The Sag Harbor Whaling And Historical Museum

What The Sag Harbor Whaling And Historical Museum does

The Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution (EIN #11-1761496) founded in 1935 and headquartered at 200 Main Street, Sag Harbor, New York, in the historic Benjamin Huntting House — a National Landmark built in 1845. The museum preserves and interprets Sag Harbor's 19th-century whaling and maritime heritage through a permanent collection of over 3,500 historical objects (including scrimshaw, whaling equipment, and an 1860s whaleboat from the ship Concordia), complemented by rotating exhibits such as "When Women Wore Whales," the "From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora" program, and the annual 725 Art Show. It operates seasonally from April 18 through October 25, serving approximately 5,000 visitors per season, supplemented by a free year-round virtual museum.

The institution generates revenue through a diversified mix of admissions ($3-$8 per visitor), membership dues (including $1,000 lifetime memberships), tax-deductible donations, special event fees ($20-$50/person for programs such as the Revolutionary Tea Party and plein air painting classes), a 50% commission on artwork sold through the 725 Art Show, and gift shop retail. Its customer base spans local residents, tourists, schoolchildren participating in educational tours (including Pierson High School student exhibitions), members and donors, and local artists. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on a website, social media, email newsletters, local earned media, and an extensive cross-promotion network with the Eastville Community Historical Society, Bridgehampton Museum, SOFO, Water Mill Museum, The Church, and the Third New York Regiment reenactment group. The 2026 passage of Proposition 4 introduces new public tax-district funding earmarked for free resident admission, expanded programming, marine mammal preservation, youth activities, and extended operating hours. Governance is provided by an Executive Director (Jaime Karbowiak), a Museum Manager (Jennifer Edwards), a Director Emeritus (Richard Doctorow), and a Board of Directors comprising prominent Hamptons professionals in wealth management, publishing, media, wine, real estate, and law.

Name

The Sag Harbor Whaling And Historical Museum

Legal name

The Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum

Website

https://sagharborwhalingmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1935 that preserves Sag Harbor's whaling and maritime heritage through a 3,500-object collection housed in the 1845 Benjamin Huntting House. It serves approximately 5,000 seasonal visitors via exhibits, school programs, events, and a free virtual museum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum & Cultural Heritage Institution

NAICS

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAB

History Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJADAF

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYBPAGAHAA

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Historical museum operations
• Maritime heritage preservation
• Educational school tours
• Museum membership programs
• Community cultural events

Headquarters

HQ city

Sag Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Visitors pay admission fees to access the museum and its collections. Pricing varies by age group.
2. Membership Dues: Annual and lifetime membership programs offering free admission, discounts, and exclusive newsletters. Lifetime membership available at $1,000.
3. Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals to support preservation and educational programming.
4. Art Sales Commission: The museum takes a 50% commission on artwork sold during exhibitions like the 725 Art Show.
5. Event Fees: Fees charged for special events, lectures, workshops, and programs such as the Revolutionary Tea Party ($50/person) and Plein Air Painting ($20/person).
6. Gift Shop Sales: Museum offers merchandise through its gift shop with members receiving 10% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum operates a whaling and local history museum housed in the historic Benjamin Huntting House (built 1845) in Sag Harbor, New York, preserving a collection of 3,500+ historical objects. It offers permanent and rotating exhibits, school and walking tours, a free virtual museum, an annual 725 Art Show, lectures, reenactments, and community events. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit sustains operations through admissions, memberships, donations, gift shop sales, event fees, and art sale commissions.

Product overview

The Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum is a single-venue cultural institution offering in-person and virtual museum experiences centered on preserving and promoting Sag Harbor's whaling history and maritime culture. The museum houses a permanent collection of over 3,500 historical objects displayed in rotating and permanent exhibits, complemented by a free virtual museum for online visitors. Educational programming includes school tours, walking tours, lectures, and workshops. The museum also hosts community events including the annual 725 Art Show, holiday celebrations, and historic reenactments. Membership programs provide free admission and discounts. The museum is housed in the historic Benjamin Huntting House (built 1845), a certified National Treasure on the National Register of Historic Places.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum (In-Person Museum Admission) Historical museum housed in the National Landmark Benjamin Huntting House (built 1845), preserving and displaying 3,500+ objects related to Sag Harbor's whaling history and local village history. Offers permanent and rotating exhibits for individual visitors, tourists, and the general public.
• Virtual Museum Free online virtual museum experience allowing visitors to travel the high seas, enjoy exhibits, enter contests, listen to music, watch short films, and more from home.
• Walking Tours Historical walking tours of Sag Harbor covering maritime history, the waterfront, and Long Wharf area for individual visitors and small groups.
• School Tours and Educational Programming Educational tours and programs for local school children, including hands-on historical learning experiences, lectures, music events, and author talks for K-12 students.
• Museum Membership Program Annual and lifetime membership programs for individual supporters, offering free admission, 10% discount on gift shop purchases, event discounts, and exclusive member newsletters. Lifetime tier priced at $1,000.
• 725 Art Show Annual group art exhibit featuring paintings, sculptures, and photography by Sag Harbor resident artists, with proceeds benefiting the museum (museum takes a 50% commission on artwork sold).
• Community Events and Workshops Community events including the annual holiday party, cocktail parties, plein air painting classes ($20/person), haunted walking tours, and historic reenactments such as the Meigs Raid Weekend Colonial Village Living History Festival.
• Museum Gift Shop On-site gift shop offering museum-related merchandise and souvenirs, with members receiving a 10% discount on purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ visitors served annually

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Eastville Community Historical SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2026Collaborative partnership for the 'From Sea to Shining Sea: Whalers of the African Diaspora' exhibit exploring African American contributions to the whaling industry. Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Eastville, will deliver remarks at the exhibit opening. Partnership extends to the 41st Annual Fish Fry event.
• The Bridgehampton MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting a plein air painting class series at scenic East End locations throughout summer 2026. The Bridgehampton Museum will host a culminating exhibition of works created by class participants at their museum.
• SOFO (South Fork Natural History Museum)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCosponsor of walking tours along with Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, Bridgehampton Museum, and Water Mill Museum.
• Water Mill MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCosponsor of walking tours along with Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, Bridgehampton Museum, and SOFO.
• Third New York RegimentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong Island's premier Revolutionary War reenactment group that conducts military drills, living history demonstrations, and period encampments at museum events including Meigs Raid Weekend.
• The Church (Sag Harbor)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition 'THIS SEA' presented in conjunction with The Church's exhibition 'THIS LAND: Considering the American Landscape', celebrating marine environment and conservation.
• John Jermain Memorial LibraryminorOthersBob Weinstein, museum Vice President, previously served on the Board of Trustees for John Jermain Memorial Library.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum: East End Long Island historic site and museum; led by Bettina Stelle, who also sits on the Sag Harbor museum's board. Closely aligned peer in the same geographic market and cultural-tourism ecosystem.
• Mystic Seaport Museum: Maritime heritage museum in Mystic, CT operating one of the largest American maritime collections. Thematically aligned with Sag Harbor's whaling/maritime focus but significantly larger in scope, staff, and visitation.
• Custom House (Sag Harbor) – Sag Harbor Historical Society: Sag Harbor's other historical-society venue covering maritime and village history. Same village, overlapping audience, and parallel nonprofit-museum operating profile to the subject museum.
• SOFO (South Fork Natural History Museum): East End natural history museum and cosponsor of the shared walking tours program. Directly comparable small nonprofit museum serving overlapping Hamptons-resident and tourist audiences.
• Water Mill Museum: East End Long Island historical museum and active cosponsor of regional walking tours alongside the subject museum. Comparable in operating model, visitor volume, and seasonal nonprofit structure.
• Eastville Community Historical Society: Sag Harbor-based historical society and active partner of the subject museum on the 'Whalers of the African Diaspora' exhibit. Comparably sized nonprofit cultural institution serving the same community and visitor base with intersecting programming.
• Bridgehampton Museum: East End Long Island historical museum operating from historic premises; the two museums co-host the plein air painting class series and cosponsor walking tours. Directly comparable nonprofit scale, governance, and seasonal operating model.
• New Bedford Whaling Museum: The largest museum dedicated to American whaling history, located in New Bedford, MA. The most direct thematic comparator to the Sag Harbor museum's whaling-focused collection of 3,500+ artifacts; differs mainly in scale and year-round operation.
• Nantucket Whaling Museum: Operated by the Nantucket Historical Association, this is one of the two premier American whaling-history museums alongside New Bedford. Direct thematic peer with overlapping collection focus (scrimshaw, whaling artifacts).
• Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum: Long Island-based historical museum specifically focused on 19th-century whaling; one of the closest geographic and thematic comparables for the Sag Harbor museum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sag-harbor-whaling-museum

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Sag Harbor Whaling And Historical Museum