Natural History Museum of Utah

What Natural History Museum of Utah does

The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) is Utah's legislatively designated state museum of natural history and an organized research and teaching unit of the University of Utah, founded in 1969 (institutional roots to 1963) and relocated in November 2011 to the 163,000 square foot LEED Gold certified Rio Tinto Center in Salt Lake City. The museum curates a world-renowned collection of nearly 2 million objects spanning archaeology, botany, ethnography, invertebrate and vertebrate zoology, mineralogy, mycology, and paleontology, and operates advanced research facilities including climate-controlled storage, a Paleo Prep Lab, and a genetics lab. NHMU's product surface is built around three pillars: onsite public engagement (12 permanent exhibitions across four levels plus rotating special exhibitions such as Bug World, an on-site retail store, Canyon Cafe, facility rentals and weddings), youth and family programming (award-winning summer camps, $325 science-themed birthday parties for ages 5-10, teen programs, and field trips), and statewide educational outreach (Museum on the Move visits every Utah public school, Youth Teaching Youth peer-education with Glendale Middle School, Traveling Treasures mobile exhibitions, and Educator Workshops).

The museum monetizes this activity through diversified revenue streams: paid general admission tickets at unit pricing, an annual tiered membership subscription program, retail sales (recognized for unique jewelry in Salt Lake Magazine's Best of Beehive Awards), birthday party package revenue, private event facility rentals, and philanthropic funding including a Copper Club major-donor program and the $44M+ campaign that built the Rio Tinto Center in partnership with Kennecott Utah Copper/Rio Tinto as naming donor. Digital distribution is anchored by Research Quest, a free online middle-school science learning platform with 15 investigations that has reached 1 million learning sessions and 735,000 user logins across six continents since its February 2016 launch. As a nonprofit, NHMU receives state legislative funding through the Informal Science Education Enhancement (iSEE) partnership, University of Utah institutional support, Salt Lake County bond financing, and significant private philanthropy, while operating with 101-250 employees under a Board of Advisors governance structure.

Name

Natural History Museum of Utah

Legal name

Natural History Museum of Utah

Website

https://nhmu.utah.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The state museum of natural history for Utah, operating the LEED Gold certified Rio Tinto Center with nearly 2 million catalogued objects, 12 permanent exhibitions, and statewide K-12 outreach, serving families, schools, researchers, event clients, and global online learners through Research Quest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Science education programs
• Museum exhibitions
• Fossil collections
• STEM outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase tickets for museum admission. The museum is open 10am-5pm daily with late hours until 9pm on Wednesdays.
2. Museum Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission for a year along with additional benefits. Family level and above receive discounts on birthday parties.
3. Museum Store Retail: Retail store selling museum merchandise, Utah-themed gifts, jewelry, artwork, toys, books, and souvenirs. Recognized for unique jewelry in Salt Lake Magazine Best of Beehive Awards.
4. Birthday Party Packages: Science-themed birthday parties for children ages 5-10, priced at $325 with $25 discount for museum members. Includes themed activities, party room reservations, and general admission passes.
5. Facility Rentals and Private Events: Corporate events, weddings, and group visits. The museum serves as an architectural venue for private events with catering and event coordination services.
6. Summer Camps: Award-winning summer camp programs for children from rising kindergarten through various grades, offering STEM-focused educational experiences.
7. Donations and Philanthropy: The museum accepts donations and operates a Copper Club membership program for major donors. Received $44+ million in philanthropic support for building construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Natural History Museum of Utah operates Utah's official state museum of natural history at the Rio Tinto Center in Salt Lake City, providing permanent and rotating exhibitions, structured educational programs including K-12 field trips and the Research Quest online platform, summer camps, science-themed birthday parties, private event rentals, and a museum store. Core operations are anchored by a nearly 2 million-object scientific collection that drives both public education and academic research. The museum partners with the University of Utah and functions as a research and teaching unit serving visitors, schools, families, and researchers.

Product overview

The Natural History Museum of Utah operates as a multi-faceted museum offering a unified platform of educational products and services. Its core offerings include permanent and traveling exhibitions (Bug World, Research Quest digital platform, 12 permanent galleries), youth and family programs (Summer Camps, Birthday Parties, Teen Programs, Field Trips), educator resources (Museum on the Move, Youth Teaching Youth, Educator Workshops, Teaching Toolboxes), citizen science initiatives, and outreach programs (Traveling Treasures, Explorer Corps). The museum also operates digital tools including the Research Quest online learning platform with 15 investigations, Navajo Basket Explorer, and searchable digital collections. Supporting infrastructure includes the LEED Gold-certified Rio Tinto Center facility, Museum Store, Canyon Cafe, Range Creek Field Station, and membership program. The museum leverages its world-renowned collection of nearly 2 million objects to deliver science education across ecology, paleontology, archaeology, and other natural history disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Research Quest: Free online educator resource launched in February 2016 to build critical thinking skills among middle school students through digital museum collections and real scientific work.
• Bug World
• Museum on the Move
• Youth Teaching Youth
• Range Creek Field Station
• Traveling Treasures
• Explorer Corps

Products and services

• Bug World Special Exhibition An immersive special exhibition exploring the world of insects; included with museum admission and targets general visitors, families, and school groups.
• Research Quest Online Learning Platform Free online educator resource featuring 15 investigations spanning ecology, paleontology, and archaeology; designed to build critical thinking skills through digital museum collections and real scientific work for middle school classrooms.
• Permanent Exhibitions Twelve permanent exhibitions filling four levels of the Rio Tinto Center covering Utah's natural history across billions of years.
• Summer Camps Award-winning summer camp programs for children from rising kindergarteners through older grades, offering STEM-based activities including paleontology, zoology, engineering, and astronomy-themed camps.
• Birthday Parties Science-themed birthday party packages priced at $325 for up to 15 children plus 5 adults, including 60-minute party room reservation, 40-minute community room for cake, dedicated staff, themed activities, 20 general admission passes, goodie bags, and decorations; museum members receive $25 discount.
• School Field Trips Guided and self-guided field trip experiences for school groups including STEM lab activities and museum exploration.
• Youth Teaching Youth Science outreach and enrichment program that teaches middle and high school students how to teach science while helping them achieve personal and academic goals, with Glendale Middle School partnership.
• Museum on the Move Traveling science educator program that visits fourth-grade classrooms throughout Utah's public schools, bringing museum objects and inquiry-based learning.
• Educator Workshops Professional development workshops for teachers providing STEM teaching skills and content knowledge aligned with state curriculum standards.
• Traveling Treasures Traveling outreach program bringing museum exhibits and educational experiences to communities statewide across Utah.
• Explorer Corps Community engagement program connecting people with natural history exploration opportunities across Utah's natural spaces.
• Museum Store Retail store offering museum merchandise, Utah-themed gifts, hand-crafted jewelry, indigenous artwork, dinosaur toys, and natural history books; recognized for unique jewelry by Salt Lake Magazine Best of Beehive Awards.
• Museum Membership Program Annual membership program offering free admission for a year and additional benefits, with family level and above receiving $25 birthday party discount and 10% discount at the Museum Store.
• Facility Rentals and Private Events Corporate events, weddings, galas, and group visits at the Rio Tinto Center with catering and event coordination services.
• Canyon Cafe Food service venue located within the Rio Tinto Center.
• Citizen Science Programs allowing public participation in scientific research, logging observations, transcribing field notes, and digitizing collections.
• Teen Programs Programs designed specifically for teenagers to engage with museum science and educational content.
• Range Creek Field Station Remote field station in Range Creek Canyon housing hundreds of archaeologically and culturally significant sites, operated as a coalition of researchers, educators, and individuals investigating natural and human history.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 million learning sessions achieved by Research Quest platform in 10 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MuseumsPartnerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Exhibit production company that produced the Angkor special exhibition showcasing ancient Cambodian civilization artifacts.
• University of Utah Researchers and EducatorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2016Research Quest was developed in collaboration with University of Utah researchers and educators. The museum operates as an organized research and teaching unit of the University of Utah, with scientists conducting research and training students in the museum's facilities.
• Ennead ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Lead architectural firm for Rio Tinto Center design, known for cultural and educational institutions including Newseum and American Museum of Natural History Rose Center.
• GSBS ArchitectscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Local Utah architecture firm and sustainable design leader, responsible for LEED-certified buildings including 2002 Olympic Speed Skating Oval.
• Ralph Appelbaum & AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Exhibit design firm for Rio Tinto Center, creating immersive museum experiences and educational environments.
• Big-D ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2011Construction firm that built Rio Tinto Center, with extensive LEED-certified building experience in Utah.
• Glendale Middle SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Glendale Middle School for the Youth Teaching Youth program, where middle school students train to become peer science educators for 4th grade classrooms.
• Children's Center of UtahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health awareness partnership during May to share benefits children experience when exploring museums, with family therapists providing expertise on museum visits.
• National Federation of the Blind of UtahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create accessible museum experiences for visitors with disabilities, including tactile tours and accessibility programs.
• Utah Schools for the Deaf and the BlindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to ensure museum accessibility for students with hearing or visual impairments through sign language interpreters and specialized programs.
• Camp KostopulosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with organizations serving individuals with disabilities to create welcoming and inclusive museum experiences.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Arizona Museum of Natural History: A regional natural history museum in Mesa, Arizona serving a similar Mountain West / Southwest audience with a focus on paleontology and Southwest archaeology. Comparable in mission and regional positioning though smaller in scale.

Broad incumbents

• American Museum of Natural History: The largest natural history museum in the world, based in New York City. A broader incumbent with vastly greater scale, but a clear reference point for NHMU's research and exhibitions programming model and the gold standard for U.S. natural history institutions.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The federal natural history museum and one of the most visited museums in the world. Operates at a vastly larger scale but represents the ultimate institutional model combining research, exhibitions, and free public access that NHMU emulates at the state level.

Direct peers

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: A long-established natural history museum in Pittsburgh with significant research collections and paleontology focus. Comparable in combining research, exhibitions, and educational programming anchored to a university-adjacent structure.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: A natural history and science museum in Dallas opened in 2012 with a similarly modern, LEED-certified building. Comparable in its focus on STEM education, interactive exhibits, and outreach to K-12 students.
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: One of the largest natural history museums in the U.S. with extensive research collections (over 35 million specimens) and active research programs. Directly comparable in mission, collections, and public engagement model.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science: A major natural history museum in Texas with significant research collections, a satellite facility system (HMNS at Sugar Land, etc.), and active educational programming. Comparable in operating scale and a focus on paleontology and cultural exhibits.
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science: A regional natural history museum of similar size, also serving as a Smithsonian affiliate and major STEM education provider in the Mountain West. Operates comparable programming including IMAX, planetarium, exhibitions, school outreach, and research collections.
• California Academy of Sciences: A natural history museum and research institution in San Francisco combining aquarium, planetarium, and natural history exhibits. Comparable as an integrated research-and-public-engagement natural history institution with significant LEED-certified facilities.
• Field Museum: One of the largest natural history museums in the U.S., focused on biological and anthropological research and exhibitions. Highly comparable in mission, collections scale (millions of specimens), and university research partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nhmu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NaturalHistoryMuseumofUtah
• Facebookfacebook.com/naturalhistorymuseumofutah
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhmu
• TikToktiktok.com/@naturalhistorymuseumutah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natural-history-museum-of-utah

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Natural History Museum of Utah