages 0–5 with hands-on exhibits and sensory-friendly programming. Highly comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and age-specific educational focus.
• Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus: Denver-based children's museum with hands-on exhibits, school programs, and memberships targeting young children. Comparable audience, programming mix, and nonprofit revenue model.

Regional players

• Explorit Science Center: Davis, CA-based nonprofit science center serving the greater Sacramento region with hands-on STEM programming. Shares Sacramento-area market and partial audience overlap, but skews older (school-age) than SCM's 0–8 core.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sackids2011
• Facebookfacebook.com/sacramentochildrensmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sacramento-children%27s-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/sackids
• Pinterestpinterest.com/sackids/_created
• TikToktiktok.com/@sacramentokidsmuseum
• Xx.com/sackidsmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sacramento Children’s Museum