The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

What The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire does

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum founded in 1983 and headquartered at 6 Washington Street, Dover, NH, operating 16,000 square feet of interactive exhibit space across two floors. The museum serves families with children ages 0-10, with nearly 104,000 visitors annually (approximately 20% through free or reduced admission via the Access for All program), and offers exhibits covering Nature, STEM, Pretend Play, Art, and World Cultures. Educational outreach extends to K-4 schools, public libraries, and Girl/Boy Scout troops across NH and ME through traveling and virtual STEAM workshops.

The museum's core product set comprises tiered annual memberships (You & Me $100, Family $145, Passport $170), admissions ($14.50 adult/child, $12.50 senior, $3.50 EBT/WIC), birthday party packages ($375-$395), half-day summer camps ($165-$285), weekly classes, facility rentals ($1,000-$2,000), gift shop sales, and ticketed special events (NH Maker Fest, Teddy Bear Clinic, Toddlerfest). Technology infrastructure is limited to Blackbaud digital ticketing, an eMembership Card app for digital membership management, and virtual STEAM workshop delivery capabilities, with no proprietary AI/ML or data systems. The largest active initiative is the $751,000 Luckey Climber exhibit, funded in part by a $200,000 NH CDFA Tax Credit allocation and a $125,000 anonymous foundation donation, scheduled for Fall 2026 installation.

The business model is a hybrid earned-income plus philanthropy nonprofit structure: earned revenue from admissions, memberships, programs, and rentals is supplemented by donations, corporate sponsorships (100+ business sponsors including Summit, Humes, Kennebunk Savings, Barrett Foundation, and Turbocam), foundation grants, and government tax credit allocations, with donations alone representing over 40% of the operating budget. GTM is community-led and event-driven, leveraging library partnerships (25+), school group outreach, scout programs, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok), Constant Contact email marketing, and regional award contests to drive visitation and fundraising.

Name

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

Legal name

Children's Museum of New Hampshire

Website

https://childrens-museum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 in Dover, NH, operating 16,000 square feet of interactive exhibits for families with children ages 0-10, serving approximately 104,000 visitors annually through admissions, memberships, camps, and educational outreach across NH and ME.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum and Informal Education

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAE

Children’s Museums

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

SECONDARYTHAJAKAO

Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Workshops & Classes (Arts, Crafts, Skills & Local Lessons)

Keywords

• Children's museum exhibits
• STEAM education programs
• Interactive play-based learning
• Museum birthday parties
• Youth summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Day passes for general museum admission with morning and afternoon play sessions. Adults $14.50, Children over 12 months $14.50, Seniors $12.50, under 12 months free.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual memberships providing unlimited admission. Family Membership $145, Passport Membership $170, You & Me Membership $100. Grandparent options available at same price tiers.
3. Birthday Party Rentals: Private birthday party bookings on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Members $375, Non-Members $395. Includes 2 hours of fun for up to 40 people, full museum access, and private party room.
4. Facility Rentals: Private event rentals for corporate events, family reunions, holiday parties. Rates from $1,000-$2,000 for 3-hour private rental depending on headcount (0-300 guests). Members and 501(c)(3) nonprofits receive 10% discount.
5. Gift Shop: On-site museum shop selling high-quality games and toys. Members receive 10% discount.
6. Summer Camps: Half-day camps for ages 4-12 including Mini Camps, Discovery Camps, and 3D Print It camps. Costs range from $165-$285 depending on camp type and membership status.
7. Classes: Weekly classes including Little Artists, Wee Ones Wednesdays, and Junior Science. Additional revenue from educator-led STEAM workshops for school groups.
8. Scout Programs: Scout afternoon programs for Girl and Boy Scouts grades K-6. $20 per child, $15 per adult. Includes workshops and museum access.
9. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations makeup over 40% of operating budget. Major annual events include Car or Cash Raffle and Lucky Climber fundraising campaign. CDFA tax credits available for business donors.
10. Special Events: Ticketed special events including NH Maker Fest ($5/person suggested donation), Grown-up Fun adult events ($45/adult workshops), and First-to-Climb Party raffle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers interactive, hands-on museum experiences for children ages 0-10 across two floors covering Nature, STEM, Pretend Play, Art, and World Cultures. Programs include annual memberships, summer camps, scout workshops, school group visits, traveling and virtual STEAM workshops, birthday party packages, and private facility rentals for events up to 300 guests.

Product overview

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational and recreational products. The core offering comprises general museum admission to two floors of interactive, hands-on exhibits spanning Nature, STEM, Pretend Play, Art, and World Cultures for ages 0-10. The museum's primary revenue products include various membership tiers (Family, Passport, You & Me, and Grandparent Memberships at $145-$170 annually) and gift passes. The experiential programming portfolio includes summer camps with specialized offerings like 3D Print It camps and Discovery camps; recurring classes such as Little Artists, Wee Ones Wednesdays, and Junior Science; birthday party packages; and museum facility rentals accommodating up to 300 guests. Educational outreach programs serve schools (group visits with STEAM workshops, virtual programs, traveling programs), libraries (summer Dinosaur Detectives program), and scouts. Special events include the annual NH Maker Fest, Teddy Bear Clinic, Toddlerfest, Books Alive!, and seasonal celebrations. Accessibility initiatives include sensory-friendly Exploring Our Way playtimes for children with autism spectrum or sensory processing disorders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission General admission to two floors of interactive, hands-on exhibits covering Nature, STEM, Pretend Play, Art, and World Cultures for children ages 0-10 and their families. Pricing is $14.50 for adults, $14.50 for children over 12 months, $12.50 for seniors 65+, and free for children under 12 months.
• Annual Memberships (You & Me, Family, Passport, Grandparent) Annual memberships providing unlimited museum visits for one year, with members receiving 10% off classes, camps, gift shop, and rentals, plus pre-sale access to special events. Tiers include You & Me Membership ($100, one parent and one dependent child), Family Membership ($145, two parents and dependent children), and Passport Membership ($170, includes reciprocal admission at 300+ ASTC science centers and 50% off at 200+ ACM children's museums). Grandparent Memberships are available at equivalent tiers for grandparents living in the same household.
• Gift Passes One-time-use admission passes available online or in person that do not expire but require advance reservations. Bulk purchases of 50 or more passes receive a 25% discount and are designed for schools, organizations, and gift-givers.
• Summer Camps Half-day summer camps for ages 4-12 including Mini Camps for ages 4-5, Discovery Camps for ages 6-7 ($165 non-members, $145 members), and 3D Print It Camps for ages 8-12+ ($285 non-members, $255 members). Camps blend museum exploration, classroom activities, games, and outdoor snack time, including beginner and advanced 3D printing tracks.
• Recurring Classes (Little Artists, Wee Ones Wednesdays, Junior Science) Weekly and monthly classes for young children including Little Artists (monthly art-making), Wee Ones Wednesdays (weekly preschool programs led by the Education Director), and Junior Science (4-week science discovery sessions). The museum also offers educator-led STEAM workshops for visiting school groups.
• Interactive Museum Exhibits Two floors of interactive exhibits spanning 16,000 square feet, organized into Active Play, Ages 0-3, Gallery 6, Messy Play, Nature, Pretend Play, STEAM, and World Cultures zones. Featured exhibits include Play Loft, Cave Explorers, Dino Detective, Cocheco System, One World Cafe, and Music Matrix.
• Birthday Party Packages Private birthday party rentals offered Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, including 2 hours of access for up to 40 people, full museum admission, Muse Studio art activities, and a private party room. Member rate is $375 and non-member rate is $395.
• Museum Facility Rentals Private event rentals of the 16,000 square foot facility accommodating up to 300 guests cocktail-style or up to 80 seated. Includes exhibits, art gallery, meeting rooms, loading dock, elevator, and catering prep space. 3-hour rates are $1,000 (up to 100 guests), $1,200-$1,600 (101-200 guests), and $2,000 (201-300 guests), with additional time at $200/hour and 10% discounts for members and 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
• Educational Group Visits Self-guided and educator-led group visits for schools and organizations serving elementary students K-4, including STEAM workshops, traveling programs delivered at schools and libraries, and virtual STEAM workshops delivered as distance-learning programs.
• Scout Program Afternoon scout programs for Girl and Boy Scout troops grades K-6 featuring hands-on STEAM workshops such as Royal Patterns, Floating Fairy Creations, STEAM Design and Engineering, and Matter experiments. Priced at $20 per child and $15 per adult with a minimum of 12 and maximum of 30 children per group.
• Exploring Our Way: Sensory Friendly Playtime Monthly reduced-admission, low-sensory events designed for children with autism spectrum or sensory processing disorders. The museum limits attendance, turns down sounds and lights, provides a quiet zone with sensory activities, and loans noise-canceling headphones.
• Annual Special Events Ticketed and donation-based annual events including NH Maker Fest, Teddy Bear Clinic, Toddlerfest, Books Alive!, Literacy Month, Family New Year's Eve Celebration, Jingle Bell Extravaganza, Earth Day Celebration, and the Car or Cash Raffle fundraising drive.
• Summer Library Program Educational outreach program delivered at public libraries in NH and ME, aligning with national summer reading themes. The 2026 Dinosaur Detectives program introduces children ages 4-12 to paleontology, museum fossil and replica collections, and a take-home mini dinosaur diorama, with capacity up to 40 children per session. Mileage-tiered pricing is $290 within 50 miles and $340 beyond 50 miles, with discounts for member libraries and consecutive sessions.
• Luckey Climber Exhibit Visually stunning, large-scale climbing structure designed to encourage active play, social interaction, and imagination, representing the museum's largest exhibit investment to date at a $751,000 budget. Installation is scheduled for Fall 2026, partially funded through $200,000 in NH CDFA Tax Credits and a $125,000 anonymous foundation gift.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 104,000 visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NH Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $200,000 in Tax Credits to support Luckey Climber installation. Tax credits allow businesses to offset NH Business Profits Tax, Business Enterprise Tax, or Insurance Premium Tax while supporting local community projects.
• Portsmouth Regional HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and volunteer provider for annual Teddy Bear Clinic. Hospital doctors and nurses serve as volunteer doctors providing checkups for stuffed animals. Multi-year loyal sponsor.
• The Fabulous FindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKittery thrift store that donates monthly profits to local nonprofits, selected CMNH as beneficiary for March. Community retail partnership.
• UNH Marine Docents / Sea TrekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNH Marine Docents bring Sea Trek program with horseshoe crab touch tank and marine education to museum. STEAM special guest programming.
• Center for WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJune 2026 member reciprocity partner. Maine wildlife center providing free admission for CMNH members up to 4 people.
• Currier Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJune-July-August 2026 member reciprocity partner. Manchester, NH art museum offering free admission for CMNH members up to 4 people.
• Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassport Program network providing reciprocal admission benefits. CMNH Passport members get free/reduced admission to 300+ science centers worldwide including Boston Museum of Science.
• Association of Children's Museums (ACM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal Network providing 50% off admission to 200+ children's museums. Supports family travel and museum ecosystem.
• The KEY CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to K-12 youth from low-income families. #areuin? card program provides $3.50/person discounted admission for families across NH Seacoast.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Providence Children's Museum: Southern New England children's museum with comparable exhibits, membership model, and ACM reciprocal participation. Competes for regional family visitation and member retention.
• Children's Discovery Museum (Acton, MA): Suburban Boston children's museum with comparable age focus, membership structure, and ACM reciprocal participation. Mid-size direct competitor for Greater Boston-area family visitation.
• KidsPlay Children's Museum: Torrington, CT children's museum with similar age range focus (0-10), hands-on exhibits, and ACM membership reciprocity. Comparable scale and operating model for a regional children's museum.
• Discovery Museum (Bridgeport, CT): Family-focused science and children's museum with hands-on STEAM exhibits and reciprocal network participation. Comparable programmatic scope in exhibits, camps, and school field trips.
• The Children's Museum (West Hartford, CT): Connecticut children's museum offering hands-on exhibits and ACM reciprocal membership. Similar mid-size museum operating model and target audience of families with young children.
• Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine: Portland, ME-based children's museum approximately 50 miles northeast. Closest direct peer in scale, audience, and programming, with similar play-based exhibits, memberships, and summer camp offerings.

Regional players

• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center: Concord, NH science museum and ASTC reciprocal member. Competes locally for school group visits and family STEAM outings within New Hampshire.
• Seacoast Science Center: Rye, NH nature and marine science education center in the same Seacoast region. Overlaps on family STEAM programming and competes for regional school field trips.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Museum of Science: Major science museum accessible via CMNH's Passport Membership reciprocal network. Competes for school field trips and family STEAM visits at a much larger scale.
• Boston Children's Museum: Largest children's museum in New England, located 65 miles south of CMNH. Serves a similar families-with-young-children audience with hands-on exhibits, memberships, and reciprocal ACM benefits, making it the dominant regional competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ChildrensMuseumNH
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildrensMuseumNH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-children's-museum-of-new-hampshire
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensmuseumofnh
• Pinterestpinterest.com/kidmuseumnh
• TikToktiktok.com/@childrensmuseumnh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire