Alabama Museum of Natural History

What Alabama Museum of Natural History does

The Alabama Museum of Natural History is a non-profit natural history museum and unit of The University of Alabama, housed in Smith Hall on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The institution traces its roots to 1910 and was formally transferred from the Geological Survey of Alabama to the University in 1961. Operated with approximately 12 staff, the museum curates significant paleontological and natural history collections including one of the world's largest mosasaur collections (1,000+ records), the Basilosaurus cetoides skeleton (Alabama's State Fossil since 1984), and specimens spanning 500 million years of Alabama's natural history. Technology is limited to a standard museum website with online ticketing and registration; the institution also administers community science projects on OdonataCentral and iNaturalist.

The museum serves a diverse audience including K-12 school groups, homeschool families, UA faculty and students, individual walk-in visitors, and citizen science volunteers. Educational programming encompasses guided field trips ($4/student, $6/adult), Discovery Labs, Fossil Excursions ($41/person), Homeschool Days ($15), and the John S. Steiner Endowed Lecture Series. Partnerships with OdonataCentral, iNaturalist, UA Bee Club, West Alabama Beekeepers Association, University Recreation, and the Tuscaloosa County Master Gardeners support both exhibit development and community programming.

Revenue is generated through a fragmented mix of small-ticket streams: admission fees ($3-$5), facility rental of Smith Hall Grand Gallery, gift shop sales, membership dues, donations to the Gift Fund and Programs Gift Fund, program fees, and publications (including the Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History and books such as "Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks"). Free admission is extended to children under 5, Blue Star Families, SNAP recipients (Museums for All), and the entire UA community. The museum is institutionally funded through the University of Alabama system and does not disclose financial information publicly.

Name

Alabama Museum of Natural History

Legal name

Alabama Museum of Natural History

Website

https://almnh.museums.ua.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Alabama Museum of Natural History is a non-profit university museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, preserving 500 million years of Alabama natural history including one of the world's largest mosasaur collections, serving K-12 schools, families, UA affiliates, and citizen scientists through exhibits, field trips, and community science programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), History Museums (THAJADAB), Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Educational programming
• Fossil exhibits
• Science education
• Citizen science

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Ticket sales for museum visitors including adults, students, and group admissions
2. Gift Shop Sales: Retail sales of minerals, jewelry, books, and other natural history-themed merchandise
3. Donations and Gift Funds: Voluntary contributions to the museum's Gift Fund (public exhibits improvements) and Programs Gift Fund (education outreach)
4. Facility Rental: Rental of Smith Hall Grand Gallery for events
5. Program Fees: Fees for special programs including Pilates classes ($5-$20), Fossil Excursions ($41/person), and Homeschool Days ($15)
6. Educational Programs: Field trip fees including guided tours ($4/student, $6/adult) and Discovery Lab sessions ($2-$3/student)
7. Membership Dues: Annual memberships for supporting members and student members providing free admission and other benefits
8. Publications Sales: Sales of the Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History (recent issues $20 each) and book sales including 'Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks' ($37.50)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Alabama Museum of Natural History operates a natural history museum in Smith Hall on the University of Alabama campus, displaying Cretaceous marine fossils, Ice Age mammals, and Native American artifacts from Alabama's geological and cultural record. The museum sells admissions to general visitors, delivers structured K-12 educational programs (field trips, Discovery Lab, classroom visits), runs community science initiatives, rents its Grand Gallery for events, and operates a gift shop offering educational toys, jewelry, and books. Admission is free for the UA campus community and children under 5, with paid admission for the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum General Admission
• K-12 Class Visit Field Trips
• Fossil Excursions Paid paleontology field experiences that take participants to active fossil dig sites for hands-on excavation. Run in partnership with the Black Belt Museum. For adult paleontology enthusiasts and amateur fossil collectors.
• Smith Hall Grand Gallery Rental Facility rental of the Smith Hall Grand Gallery for weddings, receptions, dinners, corporate events, and University of Alabama departmental functions. Capacity up to 170 for a black-tie optional dinner. University of Alabama departments receive complimentary services and equipment. For event organizers, wedding planners, corporate clients, and UA departments.
• Museum Memberships Supporting and Student membership tiers for individuals and families who wish to support the museum. For museum patrons, supporters, and student members.
• Museum Gift Shop On-site retail store selling educational toys, jewelry, books, and Alabama-themed merchandise. For museum visitors, families, and gift purchasers.
• Community Science Programs Community-based science programs including OdonataCentral dragonfly/damselfly species tracking, iNaturalist biodiversity projects, Alabama Audubon collaboration, and the Seniors in Science program. For University of Alabama faculty, citizen scientists, and community volunteers.
• Movement in the Museum Pilates, yoga, and other movement sessions held in the museum galleries. For adult community members and wellness-focused visitors.
• Tuscaloosa Multi-Attractions Pass Bundled multi-attraction admission pass offered in partnership with peer Tuscaloosa attractions (including the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum and others). For visitors seeking combined admission to multiple Tuscaloosa attractions.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the largest mosasaur collections in the world with 1,000+ records
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• West Alabama Beekeepers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the Buzz about Bees exhibit. The association contributes expertise on beekeeping and honey bee biology to enhance the educational exhibit featuring a live beehive.
• UA Bee ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the Buzz about Bees exhibit. Contributes to the educational programming around honey bee social structure and honey production.
• Tuscaloosa County Master GardenersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Seniors in Science program. Master Gardeners co-host gardening workshops at the museum's Grand Gallery for adults 55+.
• OdonataCentralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform designed to make available what we know about distribution, biogeography, biodiversity, and identification of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in the Western Hemisphere. Museum staff contact is Dr. John Abbott.
• iNaturalist Biodiversity ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple iNaturalist projects including Biodiversity of Alabama, Moundville Archaeological Park Biodiversity Survey, University of Alabama Arboretum Biodiversity Survey, and University of Alabama Campus Biodiversity Survey. Museum serves as project administrator.
• University Recreation (UREC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Movement in the Museum' program series. UREC provides trained instructors for yoga and Pilates classes held in the museum's Grand Gallery.
• The Fashion Archive at The University of AlabamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the Freshwater Mussel Exhibit exploring how the fashion industry historically affected mussel populations in Alabama through button manufacturing.
• The University of Alabama Graduate SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for annual Family Day at the Museum events, featuring hands-on exploration of research topics studied by UA graduate students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Peers

• Gilbert化石 and Dinosaur Museum:

Broad incumbents

• Field Museum: Major natural history museum with world-class paleontology collections (including Sue the T. rex). Comparable in core mission of natural history preservation, exhibit curation, and citizen science, though at vastly larger scale.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science: Large natural history museum with paleontology halls, citizen science programs, and educational field trip offerings. Operates the same diversified revenue model (admissions, gift shop, facility rental, programs, memberships) that ALMNH aspires to scale.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: Multi-disciplinary museum complex with natural history and educational programming. Comparable in operating educational field trips, community science initiatives, and university-affiliated museum programming.

Regional players

• Tellus Science Museum: Northwest Georgia science museum with significant fossil and mineral collections. Comparable in scale and scope, with similar K-12 field trip programming and paleontology exhibits, though more privately operated.
• McWane Science Center: Birmingham, Alabama-based hands-on science museum with strong K-12 field trip programming. Direct regional competitor for Alabama school groups and family visitors, though focuses more on interactive science rather than natural history collections.

Direct peers

• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science: State-operated natural history museum with similar mandates in paleontology, biodiversity, and citizen science. Operates as a state government entity comparable to ALMNH's university-affiliated structure, and competes for regional Southeast educational tourism.
• Burpee Museum of Natural History: Mid-sized natural history museum in Rockford, Illinois, focused on paleontology and regional natural history. Closely comparable in scale (12-25 staff range), revenue model, and mission emphasis on school field trips and citizen science.
• Moundville Archaeological Park: A sister operating unit within The University of Alabama Museums system. Operates archaeological exhibits and educational programs for the same parent institution, sharing administrative and collections infrastructure.
• University of Michigan Museum of Natural History: University-affiliated natural history museum with research collections, educational programming, and exhibit curation. Shares ALMNH's structure as a unit of a major public research university with ties to research and citizen science.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uamnh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UAMuseums
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALMNH
• Instagraminstagram.com/uamnh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alabama-museum-of-natural-history

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alabama Museum of Natural History