Montana Natural History Center

What Montana Natural History Center does

Montana Natural History Center (MNHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Missoula, Montana, with a 14-person staff operating a public museum, school outreach programs, and community education offerings focused on the natural history of western Montana. The center runs a museum featuring exhibits on regional geology, ecosystems, flora, and fauna — including the University of Montana Herbarium (MONTU) with 135,000+ botanical specimens — and conducts the Visiting Naturalist in the Schools (VNS) program that delivers NGSS-aligned instruction to 71 classrooms and 1,556 students across four western Montana valleys (Missoula, Mission, Blackfoot, Bitterroot) for the 2025-2026 school year.

MNHC's revenue is generated through a diversified mix of paid museum admissions ($3-$15 per visit with tiered pricing and free access for members, EBT cardholders, and Indigenous peoples), individual memberships that provide reciprocal access to 300+ ASTC science centers, fee-based adult programs and Master Naturalist certification courses ($20-$25 per session), seasonal summer camps, facility rentals, a Montana specialty license plate program, an online gift shop, and — most significantly — donations, monthly giving, and foundation grants, which cover 90% of VNS program costs. The organization maintains a 30+ year weekly Field Notes radio partnership with Montana Public Radio and publishes a biannual Montana Naturalist magazine.

The center serves four primary customer segments: youth and families (summer camps, family programs, miniNaturalist), K-12 educators and schools (VNS, field trips, curriculum resources), adult learners and nature enthusiasts (Master Naturalist certification, workshops, photography clubs), and the general public/community members (museum visits, accessibility programs). Strategic partnerships with ASTC, University of Montana Herbarium, Montana Public Radio, Museums for All, and Lolo National Forest underpin its distribution and content capabilities.

Name

Montana Natural History Center

Legal name

Montana Natural History Center

Website

https://montananaturalist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Montana Natural History Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Missoula, Montana, operating a natural history museum, school naturalist programs reaching 1,556 students across four western Montana valleys, Master Naturalist certification, summer camps, and a 30-year public radio partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife Interpretation & Education Centers (Visitor Centers, Museums) (THAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Natural history education
• Museum education programs
• Environmental science outreach
• Nature education services
• Wildlife conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program providing free admission, magazine subscription, and reciprocal benefits to 300+ ASTC science centers. Members receive discounts on programs and priority registration.
2. Museum Admission: Tiered admission pricing for adults ($7), children ($3), seniors ($5), veterans ($5), family rate ($15), with free admission for members, children under 4, EBT cardholders, and Native/Indigenous peoples.
3. Program and Class Fees: Fee-based educational programs and classes including nature workshops, birding excursions, photography clubs, and certification courses. Typical pricing at $20 members/$25 non-members.
4. Summer Camps: Seasonal day camps for children during summer months with before/aftercare available.
5. Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions from individuals, monthly giving programs, vehicle donations, planned gifts, and foundation grants. 90% of VNS program cost is covered by foundations, grants, and donations.
6. Facility Rentals: Room rentals for events including birthday parties, meetings, and private gatherings at the MNHC facility.
7. Online Gift Shop: E-commerce sales of nature-themed merchandise, Field Notes books, and educational materials through the online shop.
8. Montana Naturalist Magazine: Biannual educational magazine published twice yearly, distributed free to members and available by subscription.
9. Business Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for businesses to support MNHC programs.
10. License Plate Program: Montana specialty license plate program generating revenue for the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Montana Natural History Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that operates a natural history museum in Missoula, Montana, and delivers a portfolio of nature education offerings including the Visiting Naturalist in the Schools (VNS) in-school program for K-12 students, summer day camps for children, the Montana Master Naturalist certification course for adults, and the quarterly Field Notes magazine. The organization also offers membership programs, community events, and publications aimed at deepening public understanding of regional natural history.

Product overview

The Montana Natural History Center offers a portfolio of educational products and programs centered on natural history education for western Montana. The core offerings include the museum with permanent exhibits, the Montana Naturalist Magazine (published twice yearly), Field Notes (radio segments since 1991 now compiled into books), and formal educational programs like the Visiting Naturalist in the Schools (VNS) and Montana Master Naturalist certification. Additional offerings include summer camps, online educational resources, family programs (miniNaturalist), and community events such as photography clubs, writing workshops, and book clubs. The organization operates on a membership model providing reciprocal admissions to science centers nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Montana Natural History Center Museum A natural history museum in Missoula, Montana that displays exhibits on regional natural history for general public visitors, families, and tourists. Open Tuesday through Sunday at 217 N. Higgins Avenue with standard admission of $5 and free admission for EBT and Indigenous community members.
• Visiting Naturalist in the Schools (VNS) A in-school natural history education program in which MNHC teaching naturalists deliver classroom-based natural history curriculum to K-12 students in Montana schools. The program is designed to be contracted by schools and school districts as supplemental science and environmental education.
• Montana Master Naturalist Program A tuition-based certification course for adults covering regional natural history topics, designed for aspiring naturalists, educators, and lifelong learners seeking formal natural history credentials.
• Summer Camps and Adventures Seasonal nature day camps for children that include free before- and after-care, offered through the center's youth and family programming lineup.
• MNHC Membership Program An annual membership program with tiered pricing ($25 family, $50 individual) that grants free museum admission, reciprocal access to 350+ science centers through the ASTC passport network, and member-only Programming like book clubs and photography clubs.
• Field Notes Magazine A quarterly natural history publication produced by Montana Natural History Center, with related content broadcast on Montana Public Radio, distributed to members and the broader public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,556 students reached annually through VNS program with 19 hours of direct instruction per student
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreOthersMNHC is a member of ASTC, participating in the Travel Passport program that provides reciprocal free admission to over 300 science and technology centers worldwide. Members of any ASTC passport museum receive free admission to MNHC, and MNHC members receive free admission to partner institutions including Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman and Exploration Works in Helena.
• 1% for the PlanetminorOthersMNHC participates as a nonprofit partner in the 1% for the Planet movement, allowing individuals and businesses to support environmental nonprofits through membership dues.
• University of Montana Herbarium (MONTU)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Naturalist Field Station exhibit features the University of Montana Herbarium, the largest botanical collection in the state with over 135,000 specimens. MONTU serves as the primary reference and data source in the region for botanists, land managers, and conservation organizations.
• Lolo National ForestminorOthersMontana Natural History Center trips are permitted on the Lolo National Forest for field trips and outdoor education programs.
• Animal WondersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnimal Wonders conducts birthday parties at MNHC, providing wildlife education programming as part of the center's event offerings for families.
• Montana Public RadiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWeekly Field Notes segments broadcast on Montana Public Radio since 1991, reaching statewide audience with natural history content. Content partnership provides marketing reach and credibility for MNHC programs.
• Museums for AllcoreOthersMNHC participates in the Museums for All initiative, providing free admission for EBT cardholders (must show EBT card and photo ID) to ensure accessibility for low-income families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park delivering education programs, field seminars, and youth camps. Closely comparable in nature-education nonprofit model serving the same regional Montana/Wyoming audience.
• Teton Science Schools: Nonprofit nature education organization in Jackson, Wyoming, operating field schools, summer camps, and educator training similar to MNHC's Master Naturalist and VNS programs. Comparable in mission and nonprofit operating model.
• Exploration Works: Science center in Helena, Montana, also part of the ASTC passport network with MNHC. Delivers hands-on science and natural history programming to Montana schools and families, directly comparable in mission and scale.
• Glacier National Park Conservancy: Nonprofit supporting Glacier National Park education and conservation, with field programs, school partnerships, and donor-supported programming analogous to MNHC's Visiting Naturalist model.
• Museum of the Rockies: Regional natural history museum in Bozeman, Montana, sharing ASTC reciprocal membership with MNHC. Operates comparable paleontology, geology, and regional ecology exhibits and serves a similar Montana family and education audience.

Regional players

• Montana Historical Society: State-operated museum in Helena, Montana, with exhibits, educational programming, and donor-supported operations. Comparable as a Montana nonprofit museum but with a historical rather than natural-history focus.
• Children's Museum of Montana: Great Falls-based children's museum offering hands-on educational programming for Montana families and schools. Comparable in audience and school-district outreach model, though thematically distinct.

Emerging players

• National Center for Appropriate Technology: Butte, Montana-based nonprofit delivering environmental education, sustainable agriculture training, and community programming. Comparable as a Montana environmental education nonprofit with overlapping school and adult audiences.
• Montana Audubon: Montana-based nonprofit focused on bird and habitat education with school programs, field trips, and volunteer naturalist activities. Overlaps with MNHC on birding classes and K-12 nature education in western Montana.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Science Center: Larger, established science center with permanent exhibits, school programs, and ASTC reciprocal membership. Operates at significantly greater scale but offers overlapping nature and science educational programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/montananaturalhistorycenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/MontanaNaturalHistoryCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/mtnaturalhistorycenter
• Pinterestpinterest.com/mnhc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-natural-history-center

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Montana Natural History Center