Dupont Underground
Dupont Underground is a Washington, DC nonprofit arts venue operating a 15,000-square-foot reclaimed streetcar station with a 125-seat theater and 300-foot projection wall, hosting exhibitions, theater, music, poetry, and community events for DMV residents and visitors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dupont Underground does
Dupont Underground is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit arts organization that operates a 15,000-square-foot venue inside a reclaimed 1920s streetcar station beneath Dupont Circle. Founded in 2016, the organization has been active for 8+ years and runs three primary physical spaces: a 125-seat theater for plays, concerts, and musical acts; a Red Stage for poetry readings, speaker series, DJ sets, and talks; and a gallery/exhibition area featuring a 300-foot projection wall that follows the curve of the original trolley tracks. Programming is multidisciplinary and event-driven, spanning visual art exhibitions, theater and opera, classical and contemporary music, film screenings, comedy shows, drag performances, and community gatherings. Open weekends for exhibitions (Friday-Sunday 11-5) with a seasonal closure from July to early September, the venue is supported by a small staff alongside volunteers, artists, partners, and donors.
The organization monetizes through a mix of ticket sales (ranging from $5 for exhibitions to $15-$70 for performances, with pay-what-you-can and free RSVP options), space rentals to outside organizations and event producers, and donations collected via Givebutter. It also runs a recurring Read the Room poetry series on the Red Stage where 70% of ticket revenue is shared directly with performers. Distribution relies on its own website, Eventbrite ticketing, Instagram, an email newsletter, and partner cross-promotion through embassies, resident theater companies, and local arts organizations. Key partners include La Pluma Theatre and Picnic Theatre Company (resident companies), Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, InSeries, Counterpoint Concerts, KAMA DC, Washington Blade, and cultural institutions from the Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, and Swiss embassies. The organization is led by CEO Ana Harvey under a Board chaired by Lindsey May.
Dupont Underground firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dupont Underground
- Legal name
- Dupont Underground
- Website
- https://dupontunderground.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dupont Underground is a Washington, DC nonprofit arts venue operating a 15,000-square-foot reclaimed streetcar station with a 125-seat theater and 300-foot projection wall, hosting exhibitions, theater, music, poetry, and community events for DMV residents and visitors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dupont Underground industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Venue
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)
Keywords
Where Dupont Underground is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dupont Underground business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Revenue from ticketed performances, exhibitions, and events. Events range from free (donation-based/RSVP) to paid tickets priced between $5-$40. Some performances offer PWYW (Pay What You Can) options.
- Space rentals: The venue is available for rental to outside organizations, artists, and event planners for installations, performances, and gatherings.
- Donations: Accepts donations through givebutter.com/dudonations platform. Relies on donor support as part of revenue mix.
- Artist revenue share: For the Read the Room poetry series, 70% of ticket sales are shared with performers. Artists can also sell merchandise with a small table fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Exhibition entry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Performance tickets |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Read the Room poetry series |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | PWYW and free events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Dupont Underground product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dupont Underground operates a 15,000 square foot multidisciplinary arts venue inside a reclaimed historic streetcar station beneath Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. The organization curates and hosts ticketed and free exhibitions, theater and music performances, poetry series, film screenings, drag and LGBTQ+ events, and community gatherings. It also rents the venue to outside organizations, artists, and event producers, and sustains operations through donations.
Product overview
Dupont Underground operates as a multidisciplinary arts venue and event space, transforming 15,000 square feet of an abandoned streetcar station beneath Dupont Circle into a cultural hub. The venue comprises three primary offerings: a 125-seat theater for performing arts, a Red Stage for intimate performances and spoken word events, and a gallery/exhibition space featuring a 300-foot projection wall. The organization curates ongoing programming including theatrical productions, poetry series (Read the Room), film screenings, and rotating art exhibitions. Additional services include space rental for private events and external programming partnerships with embassies, arts organizations, and community groups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Performance Theater Space
- Red Stage
- Exhibition Gallery Space
- Space Rental
- Read the Room Poetry Series
- ALT-DC Exhibition
- Film Screenings
Quantifiable outcome
- Welcomed a wide spectrum of artists, organizations, and audiences over 8+ years of operation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Dupont Underground
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Dupont Underground technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Dupont Underground partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
25 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- KAMA DCminorVolunteer-run non-profit providing platform for immigrants and refugees to share stories and skills through Melodies of Migration events.
- Museum Walk Weekend ConsortiumminorCollaboration with Anderson House, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, and President Woodrow Wilson House for annual museum walk.
- National Cherry Blossom FestivalminorThe Art of Kimono registered as official National Cherry Blossom Festival event.
- Heinrich Boell FoundationminorSupport for 1000 Dreams exhibition about refugee experiences.
- Picnic Theatre CompanycoreResident theater company producing theatrical parodies at the venue. Productions include My Favorite Year and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Regular comedy theater programming partner.
- Woolly Mammoth Theatre CompanycorePresents A Fine Madness by Justin Weaks as a local tour bringing the piece to different DC communities and cultural hubs. Artist-in-residence collaboration.
- Counterpoint ConcertscoreClassical music concert series presenting seasonal performances including tributes and chamber music at DU.
- Washington BladecoreLGBTQ+ publication partnership for events including The Ground We Stand On exhibition on DC LGBTQ+ changemakers and Drag Underground series (every 2nd Friday). Deep collaboration on Pride programming and queer community events.
- InSeriescoreOpera-theater company presenting Passion Plays Festival at DU. Productions include Only The Air, Passio, and For Women Serving Time.
- Alliance for New Music-TheatercoreProduces The Trumpeter, an immersive theatrical experience about Ukraine, in the unique environment of Dupont Underground.
- Metrocabaret ClubminorPresents Black History Month Burlesque Exhibition celebrating Black burlesque performers and their cultural impact.
- Witness Changeminor1000 Dreams exhibition amplifying refugee voices and stories through photography and interviews produced by refugees worldwide.
- Historic Dupont Circle Main StreetscoreNon-profit supporting Counterpoint Concerts and Museum Walk Weekend. Neighborhood organization supporting local arts and culture.
- United Help UkraineminorPhotographs from United Help Ukraine featured in The Ukrainian Exhibition alongside The Trumpeter production.
- Georgetown University / The LabminorLaboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University listed as partner and supporter.
- The Kennedy CenterminorPartner organization in DC arts community; performers have connections to Kennedy Center programming.
- Tintas DCminorWriters group centering Latine voices in DMV. Raíces y Ritmos Latine voices showcase at DU.
- La Pluma TheatrecoreResident theater company launched at DU in November 2025, devoted to transforming human stories into shared experiences.
- DMV Music AllianceminorFestival supporting local music and arts in DC, featuring Suspicous Package with local bands.
- Embassy of Italy / Italian Cultural InstitutecoreMarmo | Marble: Carving The Future exhibition celebrating Italian culture, land, creativity, and quality through marble and technology.
- Embassy of SwedenminorVideo art exhibition You don't love me, Yet featuring Swedish artists, curated in collaboration with the Swedish Institute and Kalmar Art Museum.
- Embassy of SpaincorePolis exhibition: Lessons from the European Prize of Urban Public Space, presented under the commission of the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in the US.
- Portuguese EmbassyminorArchitecture & the Question of Democracy exhibition and discussion.
- Norwegian EmbassyminorNorwegian jazz musical performance at DU.
- Swiss EmbassyminorMusical performance at Dupont Underground.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Dupont Underground competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atlas Performing Arts Center: DC multipurpose arts venue featuring multiple performance spaces, gallery programming, and resident performing-arts companies. Directly comparable to Dupont Underground as a multidisciplinary community arts platform with theater, gallery, and event-rental offerings.
- Torpedo Factory Art Center: Iconic converted WWII torpedo factory on the DC waterfront now operating as an arts center with artist studios, galleries, and event programming. Comparable as a repurposed historic industrial space converted into a multidisciplinary cultural venue.
- Hill Center: Historic DC venue hosting arts programming, performances, classes, and private event rentals. Comparable to Dupont Underground as a converted-historic-space arts and event venue serving the DC cultural community.
- ARTECHOUSE: Washington, DC-based immersive art venue operating large-format projection-based exhibitions in a dedicated space. Highly comparable to Dupont Underground's 300-foot projection wall and exhibition programming, and the closest direct competitor for immersive cultural experiences in the DC market.
- Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: DC's flagship experimental theater company and an active programming partner of Dupont Underground. Comparable as a DC-based theater organization producing innovative performance work for similar audiences, with overlapping artist networks.
- The Phillips Collection: DC-based art museum and historic Dupont Circle cultural institution that participates in the Museum Walk Weekend consortium with Dupont Underground. Comparable as a DC cultural venue anchoring the same neighborhood audience and partnership ecosystem.
- CulturalDC: DC-based nonprofit arts organization supporting experimental performance and visual-art programming, including venue initiatives like Source Theatre. Comparable as a peer DC nonprofit advancing emerging artists and unconventional cultural programming in the same ecosystem.
Regional players
- The Anthem: DC waterfront concert venue operated by I.M.P. hosting touring music acts and ticketed performances. Comparable as a DC ticketed live-performance venue competing for the same arts-and-culture audience, though focused primarily on music rather than multidisciplinary programming.
Emerging players
- Atlas Brew Works / Industrial-Strength Arts Spaces (illustrative category: Meow Wolf): Meow Wolf operates immersive, large-scale experiential art venues across multiple US cities using repurposed and purpose-built spaces. Comparable as an emerging immersive-arts operator whose projection-heavy, narrative-driven installations set the bar for the kind of differentiated visitor experience Dupont Underground pursues with its 300-foot wall.
Broad incumbents
- National Building Museum: Large DC museum and event venue housed in a historic landmark building, hosting exhibitions, performances, and large-scale private events. Comparable as a DC venue operating in a distinctive historic space with significant event-rental revenue, though at a much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dupont Underground social profiles
Digital presenceDupont Underground financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dupont Underground leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Dupont Underground funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dupont Underground 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 Dupont Underground
What does Dupont Underground do?
Dupont Underground operates a 15,000 square foot multidisciplinary arts venue inside a reclaimed historic streetcar station beneath Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. The organization curates and hosts ticketed and free exhibitions, theater and music performances, poetry series, film screenings, drag and LGBTQ+ events, and community gatherings. It also rents the venue to outside organizations, artists, and event producers, and sustains operations through donations.
Is Dupont Underground a public or private company?
Dupont Underground is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dupont Underground founded?
Dupont Underground was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dupont Underground based?
Dupont Underground is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dupont Underground make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are space rentals, donations and artist revenue share.
Who are Dupont Underground's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atlas Performing Arts Center, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Hill Center, ARTECHOUSE, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Phillips Collection and CulturalDC. The Anthem is listed as a regional player. Atlas Brew Works / Industrial-Strength Arts Spaces (illustrative category: Meow Wolf) is listed as an emerging player. National Building Museum is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Dupont Underground have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dupont Underground.
What industry is Dupont Underground in?
Dupont Underground's product category is Performing Arts Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAAAB, Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues, with a secondary code of THAHAAAH, Fairgrounds & Expo Parks. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7830.