Historic Fort Steuben

What Historic Fort Steuben does

Historic Fort Steuben, operated by the Old Fort Steuben Project, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that runs a reconstructed 18th-century military fort and year-round Visitor Center on the original site overlooking the Ohio River in Steubenville, Ohio. Founded in 1986 and operational with 1-10 employees, the organization reconstructed the fort between 1989 and 1999 on the historical footprint of the 1786 structure built to protect surveyors of the Northwest Territory. It serves tourists, school groups, regional families, members and donors, military families, and event clients, and it also functions as the official Steubenville Visitor Center promoting tri-state tourism. The site comprises nine period buildings, the Berkman Amphitheater, the adjacent 1801 First Federal Land Office, the Mike Besch Museum of Surveying (the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to land surveying), and a Museum Shop.

The organization's product portfolio centers on guided and self-guided fort tours (May-October, $7-$12 admission), supplemented by year-round Visitor Center and Museum Shop operations, recurring annual events (Ohio Valley Frontier Days, Summer Concert Series, Spring Quilt Show, Christmas at the Fort, Constitution Day exhibit), youth education (Hands-On-History summer program, Lewis and Clark Junior Ranger Program), facility rentals, and a memorial brick program. Revenue is generated through one-time admission fees, annual membership subscriptions ($50-$100 tiers), museum shop retail, event-driven ticket and vendor fees, facility rentals, and a mix of private donations and government/arts grants (America 250-Ohio Commission, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities Council). Distribution is primarily walk-in at the single Steubenville site, supported by digital channels (website, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram) and local earned media. Recent strategic activity has centered on the 2024 opening of the Surveying Museum, the 2025 leadership transition from Judy Bratten to Paul Zuros, and the planned Baron Von Steuben bronze statue tied to the America 250 national anniversary.

Name

Historic Fort Steuben

Legal name

Old Fort Steuben Project, Inc.

Website

https://oldfortsteuben.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Historic Fort Steuben is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a reconstructed 18th-century military fort, year-round Visitor Center, and Museum Shop in Steubenville, Ohio, serving tourists, school groups, members, and event clients with tours, educational programs, seasonal events, and facility rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Steubenville

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Ticket sales for tours of the reconstructed Historic Fort Steuben during the May-October season. Admission prices vary by age group.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership program offering free admission to events, email updates, 10% museum shop discount, and satisfaction of supporting historic preservation.
3. Museum Shop Sales: Retail sales of books, CDs, toys, maps, jewelry, gifts, candy, Steubenville-themed merchandise, and historical items.
4. Facility Rentals: Conference, reunion, and organization rentals of Historic Fort Steuben facilities for meetings and special events. Berkman Amphitheater available for concerts and cultural programs.
5. Christmas at the Fort Event: Holiday festival featuring Holiday Market with over 20 vendor chalets, entertainment, photo opportunities, and seasonal attractions generating significant funding for fort maintenance.
6. Donations and Grants: Private non-profit dependent on support from members, donors, organizations, businesses, and government grants including America 250-Ohio Commission and Ohio Arts Council.
7. Summer Concert Series: Free Thursday evening concerts at Berkman Amphitheater, supported by business/organizational contributions and Ohio Arts Council grants, drawing 500-1000 attendees weekly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Historic Fort Steuben operates a reconstructed 18th-century frontier fort and visitor center in Steubenville, Ohio, offering guided tours, educational programming, and seasonal living-history events that interpret early American military and pioneer life. The site also runs a gift shop, hosts group and private events, and welcomes school field trips and summer programming for families and tourists.

Product overview

Historic Fort Steuben is a reconstructed 18th century military fort and museum complex offering historical education and cultural programming. The core offering includes guided and self-guided tours of the fort with 9 period buildings, plus a year-round Visitor Center with exhibit hall and Museum Shop. Add-on programs include the Mike Besch Museum of Surveying, Summer Youth Educational Program (Hands-On-History), Junior Ranger Program, and seasonal events such as Ohio Valley Frontier Days, Spring Quilt Show, and Christmas at the Fort. The site also includes the Berkman Amphitheater for the Summer Concert Series, the First Federal Land Office, and facilities for rentals and events. A Museum Shop retails books, puzzles, memorial bricks, and local history products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Fort Tours
• School Field Trip Programs
• Living-History & Annual Events
• Summer Heritage Programming
• Gift Shop
• Facility Rentals & Private Events

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• America 250-Ohio CommissionmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Received Trillium Local Activity Grant for Surveyors' Museum project. Participating in 4th Grade History Pass program as official project of America 250-Ohio.
• Blue Star MuseumsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Program providing free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families. Collaboration among National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, Department of Defense, and participating museums.
• Professional Land Surveyors of OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Mike Besch Museum of Surveying within the fort. Surveyors have been involved since the fort's reconstruction, helping develop displays and bringing early surveying to life at annual festivals. Working with students and staff of the University of Akron.
• University of Akron Surveying and Mapping ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents designed exhibits and built displays for the Museum of Surveying. Ann Besch, Surveying Advisor, led the collaboration in memory of her late husband Thomas 'Mike' Besch.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Fort Steuben became part of Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in 2019 as part of the Eastern Legacy. Site is part of NPS Passport Program and NPS Junior Ranger Program.
• Fort Steuben Chapter of the Daughters of the American RevolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual collaboration on Celebrate the Constitution exhibit and other patriotic programs.
• Steubenville Art AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly art exhibits and annual quilt shows in the Visitor Center exhibit hall.
• Franciscan University of SteubenvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchaeology dig ongoing at fort site directed by Anthropology Program. Professor Jack Boyde originally inspired fort reconstruction in 1985.
• Public Libraries of Steubenville and Jefferson CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative programs including Easter Eggsibition Story Walk and historical research resources.
• Nelson's Fine Arts / Steubenville Nutcracker VillagemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Steubenville Nutcracker Village display featuring life-size nutcrackers created by Nelson's of Steubenville. Partner in Christmas at the Fort holiday event.
• Ohio History ConnectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState historical organization providing traveling exhibits and historical resources.
• Jefferson County Historical AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal historical organization collaborating on regional history programs.
• Sons of the American RevolutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical organization represented at events including Ohio Valley Frontier Days festival.
• Moving Lives of Kids (MLK Mural Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyle Holbrook's organization creating Lewis & Clark mural in Steubenville's City of Murals. Has created nearly 400 murals in Pittsburgh area and 43 countries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fort Boonesborough State Park: Reconstructed 18th-century frontier fort in Kentucky operating as a state park with living history demonstrations, museum, and special events. Comparable as a reconstructed frontier fort with similar seasonal operations and educational mission.
• Fort Necessity National Battlefield: NPS-operated historic fort site in Pennsylvania focused on the French and Indian War, offering visitor center, exhibits, and educational programming. Directly comparable as a small historic fort/visitor experience site in the tri-state area with NPS ties.
• Old World Wisconsin: Outdoor living history museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society featuring historic structures, costumed interpreters, and school programs. Comparable operating model and revenue mix (admissions, events, memberships) though at significantly larger scale.
• Conner Prairie: Indiana-based living history museum with reconstructed historic structures, costumed interpreters, and educational programming for schools and families. Comparable in scale and operating model to Fort Steuben as a non-profit heritage attraction with a mix of tours, events, and youth programs.
• Old Fort Niagara: Reconstructed 18th-century military fort on the Great Lakes operating as a historic site museum with living history programs, guided tours, and special events. Highly comparable to Fort Steuben as a non-profit-operated reconstructed fort with educational programming and seasonal visitation.
• Historic Deerfield: Preserved 18th/19th-century New England village operating as a museum with historic houses, educational programs, and craft demonstrations. Comparable as a small non-profit heritage attraction with similar mix of tours, school programs, and museum shop.
• George Rogers Clark National Historical Park: NPS-operated historic site in Indiana featuring a memorial and visitor center interpreting the American Revolution in the Northwest Territory. Comparable as a small NPS-affiliated heritage site with similar educational programming and visitor center operations.
• Hale Farm and Village: Western Reserve Historical Society's living history site in Ohio featuring restored 19th-century buildings, craft demonstrations, and educational programs. Closely comparable as a regional Ohio historic site museum with similar school programming and event-based revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Old Sturbridge Village: One of the largest living history museums in the U.S., featuring a recreated 1830s New England village with costumed interpreters, museum shop, and educational programming. Comparable as a non-profit heritage attraction with similar product mix but at much greater scale and scope.
• Colonial Williamsburg: Large-scale living history museum in Virginia presenting the restored 18th-century colonial capital with extensive educational programming, retail, and lodging. Overlaps in mission and product (18th-century fort/settlement history, school programming) but operates at vastly larger scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HistoricFortSteuben
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldfortsteuben/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-fort-steuben-project-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Historic Fort Steuben