Roberson Museum

What Roberson Museum does

Roberson Museum and Science Center is a private nonprofit community museum founded in 1954 in Binghamton, New York, operating from a historic Gilded Age mansion (1907) augmented by a Richard Neutra-designed 1966 addition. The institution combines art, history, and science exhibitions under one roof and is the only operator of a fixed, full-dome digital planetarium in the region. It has been continuously accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since May 1, 1973, placing it in the top 3 percent of U.S. museums, and is an ASTC member institution since 1985.

The museum's core technical assets include the 50-seat Link Planetarium with state-of-the-art digital projection, the Clayworks pottery studio (18 electric wheels, 4 electric kilns, 1 outdoor gas kiln), permanent collections spanning natural history and regional art, and a Bloomberg Connects-powered digital guide app. Educational programming spans K-12 field trips aligned to New York State Standards, STEAM summer camps, Girl Scout badge workshops, and Clayworks member pottery classes.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: general admission ($8 adults, $6 students/seniors/military), annual memberships ($40-$425) with reciprocal network access, venue rentals (Mansion up to 120 capacity, full-museum buyout up to 500), educational program fees ($175-$1,175 per school group), a Square-based museum shop, signature annual events (Home for the Holidays in its 70th year, Wine & Food Fest, Arts Abloom!), and charitable giving including a $12M capital campaign at $11M raised. Customers are primarily K-12 students and families, regional schools and educators, adult cultural enthusiasts, event renters, and local community visitors within the Binghamton market.

Name

Roberson Museum

Legal name

Roberson Museum and Science Center

Website

https://roberson.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum and Science Center Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD), History Museums (THAJADAB), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Museum exhibitions
• Planetarium programs
• STEAM education
• Museum memberships
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Binghamton

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, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Visitors pay admission fees for museum entry: $8 adults, $6 students/seniors/military, free for members and children 4 and under. Pay-what-you-can Museums for All program provides free entry for EBT cardholders.
2. Memberships: Annual membership tiers providing free admission, discounts, and reciprocal benefits. Individual ($40/year), Dual ($65/year), Family ($100/year), Supporter ($125/year), Library/Nonprofit Organization (LAO) memberships ($125-$425 for 2-8 cards).
3. Venue Rentals: The museum generates revenue renting unique spaces for events: Roberson Mansion (120 capacity), Link Planetarium (50 capacity), Carousel Theater (50+), Ballroom, Museum buyout (500 capacity), Courtyard, and photo/video shoots.
4. Educational Programs: School field trips ($175-$705 per group), STEAM summer camps ($225/week), Clayworks pottery classes (member benefit), adult workshops, Girl Scout programs, and outreach programs ($7/student + mileage).
5. Museum Shop: On-site and online gift shop offering local art, history books, pottery, science kits, puzzles, Roberson merchandise. Members receive 10% discount.
6. Charitable Giving: Donations, planned giving through Legacy Society, stock transfers, cryptocurrency, IRA distributions, vehicle donations, bequests, and charitable trusts. Campaign goal of $12 million currently at $11 million raised.
7. Planetarium Tickets: Additional $4 ticket for Link Planetarium shows beyond general admission. Free for members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Roberson Museum and Science Center is a nonprofit community museum and science center in Binghamton, NY that provides general museum admission featuring rotating art, history, and science exhibitions, the only full-dome digital Link Planetarium in the region, and tours of the historic Gilded Age Roberson Mansion. It sells annual memberships with reciprocal benefits, delivers STEAM-focused educational programs (school field trips, summer camps, pottery classes), rents venue space for events, and operates an on-site and online Museum Shop.

Product overview

Roberson Museum and Science Center is a multidisciplinary cultural institution offering a unified portfolio of museum experiences centered around art, history, and science education. Core offerings include general museum admission featuring rotating exhibitions and permanent collections, the Link Planetarium (the region's only full-dome digital planetarium), and the historic Roberson Mansion. The museum supplements these with educational programming including school field trips, Clayworks pottery classes, and STEAM Summer Camps. Retail operations include the Museum Shop. The institution also generates revenue through facility rentals, annual events (Home for the Holidays, Wine & Food Fest), and membership programs providing reciprocal benefits with other institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission General admission to Roberson Museum featuring multiple galleries with rotating historical and contemporary art exhibitions, the historic Roberson Mansion, and permanent collections; priced at $8 adults, $6 students/seniors/military, free for members and children 4 and under; Museums for All free entry for EBT cardholders.
• Link Planetarium Full-dome digital planetarium featuring state-of-the-art projection and sound system with a 50-seat auditorium offering educational programming on astronomy and space science; $4 add-on ticket per visitor, free for members.
• Museum Membership Annual membership tiers (Individual $40, Dual $65, Family $100, Supporter $125, LAO Library/Nonprofit $125-$425) providing free admission, member previews, discounts, and reciprocal access to 200+ science centers (ASTC) and 35+ NY museums (Empire State Reciprocal Program).
• STEAM Summer Camps Six-week summer camp program for grades 2-5 offering hands-on STEAM activities, engineering challenges, and science exploration at $225 per week with optional before/after care for $100 extra.
• Clayworks Pottery Classes Beginner to intermediate pottery studio offering wheel throwing, hand building, glazing, and firing instruction with 18 electric wheels, 4 electric kilns, and 1 outdoor gas kiln; available exclusively for museum members with 25 lbs of clay included.
• School Field Trips In-person, synchronous virtual, and asynchronous virtual educational programs aligned with NY State Standards for grades K-12, including Haudenosaunee Culture, NatureTrek, Planetarium Exploration, History Sampler, and STEAM Sampler programs; pricing $175-$1,175 by group size.
• Facility Rentals Event venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, private parties, photo/video shoots, and proms including Roberson Mansion (120 capacity Gilded Age ballroom), Link Planetarium (50 capacity), Carousel Theater (50+), Ballroom, Courtyard, and full Museum buyout (500 capacity).
• Museum Shop Gift shop offering local art, jewelry, handmade pottery, science kits, puzzles, ornaments, decorative cards, stuffed animals, and Roberson and Planetarium merchandise on-site and through online e-commerce via Square; members receive 10% discount.
• Home for the Holidays Annual 70-year holiday tradition featuring elaborately decorated trees, international holiday displays, Roberson Mansion tours, and holiday craft activities for community visitors.
• Wine & Food Fest Annual food and wine tasting festival featuring local vendors and partner sponsorship with M&T Bank.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves thousands of community members annually through planetarium programming
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Broome County Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroome County Arts Council operates the United Cultural Fund providing general operating support grants to Roberson Museum. Also coordinates First Friday Art Walk, an initiative Roberson participates in monthly.
• Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience center membership since 1985; ASTC Passport Program enables Roberson members to access 200+ science centers worldwide; mutual benefit between member institutions.
• Empire State Museum Reciprocal Program (ESMRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal program providing Roberson members free or discounted admission to 35+ New York State museums; drives membership value.
• Binghamton University Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on 'Exploring America Through Art 1917-1945' exhibition; collaborative educational programming between university and museum.
• NBT Wealth ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for charitable trust creation; Scott Fiedler serves as contact for NBT Bank Trust Officer assisting donors with planned giving through irrevocable trusts.
• WSKG (Public Media)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced 'Making Tracks' documentary footage documenting Model Train Layout expansion project; video documentation collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park: A regional zoological attraction in Binghamton offering family educational programming. Comparable as a regional cultural/educational attraction sharing reciprocal membership discounts and competing for family discretionary entertainment spend.
• The Hyde Collection: A historic house museum and art gallery in Glens Falls, NY combining art exhibitions with historic estate programming. Comparable as a small Upstate NY museum combining historic mansion, art exhibitions, and educational programs with similar nonprofit operating model.
• Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute: A multidisciplinary arts institution in Utica combining art museum, school of art, and performing arts. Comparable as an Upstate NY multidisciplinary museum with art exhibitions, educational programming, and venue rentals in a regional market.
• Everson Museum of Art: A regional art museum in Syracuse with rotating exhibitions and educational programming. Comparable as a New York State AAM-accredited art museum sharing Empire State Reciprocal Program membership and similar curatorial operating model.
• Binghamton University Art Museum: A university-affiliated art museum in Binghamton that has partnered with Roberson on joint exhibitions. Comparable as a local art-exhibition venue sharing overlapping curatorial collaborations and Binghamton-area cultural audience.

Direct peers

• Museum of Science and Technology (MOST): A hands-on science center in Syracuse with a planetarium and educational programming. Comparable as an ASTC-member science center with planetarium, K-12 field trip programs, and reciprocal ASTC Passport Program participation serving Upstate NY audiences.
• Discovery Center of the Southern Tier: A children's museum and science-focused institution in Binghamton offering hands-on STEM exhibits and educational programs. Directly comparable as a local peer targeting K-12 students and families for science and STEAM enrichment in the same geographic market.
• Kopernik Observatory & Science Center: Astronomy-focused science center near Binghamton featuring telescopes and space programming. Comparable as a regional peer sharing reciprocal admission programs with Roberson and serving overlapping astronomy-interested audiences.
• Phelps Mansion Museum: A historic Gilded Age mansion museum in Binghamton offering tours and cultural programming. Directly comparable as a local heritage museum sharing reciprocal admission and similar venue-rental and historic-preservation business model.

Broad incumbents

• Corning Museum of Glass: A major specialty museum in Corning, NY with deep educational programming, gift shop, and rotating exhibitions. Comparable as a New York State heritage/educational institution with similar admissions, museum shop, and field trip revenue model, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@robersonmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/RobersonMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/robersonmuseum
• Xx.com/Roberson_Museum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roberson-museum

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Roberson Museum