Bell Museum

Natural History Museum and Planetariumbellmuseum.umn.edu

Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum and planetarium on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, serving families, K-12 schools, homeschoolers, and researchers through exhibits, a fulldome planetarium, educational programs, and original productions distributed globally.

Company typePrivate
Founded1872
HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Bell Museum does

Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum and planetarium, founded in 1872 and operated as a department within the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS). The museum relocated to its current facility on the UMN Twin Cities campus in Saint Paul in 2018, anchored by the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium, the Minnesota Journeys permanent exhibit featuring world-famous wildlife dioramas, the Touch & See Lab with 10,000-year-old fossils and living specimens, and a five-acre outdoor Learning Landscape. It maintains an art and film collection of over 1,500 works and operates the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas, an online research database spanning birds, mammals, fishes, plants, and fungi.

The museum runs a diversified content and education platform. Its Bell Planetarium Productions unit develops original fulldome films (including Secrets from a Forest, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, and Mysteries of Your Brain) that are licensed internationally to other planetariums through distributors such as RSA Cosmos, SSIA Technologies, Sky-Skan, and Creative Planet. Revenue is generated through unit-priced admissions ($12-$14), annual memberships ($8-$10), private event and venue rentals, the on-site Curiosity Shop, and donations including corporate, individual, and planned giving. Programming is event-driven: public programs, seasonal events, star parties, summer and winter camps, homeschool days, teen science cafés, traveling planetarium outreach (Exploradome), and K-12 field trips that serve schools and community groups statewide.

Customer segments are distributed across general public and families, K-12 schools and educators, homeschool families, teenagers in grades 7-12, and university researchers and citizen scientists. Strategic partnerships with NASA (TEAM II Award), the University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium, the Minnesota Orchestra, Ravenwood Studios UK, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community support both content production and culturally grounded programming. The museum employs 121 people and operates a single physical site, with statewide engagement initiatives extending programmatic reach across Minnesota.

Bell Museum firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Bell Museum
Legal name: Regents of the University of Minnesota
Website: https://bellmuseum.umn.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1872
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum and planetarium on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus, serving families, K-12 schools, homeschoolers, and researchers through exhibits, a fulldome planetarium, educational programs, and original productions distributed globally.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Bell Museum industry classification

Industry

Product category: Natural History Museum and Planetarium
NAICS: Museums (712110)
SIC: Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
akta.pro primary industry: Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

Natural history museum
Planetarium shows
Fulldome film productions
Science education programs
Wildlife dioramas

Where Bell Museum is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Saint Paul
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Bell Museum business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Admission and Membership: Ticket sales for museum admission and planetarium shows, plus membership programs offering free unlimited access and member-only events
Retail Sales: The Curiosity Shop sells science-themed souvenirs and merchandise; proceeds support museum programs, collections, and education efforts
Private Events and Rentals: Venue rentals for private events including weddings, corporate events, and group gatherings
Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual donations, corporate giving, planned giving, and charitable contributions supporting museum programs and initiatives

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Standard Admission with Planetarium
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Standard Admission without Planetarium
Subscription	Annual	Member Admission with Planetarium
Subscription	Annual	Member Admission without Planetarium
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Homeschool Day with Planetarium
Subscription	Annual	Homeschool Day Member with Planetarium

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Bell Museum product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Bell Museum operates Minnesota's official natural history museum and planetarium, delivering immersive educational experiences through the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium, permanent wildlife dioramas in the Minnesota Journeys exhibit, the interactive Touch & See Lab, a five-acre Learning Landscape, and a slate of K-12 field trips, summer/winter camps, homeschool days, star parties, and traveling planetarium outreach. It also produces original fulldome films through Bell Planetarium Productions, which are licensed internationally to other planetariums. Revenue is generated through admissions, memberships, retail, private event rentals, donations, and grants.

Product overview

The Bell Museum is Minnesota's official natural history museum and planetarium, operating as a unified visitor experience with interconnected physical and digital offerings. The core experience centers on the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium for immersive astronomy shows and the Minnesota Journeys permanent exhibit featuring world-famous wildlife dioramas. Supporting offerings include the Touch & See Lab with interactive specimens, the Learning Landscape outdoor nature gallery, and the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas online database. The museum's Bell Planetarium Productions unit creates original fulldome films (Secrets from a Forest, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, Mysteries of Your Brain) distributed internationally to other planetariums. Educational programs span K-12 field trips, summer/winter camps, the traveling Exploradome planetarium, Star Parties, and the Spotlight Science series. The museum is part of the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and is held in trust since 1872.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Planetarium State-of-the-art planetarium offering immersive star shows, fulldome films, and astronomy programming for visitors of all ages. Features fulldome projection technology and shows original and licensed planetarium content.
Minnesota Journeys Exhibit Permanent exhibit gallery taking visitors through Minnesota's natural history and biodiversity with world-famous wildlife dioramas covering Minnesota's ecosystems and species.
Touch & See Lab Interactive laboratory featuring 10,000-year-old fossils, living plants and animals, and hands-on science activities for visitor engagement with natural history specimens.
Learning Landscape Five-acre outdoor nature gallery featuring wildflowers, native trees, a pond, geology gardens, and sustainability features including a green roof, observation deck, and solar station.
Exploradome (Traveling Planetarium) Mobile planetarium bringing immersive astronomy experiences to schools and community groups throughout Minnesota, available for booking as an outreach program.
Bell Planetarium Productions Original fulldome film productions created by the Bell Museum for planetariums worldwide, including award-winning shows like Secrets from a Forest, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage, and Mysteries of Your Brain. Licensed internationally through distributors including RSA Cosmos, SSIA Technologies, Sky-Skan, and Creative Planet.
Secrets from a Forest Fulldome planetarium production telling the story of the relationship between nature and art through a Stradivarius violin, featuring award-winning cinematography with the Minnesota Orchestra.
Mars: The Ultimate Voyage Planetarium show exploring what the first journey to Mars might look like, created in collaboration with NASA and University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.
Mysteries of Your Brain Animated planetarium show following a girl and her crow companion exploring the human brain, created in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium.
Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Online database merging data on birds, mammals, fishes, plants, and fungi for research and education purposes, accessible to researchers, students, and the public.
K-12 Field Trips and Educational Programs Curriculum-aligned educational experiences including guided tours, hands-on labs, planetarium shows, and outreach programs for school groups at discounted rates.
Summer and Winter Camps Science-focused day camps for children offering hands-on activities, experiments, and exploration of natural history topics during summer and winter breaks.
Star Parties Evening astronomy events featuring telescope observations, planetarium shows, hands-on activities, and educational programming for all ages.
On Native Land Program Educational programs exploring Minnesota's natural history through Ojibwe and Dakhóta traditional ecological ways of knowing, funded by Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
Bell Museum Membership Annual membership program offering free unlimited access to museum galleries, invitations to special member events, discounted planetarium admission, and other benefits.
Curiosity Shop Museum gift shop offering science-themed souvenirs and gifts, with proceeds supporting museum programs, collections, and education efforts.
Private Events and Venue Rentals Event space rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings at the museum facility.

Quantifiable outcome

Janus Award for Best Fulldome Feature 2024
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Bell Museum

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Bell Museum technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Bell Museum partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA TEAM II Award (80NSSC20M0028) funded the creation of 'Mars: The Ultimate Voyage' planetarium show, exploring challenges of human space travel to Mars including astronaut health and motivation during a 2-year deep space journey.
University of North Carolina Morehead Planetarium and Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 'Mars: The Ultimate Voyage' and 'Mysteries of Your Brain' planetarium productions, combining expertise in fulldome film production and science education.
Minnesota OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured members of the Minnesota Orchestra in the award-winning 'Secrets from a Forest' planetarium production, performing pieces including Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
Ravenwood Studios UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature documentary filmmaking studio led by Neil Lucas, collaborating on 'Secrets from a Forest' and upcoming 'Shadows of the Sun' fulldome productions. Developed innovative live-action filming techniques for dome projection.
Minnesota Historical Society - Jeffers PetroglyphssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Minnesota Unearthed event partnership bringing Indigenous perspectives, fossil displays, and atlatl throwing activities to museum visitors.
Minnesota Ornithologists' UnionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly guided birding walks on the Learning Landscape; MOU donates bird feeding stations to support citizen science observation.
10th Wave Chamber Music CollectivesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTwin Cities chamber music collective co-presenting The Urban Ecosystem concert, pairing contemporary music with urban ecology research.
MSP LTER (Minneapolis-St. Paul Long-Term Ecological Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with 100+ researchers from University of Minnesota and partner institutions studying urban ecosystems; co-presented The Urban Ecosystem music performance connecting ecological research with artistic expression.
Minnesota Geological SurveysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in annual Minnesota Unearthed event, providing geology expertise and connecting visitors to state geological resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Bell Museum competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Regional natural history and science museum comparable in scale and footprint (including IMAX/planetarium programming) to the Bell Museum.
Field Museum: Chicago natural history museum with comparable dioramas, scientific collections, and research integration serving as a state-level natural history anchor in the upper Midwest.
California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco natural history institution that combines natural history, planetarium (Morrison Planetarium), and research under one roof — a near-exact structural analogue to the Bell Museum.
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (UNC): University-affiliated planetarium and co-production partner on Bell's 'Mars: The Ultimate Voyage' and 'Mysteries of Your Brain' productions, with direct comparable fulldome production operations.
Science Museum of Minnesota: Twin Cities-based science and natural history museum with an Omnitheater, the most direct geographic and programmatic comparator to the Bell Museum's combined natural history + planetarium model.
Adler Planetarium: Chicago-based planetarium that operates fulldome film production and licensing, the most direct comparator to Bell Planetarium Productions' content business model.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Mid-tier natural history museum anchored to a research university (Carnegie Mellon/University of Pittsburgh), comparable to Bell's UMN affiliation and similar scale of dioramas and collections.

Broad incumbents

American Museum of Natural History: The largest natural history museum in the world, serving as the gold-standard reference for natural history curation, dioramas, and permanent exhibits comparable to Bell's Minnesota Journeys.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: National natural history museum with research collections and educational programming that benchmarks large-scale natural history institution operations.
Museum of Science, Boston: Major science museum with extensive K-12 educational programming and an IMAX-style theater, comparable to Bell's blend of science exhibits and large-format visual programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Bell Museum financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Bell Museum leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Bell Museum funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Bell Museum M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bell Museum

What does Bell Museum do?

Is Bell Museum a public or private company?

Bell Museum is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Bell Museum founded?

Bell Museum was founded in 1872. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Bell Museum based?

Bell Museum is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.

How does Bell Museum make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Admission and Membership is the primary driver. The others are retail Sales, private Events and Rentals and donations and Charitable Giving.

Who are Bell Museum's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Field Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (UNC), Science Museum of Minnesota, Adler Planetarium and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Broad incumbents are American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Museum of Science, Boston.

Does Bell Museum have an API?

No public API is recorded for Bell Museum.

What industry is Bell Museum in?

Bell Museum's product category is Natural History Museum and Planetarium. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAC, Natural History Museums. Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.