Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center

What Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center does

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Tax ID 52-1655197) headquartered at 424 Race Street, Cambridge, Maryland, operated by The Harriet Tubman Organization, Inc. Founded in 1972 as the Harriet Tubman Association of Dorchester County and renamed in 1996, the museum preserves and interprets the legacy of Harriet Tubman through indoor exhibits (including Michael Rosato's 'Take My Hand' mural and Underground Railroad art), narrated walking tours, educational programming, and community events. Core products include four tour offerings priced $25-$60 (Downtown Cambridge, Countryside, 'Walk with Harriet' evening, and Sunday Brunch and Black History), walk-on guide services for bus tours, a three-tier membership program ($55/$1,010/$2,020 monthly), merchandise sales, and special events such as the Jazz at the Mural concert series. The organization also operates WFHW 90.3 FM community radio (FCC permit application filed May 12, 2025 to assign the permit to Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc.) and delivers virtual Zoom presentations across the Eastern Shore, DMV, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

The business model is a multi-stream nonprofit operation: free admission with monetized tour fees, ticketed events, donations (suggested $20/$50/$100), merchandise, and recurring memberships. Distribution is hybrid — direct-to-consumer at the physical Cambridge site, online tour booking, walk-on guide partnerships with cruise line and tour operators (American Cruise Line, Elusive Tours), external venue events (The Avalon Theatre in Easton), virtual programming, and community radio broadcast. The museum has conducted over 65 walking tours cumulatively in a few years of active operations and serves individual visitors, group tour operators, educational institutions, and member supporters. Following May 2025 flood damage that closed the building, the organization secured a major grant for full renovation beginning mid-November 2025 and has reopened with new exhibits and expanded programming.

Technology is intentionally minimal: a Wix-hosted website serves as the primary digital surface for bookings, donations, and event promotion; social media (Instagram, Facebook) handles organic community engagement; no API, no proprietary software platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no SDK are present. Operational technology is essentially content and community-driven rather than platform-driven, consistent with the organization's heritage and educational mission.

Name

Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center

Legal name

The Harriet Tubman Organization, Inc.

Website

https://harriettubmanmuseumcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Cambridge, Maryland that preserves Harriet Tubman's legacy through indoor exhibits, four guided walking tours ($25-$60), educational programming, a community radio station, and ticketed cultural events for visitors, tour operators, schools, and member supporters across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum and Educational Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Historical museum tours
• African american heritage
• Underground railroad education
• Community cultural center
• Nonprofit educational programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Fees: The museum offers walking tours at various price points: Downtown Cambridge tours ($25), Countryside tours ($55), Evening Walking Tour ($55), and Sunday Brunch and Black History ($60). All tour proceeds are donated to support the museum's operations.
2. Event Tickets: Revenue generated from ticketed events such as Jazz at the Mural concerts and other fundraising events at the museum or external venues like The Avalon Theatre.
3. Donations: The museum accepts online and in-person donations to support operations. They are a 501(c)3 organization with Tax ID 52-1655197. Suggested donation amounts are $20, $50, $100.
4. Membership Fees: Monthly membership tiers offering discounts on merchandise and events: Member ($55/month with 2% discount), Gold Member ($1010/month with 5% discount), Diamond Member ($2020/month with 10% discount). All proceeds from memberships are donated to the museum.
5. Merchandise Sales: The museum operates a gift shop selling merchandise, with members receiving discounts on purchases.
6. Radio Station Operations: The museum operates WFHW 90.3 FM radio station, with programming including 'What's Your Journey' show. On May 12, 2025, they filed an FCC application for consent to assign the permit to Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center preserves and celebrates the legacy of Harriet Tubman and African American history on Maryland's Eastern Shore through free museum exhibits, paid guided walking tours of historic Cambridge sites, educational programs, a community radio station (WFHW 90.3 FM), and ticketed cultural events. Revenue is generated through tour fees ($25–$60), event tickets, three-tier memberships ($55–$2,020/month), donations, and merchandise sales, with all proceeds supporting the non-profit's educational mission.

Product overview

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center offers a portfolio of in-person educational experiences centered on preserving and celebrating Harriet Tubman's legacy. The core offering consists of guided walking tours—Downtown Cambridge, Countryside, and 'Walk with Harriet' evening tours—plus the Sunday Brunch and Black History package and walk-on guide services for bus groups. The museum also operates WFHW 90.3 FM, a community radio station featuring the 'What's Your Journey' show. Additional offerings include a three-tier membership program, indoor exhibits with murals and films, and special events such as concerts. All tours and memberships are priced individually ($25–$60 for tours; $55–$2,020/month for membership), with proceeds supporting the nonprofit museum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WFHW 90.3 FM: Radio station operated by the museum broadcasting history, music, culture, news, and conversation. Features programming including 'What's Your Journey' radio show hosted by Linda Harris.

Products and services

• Walking Tour: Downtown Cambridge A 1.5-hour narrated walking tour through historic Downtown Cambridge covering High Street, the Dorchester County Court House, Christ Church and Cemetery, Long Wharf, and sites connected to the 1963 civil turmoil, Gloria Richardson, Harriet Tubman, Samuel Green, and the Choptank River. Priced at $25 per person.
• "Walk with Harriet" Evening Walking Tour A 2.5-hour evening walking tour from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to Brodess Plantation (Harriet Tubman's birthplace), providing sunset views and an immersive experience of the landscape that shaped Tubman's early life. Priced at $55 per person.
• Walking Tour: Countryside A 2.5-hour guided tour through the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman's birthplace, including stops at Brodess Plantation and the Bucktown Store, with a roundtrip walk covering 2.5 miles and performances of "code songs." Priced at $55 per person.
• Sunday Brunch and Black History An immersive package combining a Walk with Harriet tour followed by a shared Sunday brunch, allowing participants to explore the museum and town built around Harriet Tubman. Priced at $60 per person.
• Walk-On Guide Service On-site guided tour services for bus tours, featuring musical and historical narrations of the Tubman story by guides Linda and David, previously serving groups from American Cruise Line and Elusive Tours.
• WFHW 90.3 FM Radio Station A community radio station operated by the museum featuring history, music, culture, news, and conversation programming including the "What's Your Journey" radio show hosted by Linda Harris. The permit is being assigned to Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc. per an FCC application filed May 12, 2025.
• "What's Your Journey" Radio Show An interactive radio show on 90.3 WFHW (and also airing on WHCP 91.7 FM every Friday at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm) hosted by Linda Harris, featuring community interviews and storytelling about neighbors and contributors to the local community fabric.
• Museum Membership Program Three-tier monthly membership program offering personalized discounts on museum merchandise and events: Member ($55/month with 2% discount), Gold Member ($1,010/month with 5% discount), and Diamond Member ($2,020/month with 10% discount). All proceeds from memberships are donated to support the museum.
• Museum Exhibits and Films Indoor museum exhibits featuring powerful murals including "Take My Hand" by artist Michael Rosato, art related to the Underground Railroad, a short film about Harriet Tubman's journey, and a resource area and gift shop. Free admission.
• Special Events and Concerts Hosted special events including Jazz at the Mural concerts and Echoes of Resistance tribute concerts, often featuring musical performances and fundraising activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• The museum has conducted over 65 walking tours in just a few short years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2025On May 12, 2025, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center filed an FCC application for consent to assign the WFHW(FM) 90.3 permit to Mid-Shore Community Radio, Inc. This represents a strategic transfer of the radio station's broadcast permit.
• American Cruise LineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe museum provides walk-on guide services for American Cruise Line tour groups visiting Cambridge. The guides offer authentic musical and historical narrations of the Tubman story at various Cambridge locations.
• Elusive ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTour service that has previously joined groups with the museum for guided tours of Harriet Tubman's homeland. The partnership provides enhanced experiences for Elusive Tours customers.
• WHCP 91.7 FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcast partner for 'What's Your Journey' radio show. The show airs on WHCP 91.7 FM every Friday at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, extending the museum's reach through radio broadcasts.
• University of Texas, Rio Grande ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for walking the Underground Railroad along the Southern Border to Mexico with community members. Executive Director Linda Harris will join this walk.
• Women in Arts/Music Program (Gothenburg, Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration for interpretive storytelling and music about Harriet Tubman in partnership with a Women in Arts/Music program in Gothenburg, Sweden. Part of broader content and program expansion efforts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Banneker-Douglass Museum: Maryland state museum documenting African American history and culture, located in Annapolis. Comparable in mission and exhibit-based programming, with overlapping school and community outreach.
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture: Maryland-based African American history museum with exhibits, educational programming, and events. Operates in the same state and serves overlapping regional audiences interested in African American heritage.
• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: Detroit-based African American history museum with permanent exhibits on slavery, the Underground Railroad, and Black liberation movements. Comparable in mission, programmatic structure, and reliance on donations and memberships.
• The Tubman Museum: African American history museum in Macon, Georgia also dedicated to Harriet Tubman's legacy. Closest direct comparator as another single-figure museum built around Tubman's story, with exhibits, educational programming, and events.
• Maryland Center for History and Culture: Maryland-based history organization operating museum exhibits, educational programs, and events focused on the state's history. Comparable as a nonprofit regional history institution with similar operating model.

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of African American History and Culture (Smithsonian): Preeminent national African American museum on the National Mall with vast collections of artifacts and stories spanning slavery, the Underground Railroad, and civil rights. A much larger incumbent whose Tubman-related holdings compete for visitor interest and donations.
• Harriet Tubman National Historical Park: National Park Service site in Auburn, New York (with related Eastern Shore locations) preserving Tubman's homes and legacy. A federally funded incumbent that competes for Tubman-related heritage tourism and educational visitation.
• Frederick Douglass Museum / Frederick Douglass National Historic Site: Federally administered historic site in Washington, DC preserving Frederick Douglass's legacy. Comparable as a destination for heritage tourism and educational programming around iconic 19th-century African American figures.

Emerging players

• B&O Railroad Museum: Baltimore-based heritage museum whose exhibits include Underground Railroad history and connections. Comparable as a regional museum with educational programming tied to Maryland history and African American heritage themes.

Regional players

• Historic Annapolis: Regional Maryland heritage organization operating museum buildings, guided tours, and educational programming in Annapolis. Comparable in tour-driven, nonprofit heritage tourism model within the same state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/harriettubmanmuseumandeducationcenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/harriet_tubman_museum?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center