Little Ray's Exhibitions
Little Ray's Exhibitions is a privately-held Ottawa-based provider of turnkey travelling live animal and educational exhibitions to museums, science centers, and natural history institutions across North America, offering indoor and outdoor exhibits plus custom design and fabrication services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Little Ray's Exhibitions does
Little Ray's Exhibitions is a privately-held provider of turnkey travelling exhibitions to accredited museums, science centers, and natural history institutions across North America. Founded in 1995 by CEO Paul Goulet and headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, the company employs approximately 35 people and operates multiple nature centers across the United States and Canada. Its core offering consists of indoor and outdoor exhibitions featuring live animals, educational programming, and immersive interactive elements, with a portfolio of 15+ exhibition themes including Dragons, Survival of the Slowest, Wild World, Under the Canopy, Turtles, Monsters of the Abyss, Defenses, and the Wildlife Rescue outdoor series.
The company's technical foundation rests on a 5,000 sqft in-house production shop staffed by skilled modelmakers and digital fabrication specialists, enabling custom habitat design, life-sized biologically accurate sculptures, and full exhibit construction. The Phoebe Project, launched in 2024, represents a proprietary accessibility initiative featuring tactile scaled replicas for visually impaired guests. Little Ray's delivers complete exhibition solutions including planning, design, production, logistics, installation, and on-site staffing, with configurations ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 sqft and rental durations of 3 months, 6 months, or longer.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: travelling exhibition licensing and rental to institutional clients, custom design and fabrication services for bespoke projects, and programming and training services covering staff training and animal care assessments. The company targets enterprise B2B clients through direct field sales and business development, led by Shane McConnell (Director of Awesomeness) and Fadi Naddeh (Head of Social Media + Sales). Notable institutional clients include the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Museum of Innovation Science and Technology (MOST), Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, and Grey Roots Museum.
Little Ray's Exhibitions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Little Ray's Exhibitions
- Legal name
- Little Ray's Exhibitions
- Website
- https://exhibits.littlerays.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Little Ray's Exhibitions is a privately-held Ottawa-based provider of turnkey travelling live animal and educational exhibitions to museums, science centers, and natural history institutions across North America, offering indoor and outdoor exhibits plus custom design and fabrication services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Little Ray's Exhibitions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Museum Exhibition Services
- NAICS
- Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)
Keywords
Where Little Ray's Exhibitions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Little Ray's Exhibitions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Travelling Exhibition Licensing and Rental: Little Ray's provides turnkey travelling exhibitions to museums and science centers. Exhibits are available in various sizes (2,500-10,000 sqft) and durations (3 months, 6 months or longer). The company handles all aspects from delivery to installation to staffing, providing a complete recurring revenue model from institutional clients.
- Custom Design and Fabrication Services: Custom exhibit design, habitat fabrication, custom content development, display graphics and signs, custom statues, and whole exhibit creation. Billed per project with discovery, concept, content development, construction, and installation phases.
- Programming and Training Services: Inspiring educational presentations and staff training for live animal programming. Animal care assessments and consultation services for facilities looking to create or improve their nature centers or animal welfare programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Little Ray's Exhibitions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Little Ray's Exhibitions designs, builds, and operates turnkey travelling natural history exhibitions featuring live animals and interactive educational content for museums, science centres, zoos, and cultural institutions. The company delivers both indoor and outdoor travelling exhibitions, custom exhibit design and fabrication, and live animal programming and welfare services as a complete package to host venues.
Product overview
Little Ray's Exhibitions is a turnkey travelling exhibition provider specializing in immersive live animal and educational exhibitions for museums, science centers, and natural history institutions. The portfolio includes both indoor and outdoor exhibitions: indoor offerings include Dragons (featuring The Phoebe Project accessibility initiative), Wild World, Under the Canopy, Turtles, Monsters of the Abyss, Defenses, and Survival of the Slowest. Outdoor exhibitions include Wildlife Rescue: Second Chance at Survival and Wildlife Rescue: Tales of Conservation (both featuring climbable sculptures), with upcoming Fairies, Mythical Creatures, Pollinators, and Tiny Giants launching in 2025. Services include Custom Design + Fabrication (with in-house 5,000 sqft production shop) and Programming + Welfare (educational presentations and staff training). The company operates as a full-service provider handling exhibition planning, design, production, logistics, installation, and staffing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Phoebe Project: A brand-new initiative for visually impaired individuals, inspired by Paul Goulet's friend's daughter Phoebe who was born blind. Creates tactile sculptures allowing visually impaired guests to understand animal sizes and scales through touch.
Products and services
- Dragons
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 million people have experienced exhibitions designed by the Little Ray's leadership team
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Little Ray's Exhibitions
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Little Ray's Exhibitions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Little Ray's Exhibitions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Heeler DesigncoreBold, beautiful designs inspired by the natural world, Jamie Lee Burke's designs fill and enrich spaces creating immersive experiences of colour and wonder. Jamie is responsible for all of Little Ray's display graphics. The partnership has been ongoing for over 5 years.
- K6 MediacoreInnovative branding solutions that deliver the right message in the most impactful way. K6 Media works with Little Ray's to produce the most vibrant and impactful printing to ensure client concepts and messaging are brought to life. Partnership has been ongoing for over a decade.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Little Ray's Exhibitions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Museum of Science, Boston: Museum of Science, Boston is a major accredited science center that both hosts and develops its own travelling exhibitions. Comparable as a customer/institutional buyer of Little Ray's content and as a benchmark for scale in the museum exhibition ecosystem.
- California Science Center: California Science Center is a large science museum that produces and hosts major exhibitions, including IMAX and feature blockbusters. Comparable as a high-profile institutional venue that defines the segment Little Ray's serves.
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI): OMSI is a Pacific Northwest science museum and exhibition developer serving K-12 and family audiences. Comparable as a regional science center customer segment and benchmark for travelling exhibition programming.
Regional players
- Audubon Nature Institute: Audubon Nature Institute operates zoos, aquariums, and nature centers with a strong focus on animal welfare and conservation education in the US Gulf region. Comparable in live animal programming and conservation messaging, though primarily US Southeast-focused.
Others
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Wildlife Conservation Society operates the Bronx Zoo and global conservation programs with strong educational and exhibit content. Comparable as an ecosystem participant around conservation-themed exhibits and a potential content partner.
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA): AZA is the major US accreditation body for zoos and aquariums (CAZA's US counterpart). Comparable as the regulatory/accreditation ecosystem Little Ray's must navigate for live animal exhibits at member institutions.
Direct peers
- Imagine Exhibitions: Imagine Exhibitions designs, fabricates, and distributes travelling interactive exhibitions to museums, science centers, zoos, and aquariums worldwide. Closest direct competitor to Little Ray's, with comparable turnkey delivery model and institutional buyer base.
- Flying Fish Exhibits: Flying Fish designs, builds, and tours interactive museum exhibitions with in-house fabrication capabilities. Comparable as a custom exhibit fabricator and travelling exhibition provider serving similar institutional clients.
- Neon Exhibits: Neon Exhibits is a custom exhibit design and fabrication house serving museums, visitor centers, and brand experience clients. Comparable in fabrication capabilities and museum industry focus, though less specialized in live animal content.
- Evergreen Exhibitions: Evergreen Exhibitions produces travelling museum exhibitions covering natural history, science, and cultural themes for institutions globally. Directly comparable in product type, distribution model, and customer segment to Little Ray's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Little Ray's Exhibitions social profiles
Digital presenceLittle Ray's Exhibitions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Little Ray's Exhibitions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Little Ray's Exhibitions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Little Ray's Exhibitions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Little Ray's Exhibitions
What does Little Ray's Exhibitions do?
Little Ray's Exhibitions designs, builds, and operates turnkey travelling natural history exhibitions featuring live animals and interactive educational content for museums, science centres, zoos, and cultural institutions. The company delivers both indoor and outdoor travelling exhibitions, custom exhibit design and fabrication, and live animal programming and welfare services as a complete package to host venues.
Is Little Ray's Exhibitions a public or private company?
Little Ray's Exhibitions is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Little Ray's Exhibitions founded?
Little Ray's Exhibitions was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Little Ray's Exhibitions based?
Little Ray's Exhibitions is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Little Ray's Exhibitions make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Travelling Exhibition Licensing and Rental is the primary driver. The others are custom Design and Fabrication Services and programming and Training Services.
Who are Little Ray's Exhibitions's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Museum of Science, Boston, California Science Center and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Audubon Nature Institute is listed as a regional player. Others are Wildlife Conservation Society and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Direct peers are Imagine Exhibitions, Flying Fish Exhibits, Neon Exhibits and Evergreen Exhibitions.
Does Little Ray's Exhibitions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Little Ray's Exhibitions.
What industry is Little Ray's Exhibitions in?
Little Ray's Exhibitions's product category is Museum Exhibition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAFAA, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations). Its NAICS code is 712130 and its SIC code is 7900.