Los Angeles Maritime Museum
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a nonprofit founded in 1980 in San Pedro, California, that preserves and shares Port of Los Angeles maritime history through physical exhibits, a research library, an online collections database, educational school tours, and community events for students, researchers, and the general public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSan Pedro, California, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Los Angeles Maritime Museum does
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 and located at Berth 84, Foot of 6th Street, in San Pedro, California, on the waterfront of the Port of Los Angeles. Its mission is to preserve and share the maritime history of one of the world's busiest ports. The museum operates as a special facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks with financial support from the Friends of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, a dual-governance structure that combines municipal oversight with nonprofit fundraising.
The museum's core assets are its physical and digital collections. Onsite, it houses a research library containing thousands of books and archival documents covering shipbuilding, fishing and canning, organized labor, commercial diving, the U.S. Navy, merchant shipping, yachting, and San Pedro history, alongside a functional ham radio station (K6AA) operated by licensed volunteers. Digitally, the museum maintains an ever-expanding collections database on PastPerfect Online where thousands of historic photographs can be searched and ordered. Supporting programs include free K-12 school tours, the Channel Crossings bi-annual newsletter (published since Summer 2004), the Sea Chest gift shop (physical and online), and recurring community events such as Fleet Week programming, the annual Lego Shipbuilding Contest, and Story Time partnerships with the Los Angeles Public Library.
The museum's revenue model blends a suggested-donation admission ($5 adults, $3 seniors, free for children under 12, veterans, people with disabilities, and active military), a six-tier annual membership program ranging from $40 (Individual) to $5,000 (Champion), gift shop sales, and grants and donations — including a $40,000 Maritime Heritage Grant from the National Park Service to fund an interpretive master plan for the historic harbor tug ANGELS GATE. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the museum relies on volunteer tour guides, partner organizations (Port of Los Angeles, LA Public Library, Council of American Maritime Museums), and digital channels including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and email newsletters to reach visitors, K-12 school groups, maritime history enthusiasts, and archival researchers.
Los Angeles Maritime Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum
- Legal name
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum
- Website
- https://lamaritimemuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a nonprofit founded in 1980 in San Pedro, California, that preserves and shares Port of Los Angeles maritime history through physical exhibits, a research library, an online collections database, educational school tours, and community events for students, researchers, and the general public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Los Angeles Maritime Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Heritage Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Los Angeles Maritime Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Pedro, California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Los Angeles Maritime Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Museum Admission: Visitors pay admission fees to access museum exhibits. Adults $5, Seniors $3, Children 12 and under free. Last entry at 4:30 pm.
- Annual Memberships: Friends of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum membership program with multiple tiers providing admission benefits, shop discounts, library borrowing privileges, event invitations, and newsletter subscription. Reciprocal admission to 80+ maritime museums through CAMM for Sponsor level and above.
- Gift Shop Sales: The Sea Chest Gift Shop sells books, merchandise, and maritime-themed items both online and at the physical location.
- Donations and Grants: Financial gifts and bequests from supporters, including National Park Service Maritime Heritage Grants ($40,000 awarded for interpretive master plan).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership - $40/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Membership - $55/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Sponsor Membership - $100/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Benefactor Membership - $500/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Patron Membership - $1,000/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Champion Membership - $5,000/year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Los Angeles Maritime Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum operates a historic waterfront museum at Berth 84 in San Pedro, California, dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Port of Los Angeles. It offers public exhibits, a research library with archival documents and rare books, a searchable online collections database of historic photographs, K-12 educational school tours, a maritime-themed gift shop (the Sea Chest), a tiered annual membership program, and community programming including Fleet Week and Story Time partnerships with the Los Angeles Public Library.
Product overview
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum operates as a physical museum facility at Berth 84 in San Pedro, offering a unified experience centered on preserving and sharing the history of the Port of Los Angeles. The museum's core offerings include physical exhibits in its historic building, a Research Library & Archives with thousands of books and documents, and a digital Online Collections platform. Supporting these are the Sea Chest Museum Shop selling maritime publications and merchandise, a Membership Program with tiered benefits, School Tours for K-12 education, and the Channel Crossings newsletter for community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum (Physical Museum Experience) Historic waterfront museum building at Berth 84, San Pedro, offering exhibits on the history of the Port of Los Angeles, including a research library, ham radio station (K6AA), and gift shop. Open Wednesday-Sunday 12pm-5pm; admission $5 adults / $3 seniors / free for children under 12, veterans, people with disabilities, and active military.
- Research Library & Archives Research library home to thousands of books, historic photographs, and archival documents focusing on Port of Los Angeles history, including shipbuilding, fishing and canning industry, organized labor history, commercial diving, U.S. Navy, merchant shipping, yachting, and San Pedro history. Open to members with borrowing privileges and to researchers for archival access.
- Online Collections Database (PastPerfect Online) Digital resource hosting thousands of historic photographs from the museum's collection, searchable online with digital ordering and user feedback capabilities. Available for personal use free of charge.
- Sea Chest Museum Shop Museum gift shop selling books, maritime merchandise, and publications including books on Port of Los Angeles history, naval art, and regional histories. Available for in-person purchase at the museum and online with flat-rate California shipping ($9.00).
- Museum Membership Program Annual membership program with multiple tiers (Individual $40, Family $55, Sponsor $100, Benefactor $500, Patron $1,000, Champion $5,000) offering benefits including admission, gift shop discounts, library borrowing privileges, event invitations, and newsletter subscriptions. Sponsor level and above include reciprocal admission to 80+ North American maritime museums through CAMM.
- School Tours Free educational tours for grades K-12 with reservations required, providing immersive, curriculum-aligned experiences about the Port of Los Angeles history. Tour coordination through the School Tour Coordinator.
- Channel Crossings Newsletter Bi-annual museum newsletter published since Summer 2004 with museum updates, events, and maritime history content. Available to members via US mail or email, with back issues (#55 Winter 2026 through #1 Summer 2004) available for download online.
Companies that use Los Angeles Maritime Museum
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Los Angeles Maritime Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Los Angeles Maritime Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and ParkscoreThe museum is a special installation of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which operates with financial support from the Friends of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum. This provides the operational framework and city-level support for museum operations.
- Port of Los AngelescoreThe Port of Los Angeles is a key partner, providing sponsorship for events and programs including the Port of Los Angeles Community Investment Grant Program. The museum is located within the port area at Berth 84.
- Los Angeles Public LibrarycorePartnership for Story Time programs held at the museum and Maritime Crafts programs at San Pedro Branch Library. Joint programming brings library resources to museum visitors and vice versa.
- Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM)minorReciprocal admission partnership allowing Sponsor-level members ($100+) free admission to over 80 participating maritime museums across North America.
- L.A. as Subject / Cal State LA University LibraryminorParticipates in the annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, a collaborative event showcasing Southern California archival institutions.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Los Angeles Maritime Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mystic Seaport Museum: Largest maritime museum in the United States, located in Mystic, Connecticut. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum with historic vessels, research library, and educational programming for K-12 audiences.
- Independence Seaport Museum: Maritime museum on the Delaware River waterfront in Philadelphia with historic vessels and exhibits. Comparable as an East Coast specialty maritime museum offering admissions, memberships, and educational programming.
- San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park: National Park Service-operated maritime museum and historic vessel fleet in San Francisco. Directly comparable as a Northern California maritime heritage institution with similar educational and archival mission.
- South Street Seaport Museum: Historic waterfront maritime museum in lower Manhattan, New York City. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum with archival collections, educational programming, and waterfront location.
- USS Constitution Museum: Naval/maritime heritage museum associated with USS Constitution in Boston. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum with educational programming and partnership relationships with the U.S. Navy.
- Penobscot Marine Museum: Regional maritime museum in Searsport, Maine, preserving Penobscot Bay maritime history. Comparable as a smaller specialty maritime museum with archival collections and educational programming.
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Maritime heritage museum in St. Michaels, Maryland. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum with historic vessels, educational programming, and reciprocal museum network membership.
- Maritime Museum of San Diego: California-based specialty maritime museum operating historic ships, exhibits, and educational programming in San Diego. Comparable as a West Coast specialty maritime museum with similar admission/membership revenue model and waterfront location.
- The Mariners' Museum and Park: Maritime history museum in Newport News, Virginia, with extensive library and archive collections. Comparable as a specialty maritime museum with research library, educational programming, and CAMM reciprocal network membership.
Broad incumbents
- San Diego Natural History Museum: Larger regional museum institution in San Diego with broader natural/cultural scope. Comparable as a regional museum operator with similar admissions, membership, and educational programming models in the California market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Los Angeles Maritime Museum social profiles
Digital presenceLos Angeles Maritime Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Los Angeles Maritime Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Los Angeles Maritime Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Los Angeles Maritime Museum 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 Los Angeles Maritime Museum
What does Los Angeles Maritime Museum do?
The Los Angeles Maritime Museum operates a historic waterfront museum at Berth 84 in San Pedro, California, dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Port of Los Angeles. It offers public exhibits, a research library with archival documents and rare books, a searchable online collections database of historic photographs, K-12 educational school tours, a maritime-themed gift shop (the Sea Chest), a tiered annual membership program, and community programming including Fleet Week and Story Time partnerships with the Los Angeles Public Library.
Is Los Angeles Maritime Museum a public or private company?
Los Angeles Maritime Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Los Angeles Maritime Museum founded?
Los Angeles Maritime Museum was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Los Angeles Maritime Museum based?
Los Angeles Maritime Museum is headquartered in San Pedro, California, United States, in the North America region.
How does Los Angeles Maritime Museum make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Museum Admission is the primary driver. The others are annual Memberships, gift Shop Sales and donations and Grants.
Who are Los Angeles Maritime Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mystic Seaport Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, South Street Seaport Museum, USS Constitution Museum, Penobscot Marine Museum, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego and The Mariners' Museum and Park. San Diego Natural History Museum is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Los Angeles Maritime Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Los Angeles Maritime Museum.
What industry is Los Angeles Maritime Museum in?
Los Angeles Maritime Museum's product category is Maritime Heritage Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAF, Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film). Its NAICS code is 712110.