National Quilt Museum

What National Quilt Museum does

The National Quilt Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution founded in 1991 in Paducah, Kentucky, that operates as America's designated national museum for contemporary quilting. The museum curates and exhibits a collection of over 650 quilts, all created after 1980, with 150+ always on display; over its 35-year history it has produced 250+ exhibitions and attracted roughly 35,000 visitors annually (nearly 1 million cumulatively) from all 50 U.S. states and dozens of countries. Beyond exhibitions, it runs a diversified programming portfolio including a STEAM educational curriculum (developed with Murray State University) serving 4,000+ K-12 students in 2025, adult classes and workshops taught by nationally known instructors, youth programs, the free Block of the Month Club, the New Quilts from an Old Favorite contest, and the School Block Challenge competition.

Revenue is generated through six primary streams: annual Friends Memberships with six tiers ranging from $50 to $2,500; fee-based classes and workshops priced from $112 to $495; museum shop retail sales (physical and online via Square); corporate sponsorship partnerships structured as Platinum ($20,000), Gold ($10,000), Silver ($5,000), and Bronze ($2,500) tiers; individual donations including a memorial giving program and monthly recurring gifts; and raffles/contests such as the Baby Quilt Raffle ($10/ticket) and NQOF contest entries ($53.65). The technology footprint is conventional nonprofit infrastructure: a website, an e-commerce storefront on Square, an online ticketing platform (Simpletix), and social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, YouTube, and TripAdvisor, with no proprietary technology, mobile application, or AI/ML capabilities in evidence.

The museum operates from a single location at 215 Jefferson Street in downtown Paducah, with outreach extended through the STEAM Trunk traveling program that ships curriculum materials to schools nationwide. It is governed by a volunteer board (Meredith Schroeder as President/Founder, with the Mayor of Paducah and the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau represented ex-officio) and managed by a small professional staff of approximately 14 including directors of operations, collections, learning & engagement, development, and guest services. Its position is reinforced by institutional affiliations including the American Quilters Society (co-founded by the museum's founders), Blue Star Museums, and partnerships with fabric and equipment manufacturers (Moda Fabrics, Bernina, Handi Quilter, Aurifil, Hobbs Bonded Fibers).

Name

National Quilt Museum

Legal name

The National Quilt Museum

Website

https://quiltmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Quilt Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Paducah, Kentucky that operates as America's designated national museum for contemporary quilting, curating 650+ quilts, hosting rotating exhibitions, and serving approximately 35,000 annual visitors, K-12 STEAM students, and the quilting community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Paducah

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Memberships: Annual Friends membership program with multiple tiers ($50-$2,500/year) providing free admission, shop discounts, class discounts, and exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content.
2. Classes and Workshops: In-person educational classes and workshops taught by nationally recognized quilting instructors, ranging from beginner courses ($112 member/$140 non-member) to multi-day intensive workshops ($396-$495).
3. Museum Shop: Retail merchandise including quilting supplies, quilt-themed gifts, books, artwork by regional makers, and t-shirts, available both at the physical museum shop and online.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners at Platinum ($20,000), Gold ($10,000), Silver ($5,000), and Bronze ($2,500) levels with various marketing benefits.
5. Donations: Individual donations and matching donation campaigns, including one-time and recurring monthly donation options, plus memorial giving program.
6. Raffles and Contests: Raffle programs such as the Baby Quilt Raffle with $10 tickets, and contest entry fees ($53.65 per entry for New Quilts from an Old Favorite).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Quilt Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) art museum that curates and exhibits contemporary quilts from its collection of 650+ works (all made after 1980), delivered through rotating gallery exhibitions, educational STEAM programs, youth and adult classes/workshops, community contests (New Quilts from an Old Favorite, School Block Challenge, Block of the Month Club), and a museum shop. It also generates revenue through multi-tier Friends memberships, corporate sponsorships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

The National Quilt Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum in Paducah, Kentucky, offering a diverse portfolio of products and services centered on contemporary quilting as art and education. The core museum experience includes rotating exhibitions featuring quilts from its collection of over 650 works (all made after 1980) plus special exhibitions such as Latifah Saafir: It Was All a Dream, Janet Stone: And Now I Know My ABCs!, and Tula Pink: Twenty Years of Tula Pink. Educational offerings form a significant component, including the STEAM Educational Program (developed with Murray State University using Victoria Findlay Wolfe's quilts), Youth Programs with free school tours, and Adult Classes and Workshops. The museum also runs engagement programs like the Block of the Month Club (free monthly patterns), the annual New Quilts from an Old Favorite contest, and the School Block Challenge for K-12 students. Supplementary offerings include a Friends Membership Program with multiple tiers, a Corporate Partnership Program, the Blue Star Museum Program for military families, and a Museum Shop. The museum hosts approximately 35,000 annual visitors and serves as a driver of cultural tourism in the UNESCO Creative City of Paducah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions Rotating exhibitions of contemporary quilts from the museum's 650+ piece collection (all made after 1980) plus special exhibitions such as Latifah Saafir: It Was All a Dream, Janet Stone: And Now I Know My ABCs!, and Tula Pink: Twenty Years of Tula Pink, available to museum visitors and tour groups.
• STEAM Educational Program Interactive curriculum connecting geometry and quilting for K-12 students, developed in partnership with Murray State University's Math and Statistics Department using Victoria Findlay Wolfe's Option Expedition quilts, available in-person and via traveling STEAM Trunk for schools nationwide.
• Block of the Month Club Free monthly quilting pattern club connecting quilters worldwide to experiment with new techniques, with monthly patterns downloadable from the museum's website.
• School Block Challenge Annual nationwide quilt block competition for children grades K-12, sponsored by Moda Fabrics, with cash prizes awarded across multiple grade categories.
• Youth Programs Educational offerings for children including free guided tours, hands-on activities, youth quilt camps in June, and Junior Quilters program for homeschooled youth ages 11-17, plus scout badge activities.
• Adult Classes and Workshops In-person and online educational opportunities for quilters of all skill levels featuring internationally known instructors, including beginner classes (e.g., $112 member / $140 non-member Bear Paw class) and multi-day intensive workshops (e.g., $396–$495 Latifah Saafir clamshell workshop).
• New Quilts from an Old Favorite (NQOF) Annual international quilt contest and exhibition challenging quilters to create innovative quilts based on specific traditional patterns; the 2026 theme is Food. Contest entry fee is $53.65 per entry.
• Baby Quilt Raffle Annual summer raffle fundraiser offering quilts as prizes to support museum operations; tickets are $10 each. Licensed by the Department of Charitable Gaming (License Number EXE0000398).
• Friends Membership Program Multi-tiered annual membership program with levels including Supporter ($50), Benefactor ($100), Patron ($250), Curator's Circle ($500), Director's Circle ($1,000), and President's Circle ($2,500), offering free admission, shop discounts, class discounts, and exclusive benefits such as private curator tours.
• Corporate Partnership Program Corporate sponsorship program with Platinum ($20,000), Gold ($10,000), Silver ($5,000), and Bronze ($2,500) tiers offering exhibition sponsorship, logo recognition, and curated museum experiences for corporate partners in the quilting industry and local businesses.
• Blue Star Museum Program Free admission program for active-duty military personnel and their families, offered in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense.
• Museum Shop On-site and online gift shop offering quilting-related inventory, regional crafts, books, museum merchandise, and artwork by regional makers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1 million visitors attracted over 30 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moda FabricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor of New Quilts from an Old Favorite contest and School Block Challenge competition. Provides challenge fabrics for student participants. Long-standing supporter of museum programming.
• Paducah BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExhibition sponsor for Tula Pink: Twenty Years of Tula Pink exhibition (April-September 2026). Provides financial support for major exhibitions.
• Baptist Health PaducahcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExhibition sponsor for Janet Stone: And Now I Know My ABCs! exhibition (March-September 2026). Healthcare partner supporting museum exhibitions.
• American Quilters SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the museum (Bill and Meredith Schroeder were founders of AQS). Ongoing partnership for quilting events and contests including AQS QuiltWeek shows.
• City of PaducahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner recognizing museum as economic and cultural development engine for Western Kentucky region.
• Paducah Power SystemminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTeaching Sponsor for STEAM Educational Program. Local utility company supporting STEM education in the community.
• Murray State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Murray State University's Math and Statistics Department to develop STEAM curriculum for K-12 students using contemporary quilting to teach geometric and mathematical principles.
• BerninaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSewing machine manufacturer partner. Tula Pink is an ambassador for BERNINA sewing machines.
• Handi QuilterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-arm quilting machine manufacturer supporting the museum.
• AurifilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThread manufacturer partner supporting museum operations.
• FreeSpirit FabricsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFabric designer partner. Tula Pink works with FreeSpirit Fabrics to develop multiple fabric collections.
• Hancocks of PaducahminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Paducah fabric retailer partner.
• Hobbs Bonded FibersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBatting manufacturer partner supporting the museum.
• Mercy HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare provider partner in the Paducah community.
• WKMSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal public radio station (Murray State University) partner.
• NAACP PaducahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NAACP chapter partnership supporting diversity and inclusion.
• American 250 KYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState organization celebrating American Revolution 250th anniversary supporting museum programs.
• Karen K FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supporting the museum.
• Royal DanskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Food exhibition.
• Rotary Club of PaducahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal service organization partner.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles: San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is a nonprofit museum dedicated to showcasing contemporary and traditional quilts and textiles, directly comparable in mission, exhibitions, and educational programming to the National Quilt Museum, though it serves the West Coast audience.
• New England Quilt Museum: New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA is a nonprofit quilt museum offering rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and a museum shop, serving the same quilter-and-textile-arts enthusiast audience as the National Quilt Museum.
• International Quilt Museum: The International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the largest quilt museum in the world and the most direct peer — both institutions curate and exhibit contemporary and historic quilts, run educational programming, and compete for national visibility, donations, and touring exhibitions.
• Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO operates rotating exhibitions of contemporary and historic quilts and educational programming, making it a direct regional peer to the National Quilt Museum in mission and operating model.
• The Quilters Hall of Fame: The Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, IN is a quilt-focused cultural institution that celebrates quilt makers through recognition, exhibits, and educational events, overlapping with NQM's mission of celebrating women quilters and contemporary quilt art.

Broad incumbents

• American Folk Art Museum: The American Folk Art Museum in New York City exhibits folk and self-taught art including historic and contemporary quilts and textiles. It is a broader incumbent that competes for philanthropic dollars and traveling exhibitions related to American quilt heritage.
• Museum of Arts and Design (MAD): MAD is a New York City museum focused on material culture, craft, and design across fiber, clay, glass, and other media. It is a broader incumbent that occasionally exhibits textile and quilt art, competing for the same donor and member base interested in textile-as-fine-art.
• Shelburne Museum: Shelburne Museum in Vermont is a major regional museum with a significant American textile and quilt collection alongside decorative and folk art. It is a broader incumbent in the New England textile-arts museum space with overlapping donor and visitor segments.
• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI holds a significant collection of American quilts and textiles as part of its broader Americana collection, making it a broader institutional incumbent that competes for grant funding and cultural-tourism visits related to American textile heritage.

Emerging players

• Textile Arts Center: Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY is a smaller, education-focused nonprofit offering textile-art classes, exhibitions, and residencies. It overlaps with NQM on adult classes and contemporary textile exhibitions but at a much smaller scale and in an urban market.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NatQuiltMuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsW61fNX5N5664pD7hJqavA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalQuiltMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalquiltmuseum
• Pinterestpinterest.com/natquiltmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-quilt-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Quilt Museum