Kidspace Children’s Museum

What Kidspace Children’s Museum does

Kidspace Children's Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children's museum operating on a 3.5-acre outdoor campus at 480 N. Arroyo Boulevard in Pasadena, California, within Brookside Park near the Rose Bowl. Founded in 1981 and serving more than 5 million visitors cumulatively, the museum targets families with children ages 1-10 (with growing reach into the 0-3 cohort via Big Little Mornings), as well as school groups, summer camp families, and underserved populations including foster children, refugees, children with medical needs, and individuals with disabilities. The core product is a set of hands-on, play-based interactive exhibits and outdoor learning environments — including Muddy Boot Farm, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Early Childhood Learning Center, the Arroyo Adventure (featuring a giant hawk's nest climbing structure, water features, and trike tracks), and the Physics Forest — designed to support physical, intellectual, and emotional child development.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack combining paid admissions (general, senior, military, EBT, and reciprocal ACM/ASTC pricing tiers), annual household memberships with recurring benefits, fee-based summer camps with scholarship allocations, on-campus and online retail through store.kidspacemuseum.org, private event and birthday party rentals, individual donations and an annual fund, corporate sponsorships, and government/civic grants (e.g., Pasadena Arts and Culture Commission, LA County). Distribution is omnichannel: physical walk-up and timed-entry admission at the Pasadena campus, online ticketing and membership self-service, reciprocal network access through the Association of Children's Museums (200+ museums, 50% off) and ASTC Travel Passport Program, and an e-commerce storefront. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, supported by content marketing via the K-Blog, email newsletters through Constant Contact, organic social on Facebook/X/Pinterest, and an extensive partnership referral network across educational foundations, healthcare providers, and social service agencies.

Operational footprint is single-site with no subsidiaries, no parent company, no M&A history, no public capital markets activity, and no disclosed AI/ML capability. The technology layer is conventional: a website built on a WordPress-like CMS, email marketing via Constant Contact, Google Maps for location, and an online retail storefront. Strategic positioning is centered on community access, inclusion, and disaster-response programming — most visibly through Fire Relief Tickets following the Eaton Fire and specialized programs such as Melodyspace (in partnership with Cedars Sinai Pediatrics). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Lisa Clements, with no evidence of ownership transitions or external control by any holding entity or private equity sponsor.

Name

Kidspace Children’s Museum

Legal name

Kidspace Children's Museum

Website

https://kidspacemuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kidspace Children's Museum is a Pasadena, California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a 3.5-acre outdoor campus of hands-on exhibits for families with children ages 1-10. It funds operations through admissions, memberships, summer camps, retail, donations, and corporate sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Children's museum exhibits
• Interactive learning experiences
• Hands-on educational programs
• Outdoor family activities
• Museum membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Ticket sales for museum entry, sold as timed/dated admission with varying prices for general admission, seniors, military, and EBT cardholders
2. Membership Program: Annual household memberships providing unlimited visits, discounts, pre-sale events, and special member-only experiences. Valid for 12 months from purchase date.
3. Summer Camps: Fee-based summer camp programs with themed weekly sessions for children, with scholarship availability for income-restricted families
4. Retail Store: On-campus gift shop and online store (store.kidspacemuseum.org) selling children's books, toys, and activities
5. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID #95-3501213), accepting one-time and monthly gifts, stock donations, and corporate matching
6. Corporate Sponsorship: Exclusive brand alliances with corporations for event sponsorship, ongoing programs, or daily operations with site access, recognition, and special event presence

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kidspace Children's Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) children's museum operating a 3.5-acre interactive campus in Pasadena, California near the Rose Bowl. It offers hands-on exhibits, outdoor play environments, summer camps, school field trips, early childhood learning programs, birthday party rentals, and gift admission for families with children ages 1-10. The museum operates an online retail store selling children's books, toys, and activities.

Product overview

Kidspace Children's Museum is a nonprofit children's museum offering a unified physical and digital experience centered on hands-on play-based learning. The core offering is the 3.5-acre outdoor campus in Pasadena featuring interactive exhibits including Hawk's Nest, Trike Track, Arroyo Adventure, Physics Forest, Los Trompos, Imagination Workshop, and Celebration Center. The museum offers specialized programs including the S. Mark Taper Foundation Early Childhood Learning Center for babies and Muddy Boot Farm for farm-to-table experiences. Additional offerings include Summer Camp, School Field Trips, Birthday Parties, and a Membership Program. The museum operates an online store and participates in ACM and ASTC reciprocal admission networks. Community access programs include Fire Relief Tickets and Access Membership for underserved families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Muddy Boot Farm: A playful farm-to-table experience inviting children to 'dig in' to planting, growing, and the farm-to-table food movement with pretend vegetables, trowels, and a wheelbarrow.
• S. Mark Taper Foundation Early Childhood Learning Center
• Healing Play After the Eaton Fire
• Circle of Friends
• Melodyspace

Products and services

• General Museum Admission Timed-entry admission tickets for individual and family visitors to the hands-on exhibit campus in Pasadena, California. Offers general admission with discounted rates for seniors, military, and EBT cardholders.
• Annual Membership Program Annual household membership providing unlimited free visits for 12 months, member discounts, pre-sale event access, and exclusive member experiences for families.
• Summer Camp Fee-based summer camp program with themed weekly sessions combining hands-on play-based learning with outdoor education for children; scholarships available for income-restricted families through partner agencies.
• Kidspace Campout Seasonal family summer program offering overnight-style camping, nature exploration, water play, and outdoor activities on the museum's 3.5-acre Pasadena campus.
• School Field Trips Curriculum-aligned educational field trip programs for school groups, including free field trips for Pasadena students through partnerships with educational foundations.
• Birthday Parties & Rentals Private event rentals for children's birthday parties and family celebrations held on the museum's Pasadena campus.
• Gift Admission Purchasable gift admission tickets that recipients can redeem for a visit to Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena.
• Kidspace Online Store Online retail store at store.kidspacemuseum.org selling hand-selected children's books, toys, and educational activities for families.
• Muddy Boot Farm Exhibit Interactive farm-to-table themed exhibit featuring pretend vegetables, trowels, a wheelbarrow, and a farm stand where children engage in hands-on planting and growing play activities.
• S. Mark Taper Foundation Early Childhood Learning Center Specially designed exhibit space for babies and toddlers offering sensory and developmental experiences that promote early brain building, with dedicated programs for the youngest learners.
• Fire Relief Tickets Free admission program providing play access to families affected by Southern California wildfires, funded by donations from corporate supporters such as UNIQLO.
• Access Membership Membership program providing free or reduced-cost access for children and families who would otherwise not be able to afford enriched play experiences at the museum.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 5 million children and families served over 40+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Families Forward Learning CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing full-tuition scholarships for 10% of Kidspace Summer Camp enrollment to children from low-income families preparing for kindergarten. Families Forward identifies families who could benefit from summer camp experiences and helps connect them with Kidspace's programming.
• Ronald McDonald House PasadenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKidspace provides private play experiences for families with critically ill children staying at RMH Pasadena near Huntington Hospital. Includes special events like Halloween parties, allowing families respite from medical appointments.
• Cedars Sinai PediatricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create safe, isolated play experiences for children with compromised immune systems. Includes the Melodyspace program where the museum is deep cleaned and opened exclusively for immunocompromised children and their families.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los AngelesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to grant the wish of Florence, a 5-year-old cancer survivor, who wished to share her favorite Kidspace Muddy Boot Farm experience with her classmates, resulting in Flo's Farm at Crescenta Cañada Cooperative Nursery School.
• International Rescue CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to welcome 50+ refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, and beyond for a First American Halloween celebration designed to ease cultural transitions and invite children into community celebration.
• Inland Valley Down Syndrome AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored monthly gatherings for families with children with Down syndrome from Little Steps (0-3) and Next Steps (4-7) groups. Kidspace serves as meeting venue and provides exclusive play experiences for IVDSA families.
• Tierra del Sol FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusive employment partnership where three Tierra associates work at Kidspace. Also collaborated on the Superheroes! art exhibition featuring artists with disabilities from Tierra del Sol's Studio Art Program.
• Transformative ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term community art-making partnership producing exhibitions like Superheroes! and LINEAGE honoring Black History Month. Co-developed inclusive programming connecting art, disability, and community.
• Angel City SportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to pilot the Everybody Plays inclusive games program - a joyful movement-filled celebration designed to welcome kids of all abilities into play.
• Descanso GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational outreach partnership for the Living in a Wildlife Corridor exhibition exploring the intersection between humans and local urban wildlife in Descanso Gardens' Hahamongna to Tujunga Wildlife Corridor.
• Marshall Fundamental High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from the Academy for Creative Industries participated as volunteers in creating the Magic in the Air butterfly kinetic sculpture using upcycled materials.
• Kidspace Circle of FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organization that supports Kidspace through fundraising, event planning, and community outreach. Volunteers transformed spaces for RMH Halloween events and community programs.
• Pasadena Educational FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through My Masterpieces program providing free field trips to 1,185 Pasadena students to experience Kidspace's educational programming.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Creativity Museum: San Francisco children's museum focused on creativity, technology, and hands-on exhibits for young children. Comparable in age cohort, interactive philosophy, and nonprofit membership model, with a stronger technology/creativity tilt.
• Minnesota Children's Museum: St. Paul-based nonprofit children's museum with permanent and rotating hands-on exhibits for young children. Highly comparable in age target, exhibit refresh cadence, and nonprofit/grant funding model.
• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum dedicated to hands-on, play-based learning for young children. Closely comparable in age target, exhibit philosophy, and nonprofit funding structure, though it operates in a different region.
• Children's Museum of Los Angeles: Nonprofit children's museum in the same Los Angeles metro serving the same 0-10 age cohort with hands-on exhibits. Directly comparable mission, age target, and funding model, and the most proximate competitor for Pasadena-area families.
• Cayton Children's Museum: Santa Monica-based children's museum offering hands-on, play-based learning exhibits for young children. Closest direct competitor in greater LA with overlapping age range, exhibit philosophy, and nonprofit membership model.
• Habitot Children's Museum: Berkeley-based nonprofit children's museum focused on early childhood (under 5) hands-on exhibits. Closely comparable age range and exhibit philosophy, and shares the same ACM reciprocal network and nonprofit funding approach.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Cube: Larger science-focused children's museum network in LA and OC with hands-on STEM exhibits. Overlaps with Kidspace on Physics Forest and science programming, but serves a broader age range and operates multiple sites.
• Boston Children's Museum: One of the oldest and largest children's museums in the US, serving a similar 0-10 age range with hands-on exhibits. Much larger scale and broader programming but shares the play-based learning mission and nonprofit structure.
• The Strong National Museum of Play: National play-focused museum in Rochester, NY, and one of the largest children's play museums in the US. Comparable mission around play-based learning, though at a much larger scale and with a national draw.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: Largest children's museum in the world, with broad hands-on exhibits including outdoor learning environments. Overlaps with Kidspace on age target and outdoor/nature play, but at vastly greater scale and regional reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KidspaceMuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/KidspaceChildrensMuseum

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Kidspace Children’s Museum