Aurora Fossil Museum

Name

Aurora Fossil Museum

Legal name

Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://aurorafossilmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Aurora Fossil Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 in Aurora, North Carolina, that educates the public about paleontology and geology of the Coastal Plain through free exhibits, the Pits of the Pungo fossil park, school programs, and an annual Fossil Festival, funded by donations, gift shop sales, and a specialty license plate program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAC

Natural History Museums

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

SECONDARYTHAJADAD

Science & Technology Museums

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

SECONDARYBPAGAHAA

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYCRALAJAG

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Retail

Keywords

• Fossil education programs
• Paleontology museum exhibits
• Science education center
• Fossil collecting park
• STEM learning experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Aurora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the museum relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations to support operations, employee wages, utilities, maintenance, and expansion of science education programs.
2. Gift Shop Sales: The museum operates both a physical gift shop at the museum location and an online store (aurorafossilmuseumstore.com), selling fossils, minerals, shark teeth, jewelry, books, apparel, and other paleontology-related merchandise.
3. Specialty License Plate Program: The museum receives $20 annually from each Megalodon specialty license plate ordered through NCDMV, providing ongoing revenue support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Aurora Fossil Museum operates a free-admission nonprofit science education center featuring Miocene and Pliocene marine fossil exhibits collected from the neighboring Nutrien Phosphate Mine, including shark hall displays with C. megalodon remnants. Visitors can explore the adjacent Fossil Park with the Pits of the Pungo to dig for their own fossils, browse the Learning Center, purchase items at the on-site and online gift shop, and participate in guided educational programs, school field trips, and outreach experiences. The museum supplements these visitor-facing offerings with the annual North Carolina Fossil Festival held Memorial Day weekend.

Product overview

The Aurora Fossil Museum is a nonprofit science education resource center offering a unified portfolio of visitor-facing products and services centered on paleontology education. The core experience consists of the Main Museum Exhibits featuring Miocene and Pliocene marine fossils from the neighboring Nutrien Phosphate Mine, and the Fossil Park with the Pits of the Pungo where visitors can dig for their own fossils. Supporting offerings include an on-site and online Gift Shop selling fossils, minerals, and jewelry; the Learning Center with specimens from around the world; and the annual North Carolina Fossil Festival held on Memorial Day weekend. Educational Programs serve school groups and private parties with guided tours and lectures, while Outreach Programs bring the museum experience to off-site locations. Additional offerings include Internship and Volunteer Programs, downloadable Educational Materials, and the Meg Plate specialty license plate program. The museum operates admission-free, relying on gift shop revenue and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 291 vertebrate species identified from the Nutrien-Aurora Phosphate Mine
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nutrien Phosphate AuroracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNutrien (formerly Texas Gulf Sulfur, PCS Phosphate, PotashCorp) operates the adjacent phosphate mine which has produced one of the world's richest Miocene/Pliocene fossil assemblages. The mine donates fossiliferous material to the museum, including coarse material separated from ore processing. This partnership is foundational to the museum's collections and educational mission.
• NC Fossil ClubminorOthersThe NC Fossil Club is a local fossil enthusiast organization that supports the museum and fossil collecting activities in the region.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smithsonian has studied the Lee Creek Mine fossils extensively for over 40 years. A nearly complete Parotodus benedenii dentition (114 teeth) was donated to the Smithsonian in 1996 and is considered the 'fossil shark equivalent of the Mona Lisa.' Casts of this specimen are on display at the museum.
• Blue Star MuseumsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram providing free admission to military families and veterans during summer months, helping to expand access to the museum's educational offerings.
• STEM EastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional STEM education organization supporting science education initiatives in eastern North Carolina.
• Explore NC ScienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization promoting science education and exploration opportunities across North Carolina.
• North Carolina Science TrailminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram highlighting science education destinations and experiences throughout North Carolina.
• American Alliance of MuseumsminorOthersInstitutional membership organization for museums, indicating adherence to professional standards and access to museum best practices.
• WBC Chamber (Washington-Beaufort County Chamber)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal chamber of commerce supporting business community and regional tourism initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Calvert Marine Museum: A regional museum in Solomons, Maryland with a paleontology hall featuring Miocene shark and cetacean fossils from the Calvert Cliffs — directly comparable as a coastal paleontology museum with free/low-cost admission and education-focused programming.
• Peace River Center for Fossils: A small fossil education center in Punta Gorda, Florida focused on hands-on fossil hunting from Peace River deposits — directly comparable as a small-scale, mission-driven fossil education attraction with public dig experiences.
• Gray Fossil Museum & Site (ETSU): A paleontology-focused museum in Gray, Tennessee that operates a fossil dig site and exhibits Miocene-era vertebrate fossils — directly comparable in scale, mission (regional fossil education with active dig experiences), and nonprofit operating model.
• Burpee Museum of Natural History: A regional natural history museum in Rockford, Illinois with prominent paleontology exhibits (Jane the juvenile T. rex) — comparable as a mid-sized nonprofit natural history museum with strong STEM education programming.
• Tellus Science Museum: A science museum in Cartersville, Georgia featuring fossil galleries and a fossil dig experience — comparable as a regional natural-history science museum with hands-on paleontology exhibits and K-12 education programs.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Museum of Natural History: University-affiliated natural history museum with vertebrate paleontology research programs and extensive Miocene/Pliocene fossil collections — comparable in research orientation but much broader and more resourced.
• Museum of the Rockies: Bozeman, Montana museum renowned for vertebrate paleontology (T. rex, Maiasaura) and active field dig programs — comparable as a paleontology-anchored museum with research and public dig experiences, though much larger.
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: The state's flagship natural history museum in Raleigh — a larger incumbent offering overlapping paleontology, geology, and education programming with significantly broader scope and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aurorafossilmus
• Facebookfacebook.com/aurora.fossil.museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/aurorafossilmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aurora-fossil-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aurora Fossil Museum