Museum of Making Music

What Museum of Making Music does

The Museum of Making Music is a nonprofit museum operated as a program of The NAMM Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants), located at 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, California. Founded in March 2000, it is the only U.S. cultural institution exclusively dedicated to the music products industry, narrating the chain from instrument creation through retail distribution to the end musician through interactive galleries, rare artifacts (e.g., 1911 Gibson Style U Harp Guitar, 1929 RCA Theremin, Hammond B-3), and rotating special exhibitions. Core technology centers on hands-on interactive stations (guitars, electronic drums, DJ Station, digital piano, Theremin) supported by Audio-Technica ATH-M40x headphones and large-format touchscreen exhibits (Global Spotlight, TEC Hall of Fame), rather than on digital or AI systems.

The museum earns revenue through a diversified, consumer-facing mix: general admission ($15 general / $10 discounted), ticketed live concerts ($40-$55), annual memberships, school field trip fees ($8/$12), adult and senior group tours, corporate sponsorship tiers, donations and in-kind contributions, and adult music education programs (New Horizons Band, North Coast Strings). Distribution runs through a single physical site plus online ticketing (Blackbaud), school and group direct-sales channels, and the MoMM@Home virtual programming extension. Customer segments are general public/families (primary), K-12 school groups (primary), and adult amateur musicians (New Horizons Band and North Coast Strings), supplemented by inclusion channels through Blue Star Museums and Museums for All. The museum employs 1-10 people and transitioned executive leadership to Katherine Palmer in 2026 after Carolyn Grant's nearly 30-year tenure.

Name

Museum of Making Music

Legal name

Museum of Making Music

Website

https://museumofmakingmusic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Museum of Making Music is a nonprofit museum in Carlsbad, California, operated by The NAMM Foundation. Founded in 2000, it is the only U.S. institution exclusively dedicated to the music products industry, serving the general public, K-12 school groups, and adult amateur musicians through interactive exhibits, live concerts, and music education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Music museum exhibits
• Interactive music education
• Musical instrument history
• Adult music programs
• School field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Ticket sales for museum admission at $15 general / $10 discounted rates. Free admission for museum members and children age 3 and under.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership program offering free admission and other member benefits. Members also receive a 10% discount on event tickets.
3. Live Concert Events: Ticketed live performances by touring and featured artists. Ticket prices range from $40-$55 per person with premium and general seating options. Members receive 10% discount.
4. School Field Trip Fees: Group rate of $8 per student and $12 per adult for school field trips. Free admission for school staff. Title One schools receive free field trips with transportation funding available.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship packages for events (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and buyout tiers) offering logo placement, reserved seats, sponsor receptions, meet-and-greet access, and social media exposure.
6. Donations and In-Kind Contributions: Individual donations, artifact donations, and in-kind equipment donations from corporate partners (Audio-Technica headphones, Yamaha drum sets) that support museum operations and collections.
7. Group Tour Fees: Adult and senior group tours charged at group rates based on group size and category (adult, senior, student, military).
8. Education Programs: New Horizons Band and North Coast Strings programs for adult amateur musicians, offered in a supportive, non-competitive environment focused on musicianship and camaraderie.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Museum of Making Music is a nonprofit museum presenting exhibitions, concerts, and education programs about musical instruments and the music products industry. It operates interactive galleries with hands-on instruments, rotating special exhibitions, live concert performances, K-12 school field trip programs, adult amateur music-making programs (New Horizons Band, North Coast Strings), guided group tours, and a virtual MoMM@Home series, supported by annual memberships, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Museum of Making Music is a physical museum offering interactive galleries exploring the history of the music products industry through vintage instruments, hands-on exhibits, and audio/video content. The museum operates as a single unified institution providing admission experiences, guided tours, school field trip programs, and adult music education including the New Horizons Band and North Coast Strings programs. Additional offerings include special rotating exhibitions, live event performances, the MoMM@Home virtual programming series, and membership benefits. The museum is a program of The NAMM Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum General Admission Physical museum experience featuring interactive galleries with musical instruments, audio/video exhibits, hands-on play opportunities (guitars, electronic drums, DJ Station, digital piano, Theremin), and historical artifacts spanning the music products industry. Priced at $15 general / $10 discounted; free for members and children age 3 and under.
• Guided Group Tours Docent-led tours of the museum galleries suitable for adult, senior, social, scout, higher-education, and travel groups with minimum 10 participants. Often paired with nearby dining or flower-field visits; rates vary by group category (adult, senior, student, military).
• School Field Trip Program Educational field trips for K-12 students including drum circles, interactive exhibits, instrument exploration, and career-exploration components. Group rate of $8 per student and $12 per adult chaperone; school staff admitted free. Title One designated schools receive free field trips with transportation funding available within San Diego County. Accommodates groups of 10–60 students.
• New Horizons Band

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 97% of visitor survey respondents rated their overall experience as either 'Excellent' or 'Outstanding', with an average recommendation score (NPS) of 9.59 out of 10.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Museum of Making Music is a program of The NAMM Foundation, which is operated by NAMM — the largest global not-for-profit music trade organization. NAMM's industry connections, corporate relationships, and institutional backing are fundamental to the museum's operations, collection development, and programming. The museum's privacy notice confirms NAMM's ownership and operational oversight.
• Audio-TechnicamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAudio-Technica has made ongoing equipment donations to the museum, most recently providing a large supply of ATH-M40x professional studio monitor headphones. These headphones are used throughout the Sit & Play interactive areas (DJ Station, digital piano, Theremin, electronic drums) and the Global Spotlight exhibit, enabling visitors to experience audio at professional quality.
• YamahamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerYamaha has made a string of electronic drum kit donations to the museum, most recently the Yamaha DTX8K-M Electronic Drum Set for the adult interactive area. A Yamaha DTX452K Electronic Drum Set is maintained in the kids' interactive area, enabling musicians of all ages to play electronic drums at the museum.
• Forever Balboa ParknotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum partnered with Forever Balboa Park in celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Month, enabling museum volunteers to take a historical tour of Balboa Park. This cultural partnership strengthens ties with the broader San Diego cultural community and provides volunteer appreciation programming.
• Blue Star Museums (National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, Department of Defense)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum is a proud participant in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. The program provides free admission to active duty military and their families (up to five members) from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
• Museums for All (Association of Children's Museums and Institute of Museum and Library Services)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum is a participant in Museums for All, a signature access program of the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly. Qualifying SNAP EBT families pay just $1 per person for up to five people.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Musical Instrument Museum: Music-focused museum in Phoenix, Arizona, with a similar geographic and curatorial footprint (musical instruments from around the world, hands-on experiences). Directly comparable as a peer music museum serving general public, families, and school groups.
• The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live: Music-focused museum located in downtown Los Angeles featuring interactive exhibits, public programs, and rotating exhibitions. Closely comparable to the Museum of Making Music's focus on music heritage, instrument history, and public engagement.
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Major U.S. music museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Comparable as a genre-focused music museum with artifacts, interactive exhibits, and education programs; also notable as the prior employer of the Museum of Making Music's incoming executive director.
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Iconic music museum in Cleveland, Ohio, focused on rock and roll history and inductees. Comparable as a music-heritage museum with interactive exhibits, special exhibitions, and education programming.
• Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): Seattle-based museum originally founded as the Experience Music Project. Comparable as a music-and-culture museum featuring interactive exhibits, music artifacts, and live programming.
• Grammy Museum: Music museum in Los Angeles dedicated to the history and winners of the Grammy Awards. Comparable as a music-heritage museum with interactive exhibits, special exhibitions, and educational programming in Southern California.

Others

• Hard Rock Cafe / Hard Rock International: Music-themed hospitality and memorabilia brand with locations globally. Adjacent as an entertainment operator that monetizes music heritage through experiences, though it competes for share of music-tourism discretionary spend rather than museum visits directly.
• NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants): Parent/operator organization and the largest global not-for-profit music trade association. Connected as the operating foundation for the Museum of Making Music and a critical partner in industry relationships, corporate sponsorship, and collection donations.

Broad incumbents

• The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art): Major general art museum in New York City with a substantial musical instruments collection (the André Mertens Galleries). Comparable as a museum institution with significant musical instrument holdings, though it operates at a vastly larger scale and broader artistic scope.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: National museum in Washington, D.C., holding landmark musical instruments and artifacts. Comparable as a museum institution with cultural artifact collections, though it operates at a vastly larger scale and broader historical scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/museumofmaking
• Facebookfacebook.com/museumofmakingmusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/museumofmakingmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museumofmakingmusic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum of Making Music