The Durham Museum
The Durham Museum is a nonprofit regional history museum in Omaha, Nebraska, operating from the National Historic Landmark Union Station since 1975. It serves families, K-12 schools, tourists, and corporate groups through permanent and traveling exhibitions, digital learning programs reaching 36 states, memberships, retail, and facility rentals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersOmaha, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Durham Museum does
The Durham Museum is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) regional history museum founded in 1975 and operated from Union Station, a National Historic Landmark building at 801 South 10th Street in Omaha's Historic Old Market. The museum occupies a 124,000-square-foot Art Deco structure originally opened in 1931 and houses permanent and traveling exhibitions on regional and national history, including the Byron Reed Collection of coins and documents, the Bostwick-Frohardt Collection, and a Photo Archive of over 1 million images documenting Omaha from the 1860s to early 2000s. As a Smithsonian Affiliate since 2002, the museum maintains partnerships with the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Field Museum to source traveling exhibitions.
The museum operates multiple complementary revenue streams: tiered admissions ($10-$17), annual memberships ($45-$1,000+), the Hitchcock Museum Shop and restored Soda Fountain and Candy Shop for retail, facility rentals for weddings and corporate events, River City History Bus and Walking Tours, group tours, school field trips serving approximately 15,000 students annually, and the Museum LIVE! digital learning broadcast that has reached 225,000+ viewers across 36 states and four countries since 2020. Educational programming also includes summer, winter, and spring break camps, scout programs, and the Good Neighbor Fund for underserved families.
Funded through a diversified mix of earned income, individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships, the museum maintains approximately 40 staff across executive, administrative, development, membership, education, finance, marketing, and operations functions. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors led by Chair Stephanie Daubert, with Executive Director Christi Janssen overseeing operations. The institution relies on a broad sponsor ecosystem including HDR, Lozier Foundation, Mammel Foundation, Lincoln Financial, Kiewit Companies Foundation, and the Robert & Ardis James Foundation, alongside the Durham Society of major donors who have underwritten more than 70 traveling exhibitions.
The Durham Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Durham Museum
- Legal name
- The Durham Museum
- Website
- https://durhammuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Durham Museum is a nonprofit regional history museum in Omaha, Nebraska, operating from the National Historic Landmark Union Station since 1975. It serves families, K-12 schools, tourists, and corporate groups through permanent and traveling exhibitions, digital learning programs reaching 36 states, memberships, retail, and facility rentals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Durham Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- History Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- History Museums (THAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)
Keywords
Where The Durham Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Omaha
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Durham Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Museum Admission: Ticket sales for general museum admission with tiered pricing for adults, seniors, military, and children
- Memberships: Annual memberships at multiple levels (Individual, Family, Patron, Durham Society) providing unlimited admission, discounts, and exclusive benefits
- Hitchcock Museum Shop: Retail gift shop selling railroad memorabilia, books, toys, and items from local artisans; 10% discount for members
- Soda Fountain and Candy Shop: Food service including phosphates, ice cream, malts, shakes, sundaes, hotdogs, sandwiches, and candy; 10% member discount
- Facility Rental: Museum venue rentals including weddings, birthday parties, photography sessions, and corporate events
- Tours: River City History Bus and Walking Tours, Museum Insider Tours, and Group Tours at various price points
- Annual Fund and Donations: Tax-deductible gifts supporting museum operations, preservation, education programs, and exhibits
- Book Sales: Sale of Ak-Sar-Ben book at museum shop and online
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Admission |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Memberships |
| Subscription | Annual | Family Memberships |
| Subscription | Annual | Patron Memberships |
| Subscription | Annual | Durham Society |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | River City History Bus Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | River City History Walking Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Museum Insider Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Guided Group Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Enhanced Guided Group Tours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School Field Trips |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Memberships |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Volunteer Requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Durham Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Durham Museum operates a regional history museum housed in Omaha's National Historic Landmark Union Station, delivering permanent and traveling exhibitions, K-12 school field trips, virtual Museum LIVE! broadcasts, multi-tier memberships, guided tours, facility rentals, and on-site retail and food service. Complementary offerings include the Hitchcock Museum Shop, Soda Fountain and Candy Shop, the Photo Archive with over 1 million digitized images, and research and donation services for the collections.
Product overview
The Durham Museum is a regional history museum located in Omaha's National Historic Landmark Union Station. The museum operates as a unified institution offering core admission to exhibitions alongside multiple complementary services and programs. The product portfolio includes the main museum experience with permanent and traveling exhibitions, ancillary retail (Hitchcock Museum Shop and Soda Fountain), educational programming (Museum LIVE! digital learning, school field trips, summer camps), tour offerings (River City History Tours and Museum Insider Tours), facility rentals (birthday parties, photography sessions), a membership program with multiple tiers, and archival services (Photo Archive, object donations, research requests). The museum maintains affiliations with the Smithsonian Institution and collaborates with institutions including the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Field Museum.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Durham Museum General Admission
- Museum Membership Program
Companies that use The Durham Museum
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Durham Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Durham Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Smithsonian InstitutioncoreMuseum named affiliate of Smithsonian Institution in October 2002, providing access to Smithsonian artifacts through direct loans or as part of traveling exhibits, plus access to educational programs.
- Library of CongressmajorStrong ties with Library of Congress enabling access to collections and traveling exhibits. Inaugural exhibit Churchill and the Great Republic displayed in 2004.
- National ArchivesmajorCollaboration grown to include National Archives for access to national traveling exhibits and educational programming.
- Field MuseummajorPrestigious private institution partner providing collaboration on traveling exhibits and cultural programs.
- Aksarben FoundationmajorPartnership to produce and publish 'Ak-Sar-Ben: Looking Back & Leading Onward' book documenting over a century of Ak-Sar-Ben's influence on Nebraska.
- KETVmajorMedia sponsor for Heroes & Villains, White Christmas, and In Search of the Signers exhibits providing advertising and promotional support.
- Rosemary Clooney HousemajorPartnership for White Christmas exhibition displaying costumes, props, sheet music, and archival materials from the beloved holiday musical.
- Nebraska State Historical Society FoundationmajorPublished Ak-Sar-Ben book with support via Geraldine A. Brady Publishing Fund.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Durham Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Missouri History Museum: Regional history museum in St. Louis housed in a landmark building with similar mission of preserving regional history, exhibits, education programs, and Smithsonian-style partnerships. Closest comparable in scale and Midwestern regional history focus.
- Heinz History Center: Pennsylvania-based regional history museum operated by the Smithsonian as a Smithsonian Affiliate, with similar exhibits, archives, education programming, and membership tiers. Directly comparable governance and revenue model.
- Chicago History Museum: Regional history museum with research library, archives, education programs, group tours, and event rentals. Comparable member-supported operating model and Midwest urban footprint.
- Minnesota History Center: Major regional history museum operated as a nonprofit with permanent and traveling exhibits, education programs, research library, and digital learning. Comparable operating model and Midwest urban anchor positioning.
- Indiana State Museum: Midwest-based history museum with permanent and traveling exhibits, education programming, facility rentals, and membership tiers. Similar scale and operating structure as a regional anchor museum.
- Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Large American history and innovation museum housed in a landmark building with extensive collections, education programs, and Smithsonian Affiliate-equivalent credibility. Comparable mix of permanent exhibits, traveling shows, and STEAM-focused programming.
- Neville Public Museum: Mid-sized regional history museum in Green Bay, WI with exhibits, education programs, and Smithsonian Affiliation. Closest size and operating-budget peer among Midwest regional museums.
Regional players
- Joslyn Art Museum: Omaha-based cultural institution and direct local competitor for visitors, sponsors, and corporate event business. While focused on art rather than history, it competes for the same donor pool and tourist audience in Omaha.
- Omaha Children's Museum: Local Omaha cultural institution competing for family visitation, school field trips, and group bookings. Direct overlap with Durham's K-12 and family segments within the same metro.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian Institution: Partner and Indirect parent-like institution through Smithsonian Affiliate program. Not a direct competitor but the institutional standard the museum aligns with and from which it sources traveling exhibitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Durham Museum social profiles
Digital presenceThe Durham Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Durham Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Durham Museum subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Durham Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Durham Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Durham Museum
What does The Durham Museum do?
The Durham Museum operates a regional history museum housed in Omaha's National Historic Landmark Union Station, delivering permanent and traveling exhibitions, K-12 school field trips, virtual Museum LIVE! broadcasts, multi-tier memberships, guided tours, facility rentals, and on-site retail and food service. Complementary offerings include the Hitchcock Museum Shop, Soda Fountain and Candy Shop, the Photo Archive with over 1 million digitized images, and research and donation services for the collections.
Is The Durham Museum a public or private company?
The Durham Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Durham Museum founded?
The Durham Museum was founded in 1975. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Durham Museum based?
The Durham Museum is headquartered in Omaha, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Durham Museum make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Museum Admission is the primary driver. The others are memberships, hitchcock Museum Shop, soda Fountain and Candy Shop, facility Rental, tours, annual Fund and Donations and book Sales.
Who are The Durham Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Missouri History Museum, Heinz History Center, Chicago History Museum, Minnesota History Center, Indiana State Museum, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Neville Public Museum. Regional players are Joslyn Art Museum and Omaha Children's Museum. Smithsonian Institution is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Durham Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Durham Museum.
What industry is The Durham Museum in?
The Durham Museum's product category is History Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAB, History Museums, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7900.