Cable Natural History Museum

What Cable Natural History Museum does

The Cable Natural History Museum is a nonprofit educational institution founded in 1967 in Cable, Wisconsin, dedicated to connecting people to Northwoods nature. It operates indoor and outdoor exhibits, a Curiosity Center for hands-on learning, a natural play area, trails, and live animal displays featuring native Northwoods wildlife. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), making it one of the smallest museums to hold AAM accreditation.

The museum's core offerings extend well beyond the physical facility. Service lines include equipment and facility rentals, the Museum Mobile and Wildlife Outreach programs (which deliver live raptor presentations to schools, libraries, and community groups regionally), and field trip programming for preschool through high school students. Educational programming covers Junior Naturalists and Little Naturalists for children, Master Naturalist Advanced Trainings and Friday Field Notes for adults, Nature-Based Travel excursions, Community Science citizen science initiatives, and special events such as the Native Plant Sale and CNHM Golf Classic. Content is produced under the Natural Connections brand by naturalist Emily Stone, spanning a blog, books, and a podcast.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding mix. Revenue streams include museum memberships (recurring), visitor admissions, gift shop retail, equipment rentals (e.g., snowshoes), donations and grants including year-end campaigns and the White Pine Society planned giving program, and program fees for educational offerings. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The museum is supported by 9 employees, serves residents, visitors, vacationers, and school groups in Northern Wisconsin, and reaches audiences through social media, email newsletters, the Natural Connections blog, and community events.

Name

Cable Natural History Museum

Legal name

Cable Natural History Museum

Website

https://cablemuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Cable Natural History Museum is a 1967-founded nonprofit museum in Cable, Wisconsin, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It delivers indoor and outdoor nature exhibits, live animal programs, school outreach, and educational programming to residents, visitors, and regional schools in Northern Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Environmental education programs
• Wildlife outreach services
• Nature education exhibits
• Outdoor recreation rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Cable

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Memberships: Annual membership programs offering benefits to members for ongoing support and access
2. Visitor Admissions: Entry fees for museum visitors
3. Gift Shop Sales: Retail merchandise sales at the museum gift shop
4. Equipment Rentals: Snowshoe rentals and other equipment rentals for outdoor activities
5. Donations and Grants: Financial support through year-end campaigns, planned giving (White Pine Society), and program underwriting
6. Program Fees: Fees for educational programs including field trips, wildlife outreach, and summer programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Cable Natural History Museum is a nonprofit educational institution that operates indoor and outdoor exhibits, a Curiosity Center, live Northwoods animal displays, and natural history collections to connect visitors with Northwoods nature. It supplements its on-site experience with paid and free educational programs (field trips, Junior Naturalists, Little Naturalists, Master Naturalist trainings, Friday Field Notes, Nature-Based Travel) and mobile outreach (Museum Mobile, Wildlife Outreach, Raptor Discovery) that deliver programming to schools and community groups. Auxiliary paid offerings include a gift shop, equipment rentals (snowshoes), and facility rentals for private events.

Product overview

The Cable Natural History Museum offers a unified portfolio of educational experiences focused on connecting people to Northwoods nature. The museum's core offerings center on indoor and outdoor exhibits, live animal displays, and interactive spaces like the Curiosity Center. Service offerings include equipment and facility rentals, outreach programs (Museum Mobile, Wildlife Outreach, Raptor Discovery), and field trip experiences. The museum runs extensive programming including children's naturalist programs (Junior Naturalists, Little Naturalists), adult education (Master Naturalist trainings, Friday Field Notes), and nature-based travel. Publications include the Natural Connections blog, books, and podcast by naturalist Emily Stone. The museum also operates a gift shop, natural play area, and community science initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indoor and Outdoor Exhibits Exhibit spaces showcasing Northwoods nature, wildlife, and natural history displays for visitor education and engagement, including trails and outdoor natural areas.
• Natural History Collections Preserved natural history specimens and artifacts maintained for research, education, and display purposes.
• Curiosity Center Interactive exploration space with hands-on activities including investigate, hop, flip, and adventure zones for children and families.
• Live Animals Exhibits Live animal displays featuring native Northwoods wildlife for educational programs and visitor encounters.
• Natural Play Area Outdoor nature-based play space for children to explore and engage with natural elements.
• Museum Gift Shop On-site retail store offering nature-themed gifts, books, educational materials, and souvenirs.
• Equipment Rentals Outdoor equipment lending including snowshoe rentals for visitors to explore the surrounding trails and nature areas.
• Facility Rentals Rental of museum facilities for private events, meetings, and group gatherings.
• Field Trips Guided educational visits for school groups with options including Museum Mobile outreach and Spring Field Trip programs.
• Museum Mobile Outreach program bringing museum exhibits and educational content to schools and community locations that cannot visit in person.
• Raptor Discovery Program Live raptor presentation program featuring birds of prey for educational and special event settings.
• Wildlife Outreach Programs Mobile wildlife education presentations bringing animals and natural history content to audiences beyond the museum.
• Junior Naturalists Program Educational program for children fostering nature exploration, scientific observation, and environmental awareness.
• Little Naturalists Program Early childhood nature education program introducing young children to outdoor exploration and natural science concepts.
• Master Naturalist Advanced Trainings Advanced training program for adults seeking to deepen their naturalist knowledge and skills.
• Friday Field Notes Summer Program Series Summer weekly program series offering naturalist-guided outdoor activities and nature discoveries.
• Nature-Based Travel Guided nature-focused travel experiences and excursions to regional natural areas.
• Programs by Request Custom educational programs and naturalist-led experiences available for booking by groups, schools, and organizations.
• Community Science Citizen science initiatives engaging visitors and community members in scientific data collection and observation.
• Get Outside Initiative Outdoor recreation program providing trails, nature activities, and equipment rentals to encourage outdoor engagement.

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

One partnership is on record.

• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum is a member of ASTC, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing understanding and engagement with science and technology. ASTC creates strategic opportunities, develops intellectual capital, and assembles resources to support members in realizing their missions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Museum of Natural History: A long-established natural history museum with extensive collections and public programming. Comparable to CNHM in natural history mission and exhibit-driven educational model, but at far greater scale and institutional resources.
• The Field Museum: A major natural history museum in Chicago with permanent exhibits, collections, and science programming. Comparable in natural history focus but operates at substantially larger scale, serving as a broad incumbent benchmark in the same category.

Direct peers

• UW-Stevens Point Treehaven: A Wisconsin Center for environmental education offering field-based natural history programs for schools, families, and adults. Highly comparable in regional footprint, naturalist-guided outdoor programming, and K–12 field-trip model.
• Door County Nature & Technology Center: A small rural Wisconsin institution combining nature education with programming and outreach in a tourism-dependent geography. Closely comparable to CNHM in scale, Northwoods/Great Lakes regional positioning, and blend of indoor exhibits with outdoor naturalist experiences.
• Cincinnati Nature Center: A regional nature education nonprofit operating trails, exhibits, wildlife programs, and school outreach. Comparable to CNHM in nonprofit nature-education model, outdoor programming, and live-animal educational offerings.
• Aldo Leopold Foundation: Wisconsin-based nonprofit focused on land ethics, ecological education, and nature-based programming in the region. Comparable to CNHM in Northwoods geography, naturalist-led education, and mission-aligned programming for both children and adults.
• Science Museum of Minnesota: A regional science engagement institution with hands-on exhibits, naturalist programming, and outreach serving Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Directly comparable to CNHM in mission (informal science/nature education) and in operating a mix of exhibits, school programs, and community engagement.
• North Museum of Nature and Science: A small-to-mid-sized natural history and science museum with exhibits, collections, and school programming. Comparable in core mission, exhibition-driven model, and community-science orientation to CNHM.

Regional players

• Children's Museum of Eau Claire: A small Wisconsin children's museum with hands-on exhibits and family programming. Comparable in scale and regional Wisconsin footprint, and overlapping on the Curiosity Center / hands-on family offerings at CNHM.
• Audubon Society of Northern Wisconsin: A Wisconsin-based nonprofit focused on birding, wildlife education, and habitat conservation in the region. Comparable to CNHM in Northwoods nature education and naturalist-guided outdoor experiences, but specialized in birding rather than broader natural history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CableNHMuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CableMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/184195598273458
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cable-natural-history-museum

Compliance2 records

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 Cable Natural History Museum