New Hampshire Boat Museum

What New Hampshire Boat Museum does

The New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) is a nonprofit heritage and educational organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, with a second campus in Wolfeboro. It operates as a freshwater boating heritage museum serving the Lake Winnipesaukee region, preserving and presenting a permanent collection of historic canoes, kayaks, dories, sailboats, and race boats alongside maritime artifacts and documentation. The museum's core product portfolio spans the Millie B historic boat tour on Lake Winnipesaukee, boat building workshops, community sailing instruction, model yachting (operated through the volunteer-run Back Bay Skippers club), Lake Discovery Family Days, and the Junior Skipper youth program. It hosts a deep annual events calendar including the 50th Annual Alton Bay Boat Show, the Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta, and the New England Vintage Boat & Car Auction, supplemented by arts exhibitions and the Hulls & Hops speaker series.

NHBM monetizes through a diversified nonprofit revenue model with seven primary streams: museum admissions (with periodic free admission days), annual memberships, individual and corporate donations/endowments, charter and wedding boat services, vintage boat auction commissions, educational program fees (workshops priced $300-$430), and museum store retail (operated physically and via Square e-commerce). Distribution is primarily through walk-up visits to its two campuses, supplemented by online ticketing via Peek. Its customer base spans general public visitors, families, vintage boat collectors/owners, model yacht enthusiasts, and youth educational groups, with no enterprise or large-anchor accounts. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and supported by a sponsor network including Fay's Boat Yard, Mark O'Connell Foundation, Sea Tow, Freedom Boat Club, Goodhue Boat Company, and regional public funders. The museum is currently mid-execution on a capital campaign for a new facility and a Storm Boat Project 2026 tied to America's 250th anniversary.

Name

New Hampshire Boat Museum

Legal name

New Hampshire Boat Museum

Website

https://www.nhbm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Hampshire Boat Museum is a nonprofit heritage organization operating two campuses on Lake Winnipesaukee, preserving freshwater boating history through boat tours, educational programs, model yachting, community sailing, and signature annual events serving regional visitors, families, and boating enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Maritime Education

NAICS

Museums (712110), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Heritage museum exhibits
• Maritime education programs
• Boat building workshops
• Model yacht racing
• Community sailing instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Moultonborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Ticket sales for museum admission, with free admission days offered periodically for New Hampshire residents and specific groups like health-care workers and teachers.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering various benefits to supporters, with different tiers available.
3. Donations and Endowments: Individual and corporate donations, including capital campaign for new museum facility.
4. Boat Rides and Charters: Revenue from Millie B boat tours on Lake Winnipesaukee, including charter and wedding services.
5. Vintage Boat Auction: Annual summer auction of vintage boats and cars, accepting consignments and bidder registrations.
6. Educational Programs: Fees for boat building workshops, model yacht building classes, sailing instruction, and other educational programming.
7. Museum Store: Retail sales through physical museum store and online shop via Square site.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The New Hampshire Boat Museum is a heritage museum and educational center that preserves and presents New Hampshire's freshwater boating history through permanent collections of historic boats and maritime artifacts, hands-on educational programs (boat building, sailing, model yacht racing), boat tours on the historic Millie B vessel, annual events such as the Alton Bay Boat Show and Wolfeboro Vintage Race Boat Regatta, and charter/auction services. It operates two campuses in Moultonborough and Wolfeboro on Lake Winnipesaukee, funded by admissions, memberships, donations, grants, sponsorships, program fees, and retail sales.

Product overview

The New Hampshire Boat Museum operates as a heritage preservation and education center offering a diverse portfolio of programs and experiences centered on New Hampshire's boating history. The core offering includes the historic Millie B boat tour on Lake Winnipesaukee and the museum's permanent boat collection. Educational programs include boat building workshops, model yachting (via the Back Bay Skippers club), community sailing instruction, and Lake Discovery family days. The museum hosts signature events including the annual Alton Bay Boat Show, Vintage Race Boat Regatta, and New England Vintage Boat & Car Auction. Additional offerings include arts exhibitions, the Hulls & Hops speaker series, overnight programs, boat restoration, and charter services. The museum maintains two campuses in Moultonborough and Wolfeboro, with a capital campaign underway for a new facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Millie B Boat Tour Scheduled boat rides on the historic Millie B vessel on Lake Winnipesaukee, offering public ticketed tours that recreate the golden age of freshwater boating for individual visitors and tourists.
• Boat Building Workshops Multi-day hands-on boat building programs where participants construct boats, canoes, or kayaks under instructor guidance. Open to individuals and families seeking experiential learning in traditional boat construction.
• Model Yachting (Back Bay Skippers) Model yacht racing program featuring Soling 1 Meter and US12 model yacht classes with regular competitions and building workshops, hosted in partnership with the Back Bay Skippers club for hobbyist builders and competitive racers.
• Model Yacht Building Workshop Week-long workshop teaching participants to construct Soling 1 Meter model yachts, with optional radio kit; priced at $300 (hull kit only) or $430 (hull kit with radio).
• Community Sailing Sailing instruction programs for adults and youth, covering small boat sailing and keelboat sailing, delivered in partnership with Goodhue Boat Company.
• Alton Bay Boat Show Annual boat show (now in its 50th year) showcasing vintage and classic boats, serving as one of the region's premier boating events for attendees and exhibitors.
• Vintage Race Boat Regatta (Wolfeboro) Annual vintage race boat competition featuring historic wooden powerboats racing on Lake Winnipesaukee.
• New England Vintage Boat & Car Auction Annual auction held at the Moultonborough Campus, featuring vintage boats and classic automobiles; accepts consignments and bidder registrations from collectors and enthusiasts.
• Charters & Weddings on Millie B Private boat charter services on the Millie B for events, weddings, and special occasions on Lake Winnipesaukee.
• Lake Discovery Family Days Family-friendly educational programs featuring boat safety activities, Raingutter Regatta, and floating experiments designed for children and families.
• America's Boating Course Boating safety and certification class for adults seeking baseline boating safety knowledge.
• Arts Series & Featured Artists Monthly artist receptions and rotating art exhibitions featuring nautical and lakes-themed artwork on display at the museum.
• Hulls & Hops Speaker Series Lecture series featuring presentations on boating history, rowing, and maritime topics, often paired with social/hospitality elements.
• Night at the Museum Overnight camping experience at the museum campus, including themed 'Up To Camp' overnight events for families and youth groups.
• Boat Restoration Program Volunteer-led program restoring historic boats from the museum's permanent collection, engaging boating enthusiasts and collectors as participants.
• Museum Store & The Trading Dock Physical museum store and online retail marketplace selling boat-related merchandise and second-hand boat items via the Square e-commerce site.
• NH Boat Museum Permanent Collection Permanent museum collection of historic boats including canoes, kayaks, dories, sailboats, and race boats, displayed with detailed historical records and accessible via general admission.
• Wheels & Waves Evening event combining vintage automobiles and classic boats, attracting car and boat enthusiasts to the museum campus.

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fay's Boat YardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor supporting museum operations and events; logo displayed prominently on website sponsor section
• Sea TowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoating safety company sponsor supporting museum's mission and water safety education programs
• Taylor CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community organization sponsor
• Amoskeag BeveragesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeverage company sponsor, likely supporting events and hospitality
• Freedom Boat ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoating franchise sponsor with location at NH Weirs Beach
• North Water MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine services company sponsor supporting museum events
• Goodhue Boat CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for on-water safety instruction and sailing programs; hosts classes at their facility
• New Hampshire HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization supporting educational programming and lectures

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mystic Seaport Museum: Largest maritime heritage museum in the U.S., operating historic vessels, boatbuilding programs, and waterfront exhibits in Mystic, CT. Most directly comparable to NHBM as a specialty maritime museum with educational programming, boat tours, and restoration activities.
• Antique Boat Museum: Maritime museum in Clayton, NY dedicated to the preservation of antique and classic boats on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Directly comparable to NHBM in mission, freshwater focus, vintage boat collection, and hosting regattas.
• Maine Maritime Museum: Maritime heritage museum in Bath, ME preserving Maine's shipbuilding and boating history with exhibits, boat tours, and educational programs. Closely comparable regional peer with overlapping programming mix and New England footprint.
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Waterfront maritime museum in St. Michaels, MD operating historic boat tours, boatbuilding workshops, and an oyster-dredging fleet. Comparable in combining museum exhibits with hands-on boatbuilding and on-water experiences.
• Herreshoff Marine Museum: Maritime museum in Bristol, RI focused on the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company's sailing yacht legacy, with exhibits and regatta programming. Comparable specialty maritime museum with classic yacht focus and active sailing community.
• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum: Freshwater maritime museum in Vergennes, VT dedicated to Lake Champlain's boating and shipwreck history. Most directly comparable peer by freshwater-lake setting and regional heritage mission.
• Michigan Maritime Museum: Maritime museum in South Haven, MI preserving Great Lakes maritime heritage with boat tours and educational programs. Comparable freshwater-focused maritime museum with similar programming mix.
• WoodenBoat School: Boatbuilding education program in Brooklin, ME offering multi-day hands-on boat building workshops. Directly comparable in offering fee-based boatbuilding and craft education, the closest functional peer to NHBM's Boat Building & More program.

Broad incumbents

• The Mariners' Museum and Park: One of the largest maritime museums in the world, located in Newport News, VA, with a much broader international maritime scope. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum but operates at significantly larger scale and scope than NHBM.

Regional players

• Columbia River Maritime Museum: Maritime museum in Astoria, OR focused on Pacific Northwest maritime heritage with boat tours and exhibits. Comparable specialty maritime museum serving a different geography rather than competing directly with NHBM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NHBoatMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-hampshire-boat-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 New Hampshire Boat Museum