Discovery Station

What Discovery Station does

Discovery Station at Hagerstown Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a hands-on STEAM learning museum at the historic Fort Ritchie, 14326 Barrick Ave, Highfield-Cascade, Maryland. Founded in 1996 and tax-exempt since March 11, 1997, the museum operates Wednesday through Sunday and serves families, K-12 schools, homeschool groups, and youth organizations across the Mid-Atlantic region. The core product is a portfolio of 11+ permanent themed exhibit spaces including Discovery Town (a role-play town with doctor, dentist, firefighter, police, grocer, park, and imagination house stations), the Brittany Wedd Dinosaur Gallery with life-size models and paleontological activities, a Rainforest exhibit with live tarantula, Space and Sensory, Engineering and Technology, Programming and Problem Solving, IF/THEN Initiative (women in STEAM), Weather and Earth with wind tunnel, History (Titanic and WWII displays), Literary Explorers, and Craft and Creation.

The museum's business model is primarily transactional and locally distributed. General admission is tiered at $7 for adults and children 12+, $10 for children 2-11, $5 for seniors and veterans, with free admission for children under one, active military families, and Museums for All EBT cardholders (up to four people at $2 each). Recurring revenue comes from an annual membership that includes unlimited admission, members-only events, gift shop discounts, birthday party discounts, and reciprocal access to 380+ science centers through the ASTC Passport Program. Event-based revenue includes tiered field-trip pricing ($125 for 1-25 people up to $500 for 76-100 people), birthday party packages ($275-$300 for a two-hour room rental accommodating up to 20 guests), homeschool STEAM and art programs ($25-$35 per session), and weekly storytime programming. Auxiliary revenue is generated by an on-site gift shop.

Discovery Station employs a community-led go-to-market. The museum books field trips and group visits directly through its website with schools, homeschool collectives, and youth organizations, and benefits from local sponsorships with the City of Hagerstown, Washington County, Visit Hagerstown, and the Early Childhood Advisory Council. The organization has no mobile app, no e-commerce platform, and no API infrastructure; all transactions occur on-site. The museum is governed as a board-led nonprofit with no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no disclosed revenue or headcount figures in the source materials.

Name

Discovery Station

Legal name

Discovery Station at Hagerstown Inc.

Website

https://discoverystation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Discovery Station at Hagerstown Inc. is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a hands-on STEAM learning museum with 11+ themed exhibits, serving regional families, K-12 schools, homeschool groups, and youth organizations through admissions, memberships, field trips, and birthday parties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Science Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAD

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

SECONDARYEDAMABAA

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

Keywords

• Hands-on STEAM exhibits
• Children's science museum
• STEAM field trips
• Interactive learning exhibits
• Museum birthday parties

Headquarters

HQ city

Highfield-Cascade

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, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to enter the museum and explore all exhibits. Pricing varies by age group with discounts for seniors, military, veterans, and income-eligible families.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership providing unlimited admission, members-only events, birthday party discounts, gift shop discounts, and ASTC Passport Program reciprocity.
3. Field Trips and Group Visits: Schools, homeschool groups, and youth organizations book guided group visits at tiered pricing based on group size.
4. Birthday Party Packages: Two-hour room rental with themed party room, tablecloths, decorations, and admission for up to 20 guests. Optional add-on craft activities available.
5. Homeschool Programs: Seasonal STEAM and art programs for students grades K-8 with separate sessions for members and non-members.
6. Programming Time Events: Weekly storytelling and craft sessions held Wednesday through Saturday at various times.
7. Gift Shop Sales: Museum merchandise and educational products sold on-site with membership discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Discovery Station is a hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning museum that operates 11+ permanent interactive exhibit spaces and delivers structured educational programs, field trips, and birthday party packages. The museum generates revenue through tiered general admissions, annual memberships with ASTC reciprocity, school and homeschool program fees, and on-site gift shop sales, all delivered through a single physical location in Highfield-Cascade, Maryland.

Product overview

Discovery Station is a hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning museum and event venue located in Highfield-Cascade, MD. The organization offers a unified portfolio of interactive exhibits and educational programs centered around its 11+ permanent exhibit spaces including Discovery Town (pretend-play town), Space and Sensory, Engineering and Technology, Programming and Problem Solving, IF/THEN Initiative, Weather and Earth, History, Rainforest, Literary Explorers, Brittany Wedd Dinosaur Gallery, and Craft and Creation. The product portfolio also encompasses structured educational programs (Homeschool STEAM Programs, Story Time Programming), event services (Birthday Party Packages, Group Visits and Field Trips), and a Membership Program providing year-round access with reciprocal benefits at 380+ science centers worldwide. Visitors access the exhibits through general admission tickets with tiered pricing for different age groups, seniors, and military families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discovery Town
• Brittany Wedd Dinosaur Gallery
• Rainforest Exhibit
• IF/THEN Initiative Exhibit
• Space and Sensory Exhibit
• Weather and Earth Exhibit
• History Exhibit
• Literary Explorers Exhibit
• Engineering and Technology Exhibit
• Programming and Problem Solving Exhibit
• Craft and Creation Exhibit
• Homeschool STEAM Programs
• Story Time Programming
• Birthday Party Packages
• Group Visits and Field Trips
• Annual Museum Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission for children 1 and under, active military families, and Museums for All program participants with EBT cards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City of Hagerstown MarylandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity sponsor providing municipal support for Discovery Station programs and exhibits.
• Washington CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty-level sponsor supporting museum programs and community outreach initiatives.
• Visit HagerstownminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism organization promoting Discovery Station as a visitor destination in the Hagerstown area.
• Early Childhood Advisory CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvisory organization supporting early childhood education initiatives that collaborate with the museum.
• ASTC Passport ProgramcoreOthersAssociation of Science and Technology Centers reciprocal membership program. Discovery Station members receive free or discounted admission at 380+ participating science centers and museums worldwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum featuring hands-on role-play and STEAM exhibits; directly comparable in exhibit philosophy, target demographic, and birthday-party / membership revenue mix.
• Maryland Science Center: Regional science museum in Baltimore's Inner Harbor delivering interactive exhibits and STEAM programming; directly comparable as a Mid-Atlantic science museum with schools, families, and group-visit programming.
• National Children's Museum: Washington, D.C.-based hands-on children's museum focused on STEAM learning through interactive exhibits; comparable target audience, exhibit-based model, and museum-plus-programming revenue structure.
• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh-based hands-on children's museum combining maker, art, and STEAM exhibits with programming; comparable nonprofit museum model and exhibit-driven community engagement.
• Port Discovery Children's Museum: Baltimore-based hands-on children's museum offering interactive role-play and STEAM exhibits; closest direct peer given shared Maryland footprint, similar target audience (families with young children), and comparable mission-driven pricing model.
• Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts: Harrisburg, PA science-and-arts center combining interactive exhibits with educational programming; directly comparable regional STEAM attraction within drive distance of the Mid-Atlantic catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Science Center: Pittsburgh-based major science center offering broad STEAM exhibits, IMAX, and educational programs; comparable science-museum category and Mid-Atlantic-adjacent geography but substantially larger and broader portfolio.
• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia-based major science museum with broader scope, larger facility, and national recognition; comparable STEAM educational mission but operates at significantly larger scale than Discovery Station.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discovery-station

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Discovery Station