The Children's Museum of Eau Claire

What The Children's Museum of Eau Claire does

The Children's Museum of Eau Claire (CMEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an interactive children's museum in the historic Woolworth's building at Barstow Street and Grand Avenue in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Founded in 2000 and opened to the public in December 2004, the museum occupies three floors and offers hands-on exhibits spanning science (Nano, Robots), art, water play (Water Works), building (Kidstruction Zone, Imagination Playground Big Blue Blocks, Legos), imaginative role-play (Bitty City, Toddler Park, Food Truck, Makery), and Wisconsin-themed outdoor experiences ('Under the Wisconsin Sky,' 'Our Family Farm'). The museum serves approximately 3,500 families annually, has accumulated over 600,000 visitors since opening, and maintains 4,300+ family memberships and 1,000+ subsidized Play for All memberships.

CMEC's product surface is built around a single unified visitor experience monetized through seven membership tiers (Family Local, Sustaining Monthly, Triple Play, Grandparent, Play for All, First Time Parent, Agency), daily admission at $11/person with a $4 reduced rate, private event rentals ($250-$500), summer camps, school field trips, and a Mobile Planetarium outreach program. The Play for All program, delivered in partnership with the Pablo Center at the Crescent, provides deeply subsidized access to families on WIC, Medicaid/Badgercare, free/reduced school lunch, military families, and families with special needs. The organization also operates Peace Tree Child Care as a related entity.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue (admission, memberships, rentals, camps) and contributed revenue (donations, grants, capital campaigns), with management disclosing that approximately 70% of expenses are covered by earned admission/membership fees and the remaining 30% relies on community donations and foundation grants. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer at a single regional site in the Chippewa Valley, with marketing executed through organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok), email, event marketing, and community partnerships. The organization is governed by a board that includes representatives of regional employers (Royal Credit Union, Security Financial Bank, Xcel Energy, UW-Eau Claire), and a separate CMEC Foundation supports capital campaigns.

Name

The Children's Museum of Eau Claire

Legal name

Children's Museum of Eau Claire, Inc.

Website

https://childrensmuseumec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Museum of Eau Claire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a single-site interactive children's museum in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, serving approximately 3,500 families annually through admissions, a seven-tier membership program, subsidized Play for All access, and outreach programming across the Chippewa Valley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Museum and Interactive Educational Attractions

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)

Keywords

• Interactive children's museum
• Play-based learning
• Hands-on exhibits
• Children's educational programs
• Family memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Daily Admission Fees: One-time admission fees at $11 per person (ages 1-100), with reduced rate of $4 for qualifying families on WIC, Medicaid, or free/reduced lunch programs. Infants under 1 admitted free.
2. Memberships: Annual memberships providing unlimited admission. Includes Family Local, Triple Play, Grandparent, Play for All, First Time Parent, and Agency Memberships. Recurring revenue from renewals.
3. Private Event Rentals: Birthday party and corporate event rentals. Members pay $250 for 2-hour private rental, non-members $300, business/corporate $500. Additional hours at $100/hour.
4. Summer Camps: Educational summer camp programs for children
5. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CMEC relies on community support with only 70% of expenses covered by admission fees.
6. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards for museum admissions and memberships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Children's Museum of Eau Claire operates a nonprofit interactive children's museum in downtown Eau Claire, WI, delivering hands-on, play-based learning through permanent and rotating exhibits (Dino Pit, Water Works, Food Truck, Legos, Robots, Makery, Nano science exhibit, Wisconsin outdoor exhibits). The core product is daily admission supported by seven membership tiers, supplemented by summer camps, school field trips, Mobile Planetarium outreach, private party rentals, gift cards, and tax-deductible donations. The Play for All program provides reduced-price access to families on WIC, Medicaid, free/reduced lunch, and military families.

Product overview

The Children's Museum of Eau Claire is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit interactive children's museum offering a single unified visitor experience with multiple membership tiers and educational programs. The core product is daily admission to hands-on exhibits including Dino Pit, Food Truck, Legos, Water Works, Robots, and Makery. The museum's membership portfolio includes seven distinct plans: Family (The Local), Sustaining, Triple Play, Grandparent, Play for All (discounted), First Time Parent, and Agency memberships. Additional offerings include Summer Camps, Mobile Planetarium outreach, Field Trips with scholarship programs, and Party Rentals for private events. The museum also operates Peace Tree Child Care as a related entity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily Admission Pass Standard museum entry ticket priced at $11 per person for ages 1-100, valid all day with re-entry allowed; $4 reduced rate for guests on WIC, Medicaid, or free/reduced lunch programs.
• Family Membership (The Local Membership) Annual family membership covering two adults and all children under 18 living in the same household, providing unlimited free admission for the entire year starting at $179.
• Sustaining (Monthly) Membership Monthly recurring membership option providing ongoing access to the museum with a flexible payment structure and unlimited admission.
• Triple Play Membership Membership offering reciprocal benefits across three partner organizations in the Chippewa Valley region, plus unlimited museum admission.
• Grandparent Membership Specialized annual membership designed for grandparents and grandchildren visiting together, supporting intergenerational engagement.
• Play for All Membership Discounted $20-$30 annual membership for families in financial need, plus reduced daily admission at $4. Includes families on WIC, Food Share, Medicaid/Badgercare, free/reduced school lunch, military families, and families with children with special needs; also provides Pablo Center show discounts.
• First Time Parent Membership Special annual membership for first-time parents available until their newborn is 18 months old, valid for one year after application submission, with socialization opportunities.
• Agency Membership Annual membership tier designed for organizations and agencies serving children and families, providing unlimited admission for client families.
• Summer Camps Seasonal camp programs offering educational and recreational activities for children during summer break, hosted at the museum.
• Mobile Planetarium Outreach program that brings planetarium experiences to schools and community locations throughout the region.
• Field Trips School group visits with educational programming and scholarship options for schools (through Play for All) to participate in field trips at the museum.
• Party Rentals Private event rentals for birthday parties and corporate events at the museum, with tiered pricing for members ($250/2hr), non-members ($300/2hr), and corporate events ($500/2hr); additional hours at $100/hr.
• Museum Exhibits Interactive exhibit portfolio including Toddler Park, Bitty City, Kidstruction Zone, Body Smarts & Show Business, Water Works, Food Truck, Legos, Robots, Makery, Pop Up, Nano science exhibit, Under the Wisconsin Sky, and Our Family Farm — designed for hands-on, play-based learning.
• Gift Cards Gift card purchases available online for museum admission and memberships, redeemable for any museum offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600,000+ visitors served since opening
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pablo Center at the CrescentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pablo Center at the Crescent for the Play for All program. Through this partnership, Play for All members receive discounted tickets to Pablo Center shows and performances. This collaboration enhances programming access for families in need, providing discounted admission to performing arts events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: Nonprofit children's museum in Pittsburgh featuring hands-on exhibits, a nursery, and educational programming. Directly comparable in mission, exhibit philosophy, and community-based nonprofit model to CMEC.
• Madison Children's Museum: A nonprofit children's museum in Madison, WI offering interactive exhibits and educational programming for families. Operates the same membership/admission/field-trip model in a similar-sized Wisconsin city, making it the closest comparable peer.
• Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum focused on play-based learning with membership tiers, field trips, camps, and event rentals. Closely matches CMEC's product/offering mix and pricing approach.
• Children's Museum of Minnesota: Twin Cities-based children's museum offering hands-on exhibits, a 'Super Cool' Maker Space, and family memberships. Closely comparable Midwestern nonprofit peer with similar scale and exhibit philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The largest children's museum in the world, offering interactive exhibits, memberships, camps, and educational programs. Functions as the broad incumbent in the children's museum category with a much larger footprint and exhibit library than CMEC.

Emerging players

• Crayola Experience: For-profit family attraction offering Crayola-themed creative experiences across multiple U.S. locations. Competes for family outing dollars with a different ownership structure but similar target market and ticket-based admission model.
• KidZania: Global edutainment franchise where children role-play adult careers in a kid-sized city. Competes for family entertainment spend via immersive role-play exhibits—an emerging alternative to traditional children's museums.

Others

• YMCA of the Chippewa Valley: Regional community recreation provider offering youth programming, family memberships, and drop-off care. Competes indirectly for family recreation dollars and is referenced on CMEC's own site as a complementary family destination.

Regional players

• Milwaukee Public Museum: Large regional museum in Milwaukee offering exhibits, memberships, and educational programming. Not a children's-specific museum but competes for Wisconsin family field-trip and membership dollars from CMEC's broader trade area.
• Eau Claire YMCA: Local YMCA in Eau Claire offering youth programs, family memberships, and recreational activities. Functions as a nearby substitute for low-cost family activities in the same geographic market as CMEC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/childrens.museum.of.eau.claire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-children's-museum-of-eau-claire
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensmuseumec
• TikToktiktok.com/@cmecplay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Eau Claire