The Aquadome

What The Aquadome does

The Aquadome is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-operated alternative arts and community venue located at 120 S. Main St. in Kirksville, Missouri. Founded around 2000 in close collaboration with the Truman State University Campus Music Collective, the original venue closed in early 2004 due to financial problems. A second generation was launched in summer 2011 by Brie Vuagniaux, who rented a downtown storefront and recruited a new volunteer base. The current venue has operated continuously since then, surviving a 2014 physical building collapse caused by a 'land hurricane' that forced relocation to local shops and unrented buildings. It now hosts an all-ages program of concerts, open mics, poetry slams, potlucks, craft nights, workshops, and art exhibits during two academic-season windows: mid-August to early December and mid-January to early May.

The Aquadome's core offering is a physical venue space, not a technology product or platform. Supporting offerings include an Artist Archive documenting past performers and a Poster Archive of historical event artwork, both published on a WordPress-based website. There is no proprietary software, no API, no mobile app, and no online ticketing system; attendance is walk-in at the physical venue. The organization has no paid employees in any traditional sense; governance is handled by an Executive Board of 15+ elected student and community volunteers who book bands, organize events, file business forms, and manage operations, with semi-annual elections each Fall and Spring semester.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and charitable contributions. Earned revenue streams include event admission fees and private space rentals (for events and band practice). Charitable revenue streams include donations via Patreon, PayPal, and Amazon Smile, plus fundraising and occasional board member contributions. The organization states a baseline operating need of approximately $700 per month for rent and utilities. Customer segments are the Kirksville-area community, Truman State University students, visiting and local musicians/artists, and private event organizers; pricing for events and rentals is not publicly disclosed. The Aquadome explicitly states it is not a water park.

Name

The Aquadome

Legal name

The Aquadome

Website

https://theaquadome.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Aquadome is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-operated all-ages arts and music venue in Kirksville, Missouri. It serves the local community and Truman State University students with concerts, open mics, poetry slams, workshops, and private space rentals, funded by admissions, donations, and Patreon support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirksville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Admission: Revenue generated from admission fees at concerts and other events. This is a primary revenue stream alongside fundraising and donations.
2. Space Rental: The venue rents out its space for privately organized events and as a practice space for bands, generating rental income.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on donations, fundraising, and Patreon support. They need approximately $700 each month for rent and utilities. Donation channels include Patreon, PayPal, and Amazon Smile.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Aquadome is a volunteer-operated, 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and community venue in Kirksville, Missouri that hosts concerts, open mics, poetry slams, art exhibits, workshops, potlucks, and craft nights for the local community and Truman State University students. The venue also rents its space for privately organized events and band practice sessions. The organization is funded through event admission, space rental, donations, fundraising, and Patreon support.

Product overview

The Aquadome is a single-location 501(c)(3) non-profit arts venue in Kirksville, Missouri, operated by volunteers. It is not a technology company or platform. Its core offering is a physical venue space that hosts concerts, open mics, poetry slams, workshops, art exhibits, and community events. The venue also offers space rental for private events and band practice. Supporting offerings include an Artist Archive and Poster Archive documenting past performers and promotional materials. The organization has no software products, APIs, or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Concert and Event Venue An all-ages, volunteer-run physical venue that hosts concerts, open mics, poetry slams, art exhibits, workshops, potlucks, and craft nights for the Kirksville community and Truman State University students. The venue operates seasonally from mid-August to early December and mid-January to early May at 120 S. Main St., Kirksville, MO 63501.
• Space Rental Rental of The Aquadome's physical space for privately organized events and as practice space for bands. Artists and private event organizers can submit booking inquiries through an online form on the rental/booking page of the website.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Campus Music CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Campus Music Collective (CMC), a Truman State student organization, had close ties to the original Aquadome (opened around 2000). The Aquadome later became home to some of CMC's events. CMC booked small shows on campus and was an integral part of the DIY music scene that led to the venue's founding.
• DoDIY.orgminorOthersAn online resource for people interested in DIY venues and culture, operated by an individual. The Aquadome links to DoDIY.org as a recommended resource for those interested in DIY venues.
• Tom Thumb Art FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Thumb is an annual, non-juried art festival in Kirksville, MO organized by the community and funded entirely through donations. The Aquadome has hosted Tom Thumb traveling art shows in the past, maintaining an ongoing relationship with this community arts organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• DoDIY.org: Online resource directory and community for DIY venues and culture. Already partnered as a resource referral by the Aquadome; relevant as an adjacent ecosystem/peer-network for the global DIY venue community rather than a direct operating competitor.

Direct peers

• AS220: Non-profit, artist-run community arts space in Providence offering performance, gallery, and workshop programming with similar DIY ethos. Comparable as a community-embedded alternative arts venue operating on a volunteer/artist-led model.
• Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center: St. Louis-based volunteer-run DIY arts center referenced directly by an Aquadome board member as prior volunteer experience. Operates as a comparable community-driven, all-ages DIY arts space with similar programming and volunteer governance.
• 924 Gilman Street: Long-running, volunteer-operated all-ages punk/DIY music and arts venue in Berkeley, California. Comparable in operating model (non-profit, volunteer-run, consensus-driven), audience type (DIY/alternative arts community), and all-ages concert programming.
• The Basement East: Independent, independently operated live music venue in Nashville hosting emerging and touring artists. Comparable as an alternative/independent live-music venue reliant on community support and touring artist bookings.
• Cattivo: DIY-focused music and event space in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania operating as an independent community venue. Comparable as a small, independent, alternative-music venue serving a local arts community.
• The Smell: Volunteer-run, all-ages DIY music and arts venue in downtown Los Angeles. Operates with a comparable consensus-based, volunteer-governed model and an explicitly underground/alternative arts programming focus.
• Local 506: Independent all-ages live music venue in Chapel Hill, NC tied to the local college community (UNC). Comparable in college-town setting, all-ages DIY ethos, and emerging-artist focus.

Broad incumbents

• The Masquerade: Long-running independent live music venue in Atlanta hosting alternative, punk, and indie acts. Comparable as an independent alternative-music venue, but operates at a larger, more established commercial scale than the Aquadome.
• First Avenue & 7th St Entry: Iconic Minneapolis independent music venue and club that has hosted concerts for decades. Comparable as a long-running independent live-music venue, but operates at substantially larger scale and commercial footing than the Aquadome.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theaquadome1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheAquadomeMO
• Facebookfacebook.com/kirksvilleaquadome
• Instagraminstagram.com/theaquadome
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-aquadome

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 The Aquadome