Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn

What Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn does

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a single, purpose-built children's museum at 5100 Museum Drive, Oak Lawn, Illinois. It serves families with children ages 0-8 (with a primary concentration on ages 0-5) through hands-on, curriculum-aligned exhibits mapped to Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, plus scheduled programs including general admission, Wee Ones Wednesday (birth-to-three, therapist-supported), Sensory Friendly Play Sessions, Art Explorers with Olivia, Member Only Hour, and Member Mondays. The museum also operates field trips, birthday party rentals, and a gift shop, and runs community-driven fundraising via the Queen of Hearts raffle (weekly at PD's Place) and the annual Jim Buschbach Memorial Golf Outing at Hickory Hills Country Club.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and entirely composed of third-party SaaS: Wix for website hosting, TAM Intelliware (a Lode Data Systems e-commerce platform) for online memberships/tickets/donations/gift cards at store.cmoaklawn.org, Constant Contact for email marketing, Google Analytics for web analytics, and The Assistant Manager for payment processing. There are no proprietary software assets; the "technology" of the business is the physical exhibit floor itself and the human-curated programming layered on top of it.

The revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit mix: (1) tiered annual and short-term memberships ranging from $99 to $300 with reciprocal benefits across the ACM network; (2) in-person-only general admission tickets (no online ticketing for standard admission); (3) one-time fees for birthday parties, private rentals, and field trips; (4) a gift shop with both physical and digital gift cards; (5) tax-deductible donations, annual appeals, and endowment contributions; and (6) event-based fundraising including the weekly raffle and annual golf sponsorships ($150-$3,000 tiers). The Legacy Partners in Play tier ($300) bundles a $50 tax-deductible donation, explicitly blending consumer pricing with philanthropy. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer with strong community, school, and reciprocal-museum partnership channels and minimal paid digital infrastructure.

Name

Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn

Legal name

Children's Museum in Oak Lawn

Website

https://cmoaklawn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a single-location, hands-on children's museum in Oak Lawn, Illinois, serving families with children ages 0-8 through curriculum-aligned exhibits, tiered memberships, sensory-friendly and early-intervention programs, birthday parties, field trips, and donor-funded community initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAE

Children’s Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJAKAO

Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Workshops & Classes (Arts, Crafts, Skills & Local Lessons)

SECONDARYTHAJAEAG

Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Theme Parks, Water Parks & Family Entertainment Centers

Keywords

• Children's museum
• Interactive exhibits
• Early childhood education
• Play-based learning
• Museum memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Lawn

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Revenue generated from daily admission tickets sold in person at the museum. Pricing is tiered by age (children and adults). General admission tickets are only available in person.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and short-term memberships (90 Days of Play, CMOL Explorer, Partners in Play, Legacy Partners in Play) that provide unlimited or bundled daily admissions, discounts on events and gift shop, and reciprocal benefits at partner ACM museums. Memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.
3. Donations & Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations including general donations, annual appeal, memorial gifts, endowment contributions, and Queen of Hearts raffle. The museum operates as a 501(c)(3) and relies on charitable giving to support programs and the Museums For All initiative.
4. Birthday Parties & Private Rentals: Revenue from booking private birthday party events and museum space rentals. Special pricing on private museum rentals is available to members.
5. Gift Shop Sales: The museum operates a gift store with educational toys. Sales are supplemented by digital gift cards purchasable online.
6. Golf Outing Sponsorships: The annual Jim Buschbach Memorial Golf Outing generates sponsorship revenue at various tiers (Premier, Bar, Cart, Lunch, Registration, Refreshment, Hole Sponsors).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a single physical museum featuring hands-on, play-based interactive exhibits designed for children ages 0–8. The museum sells general admission tickets, four tiers of annual memberships, birthday party and private event rentals, school field trips, and a variety of recurring programs (Wee Ones Wednesday, Sensory Friendly Play Sessions, Art Explorers). It also operates a gift shop and runs fundraising initiatives including a raffle and an annual golf outing.

Product overview

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering hands-on play experiences and interactive exhibits designed for children. The museum operates primarily as a physical destination with four membership tiers (90 Days of Play at $99, CMOL Explorer at $175, Partners in Play at $225, and Legacy Partners in Play at $300) that provide varying levels of admission, discounts, and reciprocal benefits. Core programs include general admission, Wee Ones Wednesday (birth-to-three sessions), Sensory Friendly Play Sessions, Art Explorers with Olivia, Member Only Hour, and Member Monday events. The museum also offers birthday party rentals, field trips, a gift shop, and various fundraising initiatives including the Queen of Hearts Raffle and annual golf outing. A digital Resource Hub connects families to local early childhood services. The museum is accessible through an online store powered by TAM Intelliware for memberships and tickets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 90 Days of Play Membership A $99 short-term membership for two named cardholders providing 4 free daily admissions over 3 months, 10% gift shop discount, early Saturday admission, and discounts on special events, programs, and birthday parties.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PD's Place (Oak Lawn)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PD's Place in Oak Lawn hosts the weekly Queen of Hearts raffle drawing every Thursday at 6:30 PM, which is broadcast on Facebook Live. This is a local partnership supporting the museum's fundraising raffle program.
• Hickory Hills Country ClubminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Hickory Hills Country Club (8201 W. 95th St, Hickory Hills, IL 60457) hosts the annual Jim Buschbach Memorial Golf Outing on July 30, 2026, with shotgun at 1:00 PM. The event generates sponsorship revenue for the museum.
• North Central College, Department of Psychology & NeurosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Dr. Nicole Rivera and research team from North Central College conducted a multi-site study across 12 children's museums including the Children's Museum in Oak Lawn. The study examined how exhibit design (loose parts play, scenario-based/pretend play, collaborative play) impacts preschoolers' peer relationship skills. 61 observations were completed at this museum.
• Birth to Five IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirth to Five Illinois provides funding that makes the museum's Early Childhood Resource Hub possible. The hub is a community-driven directory connecting families with trusted services for children ages 0–5, including pediatric care, early education, therapy services, and parenting support.
• ACM (Association of Children's Museums) Reciprocal NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum participates in the ACM Reciprocal Membership network, providing members with 50% off admission at hundreds of partner children's museums across the country. This extends the value of memberships and encourages cross-museum family exploration.
• KidsWork Children's MuseumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners in Play (PIP) membership includes free admission for up to 6 people at KidsWork Children's Museum, one of the PIP partner museums in the regional reciprocal network.
• Exploration StationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners in Play (PIP) membership includes free admission for up to 6 people at Exploration Station, a PIP partner museum in the regional reciprocal network.
• CLIMB (Children's Library and Museum Benchmarking) Partner MuseumsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCMOL Explorer and Partners in Play members enjoy free admission to CLIMB partner museums as part of their membership benefits.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Please Touch Museum: Children's museum in Philadelphia serving families with young children through hands-on exhibits focused on early learning. Direct peer in terms of mission, audience, and program offerings including sensory-friendly programming.
• Discovery Museum: Children's museum in Bridgeport, CT providing hands-on STEM and play-based learning experiences for young children. Direct peer with comparable audience, mission, and ACM participation.
• Wonder Works Children's Museum: Children's museum in Oak Park, IL offering hands-on exhibits and programming for young children and families. Direct peer serving the broader Chicago metro area with comparable early-childhood focus and ACM participation.
• Port Discovery Children's Museum: Children's museum in Baltimore, MD offering interactive exhibits and educational programming for children and families. Direct peer with comparable ACM reciprocal membership benefits and similar operational model.
• DuPage Children's Museum: Children's museum in Naperville, IL serving the western Chicago suburbs with hands-on exhibits focused on early childhood learning. Direct peer offering curriculum-aligned play experiences to the same families, with reciprocal membership benefits.
• Chicago Children's Museum: Major children's museum located at Navy Pier in Chicago serving families with hands-on exhibits and programming. Direct geographic competitor in the Chicago metro area, serving the same target audience of families with young children with comparable ACM reciprocal membership benefits.
• Exploration Station: Children's museum in Bourbonnais, IL serving south suburban and downstate Illinois families with hands-on exhibits. Direct peer and existing PIP reciprocal partner with similar target demographic and offerings.
• Kohl Children's Museum: Children's museum in Glenview, IL serving north suburban Chicago families with hands-on exhibits and programming for ages 0-8. Direct peer targeting the same demographic with similar early childhood education focus and ACM membership reciprocity.
• KidsWork Children's Museum: Children's museum in Frankfort, IL serving the south suburban Chicago market with interactive exhibits for young children. Direct peer and existing PIP (Partners in Play) reciprocal partner — comparable offerings and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: One of the largest children's museums in the world, located in Indianapolis. Operates in the same space with similar hands-on exhibits and ACM reciprocal participation, but at a vastly larger scale and broader scope; serves as the regional anchor that shapes ACM reciprocal expectations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmoaklawn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5y6qtcfpa7uuHnt1cDWy0Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/cmoaklawn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2268148
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmoaklawn
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cmoaklawn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn