The Children's Museum of the East End

What The Children's Museum of the East End does

The Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE) is a nonprofit children's museum located in Bridgehampton, New York, founded in 1997 by seven mothers seeking to expand educational opportunities for children on the East End of Long Island. Following a successful 1997 pilot exhibit at Guild Hall that drew 5,000 visitors, the museum formally incorporated in 1998, opened its permanent Bridgehampton location in October 2005 (7,000+ sq ft of indoor exhibit space designed by Lee Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership), and added a 10,000 sq ft outdoor playground in June 2025 designed by SPEC Play and LaGuardia Design Group with Berliner equipment. CMEE serves families with children ages 0-7 through 11 interactive indoor exhibits (Playground, Seafaring Ship, Windmill, Farm Stand, CMEE Diner, 9-hole miniature golf, Fire Truck, Library, Rainbow Music Garden, Art Studio, Legacy Tree Gallery), a new outdoor playground, and structured programming including summer camp ($1,625 biweekly for ages 3-5), birthday parties ($550-$3,000+ tiers), cooking classes (Little Chefs), art classes (Messy Art), music (Mommy/Daddy and Me with Little Barn Theatre), and youth soccer (Super Soccer Stars).

CMEE's business model blends earned revenue (general admissions at $19/person, memberships ranging $300-$5,000 across Family/Library/Hotel/Business tiers with ~1,000 members, summer camp, classes, birthday party rentals, private event rentals starting at $5,000), contributed revenue (grants from IMLS, NEA, NY State Council on the Arts, Long Island Community Foundation, and corporate sponsors; tax-deductible donations routed through Blackbaud), and community programming (Head Start Center partnership, Monday Night Academy tutoring, food pantry serving 5,500+ people annually). Annual visitors approach 75,000, making CMEE one of the most visited museums in Eastern Long Island. Differentiated community assets include the only children's museum-hosted Head Start Center in the country, an on-site volunteer-run food pantry, and Free admission through the Museum for All program for over 1,200 EBT/SNAP recipients annually. Technology infrastructure is intentionally low-tech and physical-first, with Blackbaud handling ticketing/donations and Mailchimp used for email marketing.

Name

The Children's Museum of the East End

Legal name

Children's Museum of the East End

Website

https://cmee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Museum of the East End is a nonprofit children's museum in Bridgehampton, NY, serving East End Long Island families with children ages 0-7 through 7,000+ sq ft of interactive indoor exhibits, a 10,000 sq ft outdoor playground, summer camp, classes, birthday parties, and a volunteer-run food pantry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum / Educational Entertainment

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)

Keywords

• Children's museum programs
• Interactive learning exhibits
• Early childhood education
• Summer camp activities
• Community family events

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgehampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admissions: General admission fees for visitors aged 12 months and older at $19 per person. Free admission for members and EBT card holders. Contributes to operational revenue with approximately 75,000 annual visitors.
2. Memberships: Annual family memberships ranging from $300 to $5,000 (President's Circle), library memberships, hotel memberships, and business memberships. Nearly 1,000 members provide predictable recurring revenue.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Summer camp for ages 3-5 years at $1,625 biweekly or $175 per day. 5:1 child to Museum Educator ratio. Multiple sessions offered June through August.
4. Birthday Parties: Three party tiers: Classic Birthday at $550, Party on the Playground at $1,650, and Private Birthday Bash starting at $3,000. Private event rentals starting at $5,000.
5. Classes and Programs: Revenue from classes including Little Chefs ($55 members/$75 non-members), Messy Art ($55 members/$75 non-members), Soccer Stars ($55 members/$75 non-members), and Mommy/Daddy and Me classes. Programs change monthly.
6. Fundraising Events: Annual events including Summer Ladies Night (tickets from $275), Golf Outing (Individual $1,800, Foursome $6,750), Women's Tennis Tournament (player tickets from $425), and DanceBody workouts (starting at $75).
7. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships providing recognition and visibility among East End families. Sponsors receive complimentary admission passes, recognition on museum materials, and invitations to member-only events.
8. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions supporting mission to provide play experiences for all children regardless of background or ability. Capital campaign for facility improvements.
9. Food Pantry Operations: Free food pantry serving over 5,500 people annually, 100% volunteer-run. Not a revenue generator but addresses community need and drives goodwill.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CMEE is a nonprofit children's museum providing interactive, hands-on learning experiences for children ages 0-7 through 7,000 square feet of indoor exhibits and a 10,000 square foot outdoor playground. The museum sells admission, family memberships, summer camp, recurring classes (cooking, art, music, soccer), birthday party packages, and school field trips, while also operating a volunteer-run food pantry serving 5,500+ people annually.

Product overview

The Children's Museum of the East End (CMEE) is a nonprofit children's museum offering a diverse portfolio of educational and recreational programs. The museum provides general admission to 7,000 square feet of interactive exhibits (indoor) and a 10,000 square foot outdoor playground (opened June 2025). Core offerings include structured programs like Summer Camp, Little Chefs cooking classes, Messy Art series, Mommy/Daddy and Me music classes, and Soccer Stars. The museum serves the community through a Food Pantry (serving 5,500+ annually), Head Start partnership, Monday Night Academy literacy tutoring, and field trips for schools. Additional revenue streams include birthday party packages (Classic, Party on the Playground, and Private Birthday Bash tiers), family/library/hotel/business memberships, gift certificates, and fundraising events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibits and General Admission Access to 7,000 square feet of interactive indoor exhibits and 10,000 square foot outdoor playground for children ages 0-7; includes Playground, Legacy Tree Gallery, Seafaring Ship, Windmill, Farm Stand, CMEE Diner and Food Truck, 9-hole miniature golf course, Fire Truck, Library, Rainbow Music Garden, and Art Studio.
• Summer Camp Daily drop-off program for children ages 3-5 featuring arts, outdoor play, music and movement, cooking and baking, with a 5:1 child to Museum Educator ratio. Priced at $1,625 biweekly or $175 per day.
• Little Chefs Cooking Class Cooking class for children ages 2-4 where participants create simple, healthy dishes using fresh produce in the CMEE Kid Kitchen. Priced at $55 members / $75 non-members.
• Messy Art Class Hands-on art class for children ages 20 months-4 years featuring open-ended creative play with natural materials. Priced at $55 members / $75 non-members.
• Mommy/Daddy and Me Music Classes (Little Barn Theatre) Music and movement classes for families with children ages 0-3 featuring classic children's songs with a musical theatre twist, presented in partnership with Little Barn Theatre.
• Soccer Stars Youth soccer program for children ages 1-4 focused on building skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of the game, presented by Super Soccer Stars. Priced at $55 members / $75 non-members.
• School Field Trips School field trips for Pre-K through 2nd grade aligned with NY State Learning Standards and Common Core. Priced at $10 per child with free programs available through NY State Council on the Arts funding.
• Memberships Annual memberships including Family ($300-$5,000), Library ($400-$1,450), Hotel ($1,250-$5,000), and Business ($750) tiers providing free admission and program discounts.
• Birthday Party Packages Three tiers of birthday party packages: Classic ($550), Party on the Playground ($1,650), and Private Birthday Bash (starting at $3,000) with varying levels of private access and amenities, accommodating 15 to 60 guests.
• Private Event Rentals Corporate events, fundraisers, and private gatherings with exclusive museum access starting at $5,000.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates redeemable for admission or memberships, purchasable via Square.
• New Outdoor Playground 10,000 square foot outdoor play space opened June 2025 featuring climbing, swinging, spinning, sand play, and forest areas with Berliner playground equipment.
• Annual Fundraising Events Annual fundraisers including Summer Ladies Night (tickets from $275), Women's Tennis Tournament (from $425), Golf Outing (Individual $1,800, Foursome $6,750), and DanceBody workouts (from $75).

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000 visitors annually, one of the most visited museums in Eastern Long Island
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The RetreatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial service agency partnership to serve the East End's most vulnerable families through community outreach programs.
• Wunneechanunk Shinnecock PreschoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMEE Educators bring educational play opportunities directly to the preschool through community outreach.
• Little Barn TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic and theatre program partner providing Mommy/Daddy and Me Classes featuring classic children's music with musical theatre elements. Classes for ages 0-3.
• Super Soccer StarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth soccer program partner presenting Soccer Stars classes at CMEE for ages 1-4 years.
• Guild HallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue partner hosting KIDFEST events including Sonia De Los Santos family concert. Located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton.
• Local LibrariescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary membership program allowing libraries to distribute free museum passes to patrons. Libraries pay for passes that benefit their communities.
• SPEC PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning playground design firm that designed CMEE's new 10,000 sq ft outdoor exhibition opened June 2025.
• LaGuardia Design GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture firm that partnered on the new outdoor playground project, designing surfaces to work with sloping terrain and natural boundaries.
• Hampton YardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscaping team partner for the new outdoor playground project. Key leadership donor for playground capital campaign.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Long Island Children's Museum: Located in Garden City on Long Island, LICM is the closest geographic comparable to CMEE — a nonprofit children's museum offering interactive exhibits, school programs, memberships, and birthday parties for the early-childhood age cohort.
• Brooklyn Children's Museum: One of the oldest children's museums in the US, Brooklyn Children's Museum operates interactive exhibits, school programs, memberships, and community outreach — directly comparable in mission, scale, and audience to CMEE.
• Children's Museum of Manhattan: An NYC-based children's museum offering hands-on exhibits, early-childhood programming, memberships, and party/event rentals targeting the same 0–7 audience as CMEE, with comparable admissions and membership pricing structures.
• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum offering hands-on exhibits, memberships, birthday parties, and educational programs targeting early-childhood audiences — closely comparable in business model and program mix to CMEE.
• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: A nonprofit children's museum combining interactive exhibits, maker-space programming, and community outreach in a comparable mid-sized market — relevant peer for scale and operating-model benchmarking.
• Bay Area Discovery Museum: A California-based children's museum focused on early-childhood play, with exhibits, memberships, school programs, and community partnerships — comparable scale and programming depth to CMEE.
• Boston Children's Museum: A long-established Northeast nonprofit children's museum with interactive exhibits, school programming, memberships, and community initiatives — comparable in mission, programming, and audience demographic.
• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The largest children's museum in the world, exhibiting a comparable nonprofit model combining interactive exhibits, school programs, community outreach, and major fundraising events — relevant as a benchmark for scale and programming breadth.

Regional players

• Parrish Art Museum: An East End of Long Island cultural institution serving similar affluent seasonal audiences, but focused on fine art rather than children's programming — relevant as a comparator for Hamptons-area cultural-attendance dynamics and sponsorship patterns.
• South Fork Natural History Museum: A cultural and educational institution also located on the East End of Long Island in Bridgehampton, serving overlapping audiences but focused on natural history rather than children's interactive play — comparable as a regional, family-oriented attraction in the same catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildrensMuseumOfTheEastEnd
• Instagraminstagram.com/cmeegram/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-children's-museum-of-the-east-end

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 The Children's Museum of the East End