The Massachusetts Historical Society
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1791
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
The Massachusetts Historical Society firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Massachusetts Historical Society
- Legal name
- Massachusetts Historical Society
- Website
- https://masshist.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1791
- Operating status
- Operating
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Massachusetts Historical Society industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Historical Research Library and Cultural Heritage Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)
Keywords
Where The Massachusetts Historical Society is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Massachusetts Historical Society business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership program offering various levels including Visionary Circle for planned giving. Members receive benefits such as advanced event access and exclusive programming.
- Individual Donations and Gala: Annual Making History Gala with individual and corporate sponsorships at Patron, Benefactor, and Signature levels. Event supports MHS mission including public programs, exhibitions, fellowships, and National History Day.
- Grant Funding: Funding from foundations and government agencies including anonymous donors, NEH, and Mass Humanities for specific programs and positions.
- Research Services: Reference services, reproduction services, and permissions/licensing for collection materials used in publication or media.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Visionary Circle Membership - Planned Giving Program |
| Other | Annual | Making History Gala Sponsorship - Patron Level |
| Other | Annual | Making History Gala Sponsorship - Benefactor Level |
| Other | Annual | Making History Gala Sponsorship - Signature Level |
| Other | Annual | Corporate Sponsorship Packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Massachusetts Historical Society operates an independent research library housing millions of rare documents, artifacts, and national treasures that document American history. It curates public exhibitions, produces the Adams Papers Editorial Project, runs National History Day in Massachusetts for grades 6-12, and awards competitive research fellowships. The Society maintains digital collections, hosts public programs and events (in-person and virtual), and supports scholarly publishing and educational initiatives across Massachusetts and the nation.
Product overview
The Massachusetts Historical Society is an independent research library and historical society founded in 1791, offering a unified portfolio of services centered on collecting, preserving, and sharing American historical materials. Its core offerings include a research library with millions of rare documents and artifacts, rotating exhibitions, and the Adams Papers Editorial Project producing scholarly documentary editions. Educational initiatives include National History Day in Massachusetts and teacher/student programs. The Society provides digital access through online collections, podcasts, videos, and a blog. Scholarly programs encompass research fellowships, seminars, the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize, and an annual Making History Gala for fundraising. Events and programs are offered both in-person and virtually via Zoom.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 900 fellowships awarded since 1984-1985, resulting in 470+ publications including 160+ books
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Massachusetts Historical Society
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Massachusetts Commission on the 250th Anniversary of the American RevolutioncoreMHS participates in the state commission created by appropriations bill H 4000 signed by Gov. Charlie Baker. The 35-member commission includes leaders in historical, cultural, tourism, and political sectors partnering with other states and the federal America 250 Commission to commemorate the American Revolution.
- Mass HumanitiesminorProvided funding support for the Housing as History Program Series examining Boston's housing history and affordable housing challenges.
- Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard UniversityminorCollaborated with MHS on Housing as History Program Series, bringing academic housing research expertise to public programming.
- New England Regional Fellowship ConsortiumcoreMHS participates in the NERFC network of 26 research and cultural institutions across New England. The consortium provides grants for researchers drawing on resources of member institutions.
- America 250 Commission (Federal)coreNational commission commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence. Massachusetts commission partners with the federal commission and other state commissions.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Library of Congress: National library with the largest collection of books and manuscripts in the world, significant fellowship programs, and digital-access infrastructure. Competes for scholarly mindshare but operates at a national scale far beyond MHS.
- Smithsonian Institution: National-level cultural and research complex with vastly larger budget, broader collection scope, and federal funding. Overlaps with MHS in archival stewardship and exhibition programming but operates at fundamentally greater scale and geographic footprint.
- National Archives and Records Administration: Federal archival institution preserving U.S. government records with nationwide research facilities. Federal mandate, multi-billion-dollar scale, and presidential-papers holdings make it a broad incumbent competing for the same scholarly and donor audiences as MHS.
Direct peers
- American Philosophical Society: Philadelphia-based learned society and scholarly publisher with deep archival holdings, a research library, fellowship program, and peer-reviewed publications. Mirrors MHS's combination of scholarly society, library, and editorial publishing activities.
- American Antiquarian Society: Independent research library founded 1812 in Worcester, MA, with a comparable mission of collecting and preserving American historical materials, hosting scholarly fellows, and providing access to rare printed and manuscript collections. Closest functional peer to MHS in terms of operating model and scale.
- Chicago History Museum: Independent historical society operating a research center, museum exhibitions, and educational programs with regional focus and national scholarly reach. Closest mid-tier peer in scale and program mix outside the Northeast.
- New England Historic Genealogical Society: Boston-area research library and archive specializing in genealogical and historical records with a membership-funded operating model and digital collection access. Comparable on the library/archival services side, particularly for individual researcher access.
- Virginia Museum of History & Culture: Virginia's state historical society operating a research library, museum, and educational programs with comparable scholarly fellowship and publication activities. Functions as a direct state-society analogue to MHS.
- New-York Historical Society: Independent historical society operating a research library, museum exhibitions, and educational programs with a state-focused but nationally significant collection. Closest large-scale peer combining library, museum, and education programming.
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania: State-focused historical society in Philadelphia with archival collections, a research library, fellowships, and public programming. Operates a nearly identical mix of library services, exhibitions, and educational outreach as MHS.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Massachusetts Historical Society social profiles
Digital presenceThe Massachusetts Historical Society compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Massachusetts Historical Society leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Massachusetts Historical Society funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Massachusetts Historical Society 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 Massachusetts Historical Society
What does The Massachusetts Historical Society do?
The Massachusetts Historical Society operates an independent research library housing millions of rare documents, artifacts, and national treasures that document American history. It curates public exhibitions, produces the Adams Papers Editorial Project, runs National History Day in Massachusetts for grades 6-12, and awards competitive research fellowships. The Society maintains digital collections, hosts public programs and events (in-person and virtual), and supports scholarly publishing and educational initiatives across Massachusetts and the nation.
Is The Massachusetts Historical Society a public or private company?
The Massachusetts Historical Society is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Massachusetts Historical Society founded?
The Massachusetts Historical Society was founded in 1791.
Where is The Massachusetts Historical Society based?
The Massachusetts Historical Society is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Massachusetts Historical Society make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations and Gala, grant Funding and research Services.
Who are The Massachusetts Historical Society's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and National Archives and Records Administration. Direct peers are American Philosophical Society, American Antiquarian Society, Chicago History Museum, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, New-York Historical Society and Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Does The Massachusetts Historical Society have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Massachusetts Historical Society.
What industry is The Massachusetts Historical Society in?
The Massachusetts Historical Society's product category is Historical Research Library and Cultural Heritage Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAF, Libraries, Archives & Special Collections, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAJ, Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation). Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 2731.