Washington County Museum

What Washington County Museum does

Washington County Museum is a nonprofit regional history museum operated by the Washington County Historical Association in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. It preserves and presents 200+ years of Washington County history through three permanent galleries (Edith Neale Gallery, Gallery of Pioneer History, Bank Gallery), a research library with genealogical records dating to the 1850s-1860s, and two historic properties under its stewardship: the 1905 Frahm House (National Register of Historic Places) and the 1877 Long Creek School. The museum serves a diversified local and regional audience including general visitors, K-12 students on curriculum-aligned school tours, family history researchers, and event organizers who rent its historic venues.

The museum's core products are exhibitions and educational programming rather than technology. It recently expanded its collection footprint with the April 2026 opening of the Hugh and Jane Hunt Vintage Radio Gallery, housing nearly 400 vintage radios from the 1930s-1940s, including Catalin, Air King Skyscraper, and Sparton Mirror radios. Educational offerings include hands-on school tours ($1/child), a Lewis and Clark traveling trunk, and traveling exhibits distributed statewide. The museum also co-manages the Washington County Heritage Trail, a self-guided tour of historic sites.

Revenue is generated through a mix of modest admission fees (Adults $6, Children $4, Under 3 free), annual memberships, donations (including a capital contribution from Hugh and Jane Hunt), donation-based facility rentals at Frahm House and Long Creek School, and school program fees. The organization is lean, with two paid staff (Executive Director Pam Eby and Museum Gallery Attendant Joseph Bricko) supported by a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors. The museum operates approximately four days per week with seasonal hours and is governed as a private nonprofit without external investors or parent company ownership.

Name

Washington County Museum

Legal name

Washington County Museum

Website

https://wcnemuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Washington County Museum is a nonprofit regional history museum in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, preserving 200+ years of county history through galleries, a research library, and two historic properties, serving general visitors, K-12 students, genealogists, and event renters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum & Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

Keywords

• Local history museum
• Historical preservation
• Genealogical research
• Educational school tours
• Cultural heritage exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Calhoun

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Visitors pay admission fees to access museum galleries. Children under 3 admitted free. Fees support museum operations and exhibits.
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships provide free/discounted admission, invitations to special events and previews, and support for preserving local history. Members receive exclusive access to behind-the-scenes tours.
3. Donations: The museum accepts donations to support exhibits and operations. Major donors like Hugh and Jane Hunt have funded gallery construction. Donations also enable free admission during opening weekends.
4. Facility Rental: Historic properties including Long Creek School (up to 50 people capacity) and Frahm House are available for events including corporate meetings, anniversaries, reunions, and parties. Rental fees are donation-based.
5. Educational Programs: School tours at $1 per child provide hands-on historical education. Traveling trunks and exhibits available at no charge to schools, libraries, and organizations (with possible shipping costs).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Washington County Museum is a regional history museum that preserves and presents 200+ years of Washington County, Nebraska history through permanent galleries (Edith Neale Gallery, Gallery of Pioneer History, Bank Gallery, and the new Hugh and Jane Hunt Vintage Radio Gallery), a genealogical research library, and two historic properties (Long Creek Schoolhouse and Frahm House). The museum delivers hands-on educational programs for K-12 students, hosts public lectures, manages the Heritage Trail self-guided tour, and rents historic facilities for community events.

Product overview

Washington County Museum operates as a regional history museum with a main facility in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska featuring three permanent galleries (Edith Neale Gallery, Gallery of Pioneer History, and Bank Gallery), a research library, and manages two historic properties (Long Creek School and Frahm House). The museum recently opened the Hugh and Jane Hunt Vintage Radio Gallery featuring 400 vintage radios. Educational offerings include school tours, traveling trunks, and traveling exhibits. The museum also maintains the Heritage Trail self-guided tour and hosts public lecture events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Edith Neale Gallery

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 400 radios in the Hugh and Jane Hunt collection, considered the finest Catalin radio collection in the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hugh and Jane HuntcoreOthersMajor donors who provided the vintage radio collection (nearly 400 radios from 1930s-1940s) and funded the Hugh and Jane Hunt Vintage Radio Gallery construction. Their passion for preserving radio history made the exhibit possible.
• Fort Atkinson State Historical ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent to the museum, the park offers fort tours that complement museum visits. Many groups split between museum and fort tours. Fort Atkinson's reconstruction was led by Edith Neale, museum's former director.
• Nebraska Humanities CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided partial funding for the 'Barns of Nebraska's Ethnic Communities' traveling exhibit, which accompanied the Smithsonian Institution's Barn Again! exhibit.
• Smithsonian InstitutionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarns of Nebraska's Ethnic Communities exhibit accompanied the Smithsonian's Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon traveling exhibit during its Nebraska tour.
• Blair Historic Preservation Alliance (BHPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization advocating for historic properties in Blair, NE. BHPA provides information and photos of historic homes and buildings. Museum provides link to their resources.
• Washington County Genealogical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at Blair Library and Technology Center, contains additional genealogical data on Washington County residents. Museum provides referral link to their resources.
• Danish American Archives and LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum refers visitors seeking Danish history information to this archives, serving researchers with Danish heritage connections in Washington County.
• Omaha North Hills Pottery TourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum's Long Creek Schoolhouse is a stop on the annual pottery tour, bringing visitors who can also tour the museum during extended hours.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fort Atkinson State Historical Park: Adjacent historic site to Washington County Museum preserving the 1820s U.S. Army fort. Directly comparable as a Washington County, Nebraska heritage attraction with overlapping visitor base and content focus on Fort Atkinson history.
• Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm: Heritage site in Olathe, Kansas featuring a 19th-century stagecoach stop with restored buildings and living history programs. Comparable as a small nonprofit operating restored historic buildings with school tours and event rentals.
• Durham Museum: Regional history museum in Omaha, Nebraska preserving the history of the region. Comparable as a Nebraska-based heritage museum serving the same general regional audience with exhibits on local pioneer and regional history.
• Pony Express National Museum: Heritage museum in St. Joseph, Missouri preserving the history of the Pony Express and related westward expansion. Comparable as a small regional history museum with similar scale, educational outreach, and donor-based funding.
• Territorial Capitol Museum: Small heritage museum in Lecompton, Kansas preserving the former Kansas Territorial Capitol building. Comparable as a small-town historic site museum with similar scale, volunteer-driven operations, and focus on 19th-century political and pioneer history.
• Great Platte River Road Archway Monument: Heritage attraction in Kearney, Nebraska spanning the I-80 interstate that interprets over 150 years of westward migration. Comparable as a Nebraska-based interpretive heritage site focused on pioneer and westward expansion history.
• Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer: Living history museum in Grand Island, Nebraska focused on pioneer-era prairie life. Directly comparable as a Nebraska heritage museum with pioneer history exhibits, school tour programs, and similar community-driven operating model.
• Nebraska History Museum: State-operated history museum in Lincoln, Nebraska covering Nebraska state history. Comparable as a Nebraska-focused history museum with rotating exhibits and educational programming for K-12 audiences.

Regional players

• Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum: Specialty museum in Ashland, Nebraska preserving military aviation and Cold War history. Comparable as a Nebraska museum with school tour programs, traveling exhibits, and donor-supported operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Joslyn Art Museum: Major art museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Comparable as a Nebraska nonprofit museum serving the same regional audience but at a significantly larger scale and focused on visual arts rather than regional history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-county-museum-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Washington County Museum