Cape Ann Museum

What Cape Ann Museum does

The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is an independent nonprofit cultural institution that preserves and interprets the art, history, and culture of the Cape Ann region. It operates two Gloucester campuses: a renovated Downtown Campus at 27 Pleasant Street, comprising galleries, an auditorium, an Education Studio, a museum gift store, and the Library & Archives; and the CAM Green Campus at 13 Poplar Street, a four-acre site anchored by the LEED Platinum-certified Janet & William Ellery James Center and three preserved 18th-century structures. The institution holds what it describes as the largest and finest collection of paintings by Fitz Henry Lane in the United States, alongside American works by Milton Avery, Mark Rothko, Adolph Gottlieb, Edward Hopper, and Winslow Homer, supported by an archival photography collection exceeding one million images.

The museum's core offerings include permanent collection galleries, rotating special exhibitions such as "Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea" (June 30 – September 27, 2026) and "Among Friends" at CAM Green, plus a research library and digital archives. Educational programming spans Pre-K through Grade 12 school visits, family programs, a Teen Council, docent-led gallery and walking tours, the CAMTalks lecture series, courtyard concerts, and adult studio courses. Distribution channels include on-site visitation to both campuses, an online gift store at store.capeannmuseum.org, image rights and reproductions licensing for commercial and non-commercial use, and virtual programming delivered through a partnership with Smithsonian Associates.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining tiered admissions ($15–$25 for general/special exhibition tickets), annual memberships with North American Reciprocal Museum Association benefits at the Contributor level and above, gift store sales, program fees, image rights licensing, and donations via the Dotty Brown Annual Fund and planned giving. Pricing differentiates by residency (Cape Ann residents, students, youth 18 and under, and second-Saturday visitors receive free or discounted admission). Customer segments span cultural tourists, regional residents, schools, families, researchers, and local hospitality partners such as area inns and B&Bs that act as regional ambassadors. After a 20-month closure for extensive renovations, the Downtown Campus reopened on June 30, 2026, repositioning the institution with expanded exhibition space across 17 levels, relocated collection storage to the CAM Green campus, and a renewed programmatic slate.

Name

Cape Ann Museum

Legal name

Cape Ann Museum

Website

https://capeannmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is an independent nonprofit cultural institution preserving and presenting Cape Ann's art, history, and maritime heritage through exhibitions, educational programming, and a research library serving residents, schools, and cultural tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art and History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAA

Art Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJADAB

History Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJADAH

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYBPAGAHAF

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Art museum exhibitions
• Historical preservation
• Educational programs
• Library and archives
• Heritage tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Gloucester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Ticket sales for general admission and special exhibitions with timed-entry windows. Special exhibitions like Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea require additional paid tickets.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships offering free general admission, guest passes, exhibition invitations, and reciprocal benefits through NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association) at Contributor level and above.
3. Gift Store: Physical and online store selling catalogs, books, stationery, home décor and other merchandise.
4. Image Rights and Reproductions: Fees for high-resolution image reproductions and media rights for collection materials, with commercial and non-commercial pricing tiers.
5. Programs and Events: Fees for workshops, courses, walking tours, special lectures (e.g., Smithsonian Associates online lectures), and other programming.
6. Donations and Annual Fund: Dotty Brown Annual Fund, planned giving, and collections fund donations from members and supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cape Ann Museum is a dual-campus nonprofit art and history museum that preserves, interprets, and presents rotating exhibitions, permanent collections, educational programs, walking and gallery tours, lectures, concerts, and research services centered on the art, history, and culture of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Its offerings include the country's premier collection of Fitz Henry Lane works, a Library & Archives with over 1,000,000 photographs, four historic structures (1710-1804), K-12 and family educational programming, studio art courses, and image rights licensing for collection materials.

Product overview

The Cape Ann Museum is a dual-campus cultural institution in Gloucester, Massachusetts, founded in 1875, dedicated to preserving and presenting the art, history, and culture of Cape Ann. The museum operates its Downtown Campus (27 Pleasant Street) and CAM Green Campus (13 Poplar Street), spanning four historic structures. Its offerings include rotating special exhibitions (such as 'Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea' and 'Among Friends'), permanent collection galleries featuring Fitz Henry Lane and American art, educational programs for schools, families, and teens, walking and gallery tours, the CAMTalks lecture series, courtyard concerts, studio art workshops, and a research Library & Archives with over 1,000,000 photographs. The museum also provides membership programs with reciprocal museum benefits and image rights/licensing services for its collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Downtown Campus The primary museum campus at 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA, featuring renovated galleries, the Fitz Henry Lane Gallery, Cape Ann Gallery, Folly Cove Designers Gallery, Granite Gallery, Fisheries Galleries, Special Exhibition Galleries, auditorium, Education Studio, Research Library and Archives, and Museum Gift Store. Open for timed-entry visits with general admission ($20 adults, $15 seniors/Cape Ann residents, $5 students, free for youth 18 and under) and special exhibition premium tickets ($25 adults).
• CAM Green Campus A nearly four-acre campus at 13 Poplar Street, Gloucester, MA, featuring the 12,000 sq ft LEED Platinum certified Janet & William Ellery James Center with 173KW solar array, three historic structures (White-Ellery House 1710, Babson-Alling House c.1740, Early New England Barn c.1740), Contemporary Art Wetu, Mush8n, and outdoor programming spaces. Free admission, open Friday-Sunday seasonally.
• Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea A landmark special exhibition exploring the artistic connections between Milton Avery, Adolph Gottlieb, and Mark Rothko and their time in Gloucester. On view June 30 - September 27, 2026. Included with $25 special exhibition adult ticket.
• Among Friends Exhibition A special exhibition on view at the CAM Green Campus from July 10 - September 27, 2026. Free admission.
• [Working Title:] Photographs by Anne Rearick A photography exhibition scheduled for November 14, 2026 - March 21, 2027 at the Downtown Campus.
• Gallery Tours Docent-led and self-guided tours of museum galleries, including Highlights Tours, Captain Elias Davis House Tours, and specialty themed tours. Available to museum visitors.
• Walking Tours Outdoor walking tours covering Fitz Henry Lane views, Hopper's Houses, Waterfront Reflections, Historic Dogtown, Patriots and Privateers of Revolutionary Middle Street, and Public Sculpture of Gloucester. CAM Members $15, Non-Members $25. Registration required.
• Courtyard Concerts Series Eight weeks of free outdoor summer concerts held on Thursdays in July and August from 5:00-7:00 pm as part of Culture Splash, featuring local and regional musicians.
• CAMTalks Lecture Series Informative lectures providing deeper context behind exhibitions and regional history, including panel discussions, artist conversations, and scholarly presentations. Live-streamed on Facebook and archived in the Video Vault.
• Studio Art Courses & Workshops Six-week adult studio courses in Winter, Spring, and Fall, plus daylong workshops throughout the year covering various art techniques and practices. Open to adult learners.
• Library & Archives Research library and archives open to scholars, writers, students, and the public, containing over 1,000,000 photographs, historical documents, and digital collections accessible through an online catalog at capeannmuseum.quartexcollections.com.
• Fitz Henry Lane Online Interdisciplinary online resource exploring the life and work of 19th century marine artist Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865), including a catalogue raisonné. Free public access.
• Historic Properties Four historic structures maintained by the museum and accessible to visitors: Captain Elias Davis House (c. 1799-1804), White-Ellery House (1710), Babson-Alling House (c. 1740), and Early New England Barn (c. 1740).
• School Programs Guided and self-guided museum visits for preschool through grade 12, including curriculum-aligned tours, the CAM Education Studio, Library and Archives access, and annual student exhibitions for all eighth graders on Cape Ann. Free for Cape Ann schools.
• Family Programs Family-friendly activities including Cassie the Sea Serpent scavenger hunts, Second Saturdays free for Cape Ann residents, school vacation programs, and community festivals.
• Online Educational Resources Digital educational materials including downloadable activities (#CAMKidsCreate), virtual tours, the CAMKids Timeship educational resource, and Portrait of a Place educator's guide.
• Museum Membership Annual membership offering free general admission, guest admissions, invitations to exhibitions and events, NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association) benefits at Contributor level and above, and 10% discount at the Museum Store. Available online, by phone, or in-person.
• Image Rights & Reproductions Licensing service providing high-resolution image and media reproductions of collection materials for commercial and non-commercial use, with processing fees ($25-150) and per-image fees ($5/image depending on use type) and copyright clearance assistance.
• Special Events Special celebration events combining art, history, and culture with food, drink, and community engagement to support museum programs and exhibitions.
• Museum Gift Store Physical and online store at store.capeannmuseum.org selling catalogs, books, stationery, home décor, and other merchandise. Physical store at Downtown Campus is accessible without museum admission.

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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, minor and major.

• MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBTA commuter rail Newburyport/Rockport line connects Cape Ann directly with Boston's North Station. Gloucester stop is 10-15 minute walk from Downtown Campus, 25 minute walk from CAM Green. Public transportation access is essential for regional visitor access.
• CATA (Cape Ann Transportation Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal bus service provides direct drop-off access to both campuses via CATA On Demand service.
• NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal admission program offering CAM members at Contributor level and above free or discounted admission to 800+ museums across North America. Cross-promotional network enhancing membership value.
• Smithsonian AssociatesmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for hosting online lectures such as 'Friendship by the Sea: Avery, Gottlieb, and Rothko'. Smithsonian Associates promotes and manages registration for these programs, bringing national audience to CAM content.
• Sawyer Free LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Gloucester 400+ timeline digitization project. Joint initiative to digitize and make accessible regional historical materials.
• C.B. Fisk (Pipe Organ Builders)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Gloucester company designing and building pipe organs. Museum provides educational resources about their craft, featuring audio recordings of their instruments in online resources.
• City of GloucestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStabilization work on historic structures supported by City of Gloucester's Community Preservation Act Grant Program. Grants awarded for White-Ellery House, Babson-Alling House, and Early New England Barn.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Bedford Whaling Museum: Maritime heritage museum on the Massachusetts coast with a focused regional identity, comparable collection size, and overlapping programming around fisheries, seafaring, and coastal-community history. Closest match on the maritime-heritage dimension of Cape Ann Museum's mission.
• Historic New England: Regional heritage organization preserving dozens of historic New England properties with associated archives and educational programming. Comparable in maintaining historic structures and stewarding an archive of regional photographs and documents.
• deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: Regional New England museum combining contemporary art, sculpture park, and educational programming. Comparable mid-sized regional art museum footprint and programming model.
• Shelburne Museum: Vermont museum operating a multi-building campus of historic structures housing American art and decorative-arts collections. Comparable multi-building operating model and American-art focus.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Connecticut-based maritime museum operating a multi-building campus with historic structures, an archive, and active programming around American maritime history. Comparable in dual-campus footprint and focus on regional maritime heritage.
• Peabody Essex Museum: Regional art and culture museum in Salem, MA, operating a comparable mid-sized multi-building campus with rotating special exhibitions, a permanent collection spanning American and maritime art, and similar New England cultural-tourism audience. Highly comparable in scale, programming mix, and donor model.
• Worcester Art Museum: Regional American art museum with a comparable mid-sized permanent collection, rotating special exhibitions, and educational programming serving a New England community. Similar operating model and visitor economics.
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Boston-based museum centered on a single collector's American and European art holdings, with a fixed footprint and intimate visitor scale similar to Cape Ann Museum's Downtown Campus. Comparable as a mid-sized single-site specialty art museum with high per-visitor engagement.
• Norman Rockwell Museum: Stockbridge, MA museum dedicated to the world's largest collection of a specific American artist, paralleling CAM's premier-Fitz-Henry-Lane positioning. Similar model of monetizing a singular collection anchor with rotating exhibitions and educational programming.
• Old Sturbridge Village: Living-history museum in Massachusetts maintaining multiple early-American structures and educational programming. Closely comparable in maintaining 18th-century historic structures for public visitation and curriculum-aligned school programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/capeannmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/camuseum
• Xx.com/capeannmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cape-ann-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cape Ann Museum