MCHENRY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

What MCHENRY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY does

McHenry Museum & Historical Society (MM&HS) is a private nonprofit organization that operates and supports a free-admission community museum located at 1402 I Street in Downtown Modesto, California. The museum, owned and maintained by the City of Modesto and operated by the City's Parks, Recreation & Neighborhoods Department, has been open to the public since July 4, 1972, and showcases two hundred years of Stanislaus County history through permanent exhibits covering Yokuts indigenous culture, gold mining, railroad founding, agricultural development, an American Graffiti display, and a 1950s room. MM&HS functions as the supporting nonprofit entity that provides trained docents, hosts community programming, publishes historical research, and maintains educational outreach.

The organization's product surface comprises five components: the physical McHenry Museum (open Fridays-Sundays, 12pm-4pm), the in-museum bookstore gift shop 'Stanislaus Selections' (books, local art, gifts), the McMobile Museum mobile-outreach service that delivers exhibits to community events across Stanislaus County, the StaniStory educational publication (first edition 2023, second edition 2025) targeting third-grade teachers and students, and facility rentals of the Main Floor (up to 200 guests, $800 minimum) and Auditorium (64-90 guests, $250 minimum). Marketing and community engagement run through email newsletters (Museum Monthly), Facebook, Instagram, community events (CemeTours, Second Saturdays, Night at the Museum, Children's Holiday Craft Faire), and a volunteer docent network. Payment processing relies on Square.

The business model combines recurring membership subscriptions (starting at $40/year, with patron-level recognition at $150+), pay-as-you-go facility rentals, one-time gift shop merchandise sales, and donations. Admission is free, removing a transactional barrier and substituting community/donor support for ticket revenue. The customer base is the general public, school groups benefiting from free educational field trips, and event renters seeking a historic venue. The organization is governed by an Executive Board of Directors (President James Varble, Vice President Nancy Norton, Secretary Justin Moore) and led by Executive Director David Seymour (2025-2026 term), with no parent company, institutional investors, or venture capital backing.

Name

MCHENRY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Legal name

McHenry Museum & Historical Society

Website

https://mchenrymuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The McHenry Museum & Historical Society is a Modesto, California nonprofit operating a free-admission community museum showcasing 200 years of Stanislaus County history through exhibits, an in-museum gift shop, mobile outreach, the StaniStory educational publication, and facility rentals, serving local residents, school groups, and event renters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Community museum services
• Historical preservation
• Educational field trips
• Cultural heritage exhibits
• Local history archives

Headquarters

HQ city

Modesto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The organization relies on member donations and annual membership fees starting at $40 per year. Donor members at $150+ are publicly recognized.
2. Facility Rentals: Rental fees for the Main Floor ($800 minimum for 4 hours, $131 per additional hour) and Auditorium ($250 minimum for 2 hours, $39 per additional hour). Refundable cleaning and damage deposit required.
3. Gift Shop Sales: In-museum bookstore gift shop 'Stanislaus Selections' sells books on local history, art from local artists, greeting cards, children's toys, and local merchandise. MM&HS members receive discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The McHenry Museum & Historical Society operates a free-admission community museum in Downtown Modesto showcasing 200 years of Stanislaus County history through permanent exhibits (Yokuts culture, gold mining, railroad, agriculture, American Graffiti), temporary exhibits, docent-guided tours, and free educational field trips for schoolchildren. The organization supports the museum through donor memberships, gift shop sales (Stanislaus Selections), facility rentals, community events (CemeTours, McMobile Museum, Second Saturdays, Night at the Museum), and educational publications such as the StaniStory curriculum book.

Product overview

The McHenry Museum & Historical Society operates a single unified museum offering with multiple service components. The core offering is the McHenry Museum, a free admission community museum in Downtown Modesto featuring permanent historical exhibits. Supporting services include Stanislaus Selections (in-museum gift shop/bookstore), the McMobile Museum (outreach service), and StaniStory (educational history publication). Facility rentals provide additional revenue through venue booking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stanislaus Selections: In-museum bookstore gift shop operated by the McHenry Museum & Historical Society, featuring books on Modesto and Stanislaus County history, art from local artists, greeting cards, children's toys, and local merchandise.
• McMobile Museum

Products and services

• McHenry Museum A free admission community museum in Downtown Modesto, California, showcasing 200 years of Stanislaus County history through permanent exhibits including Yokuts displays, gold mining artifacts, railroad history, irrigation development, agriculture, antique general store, blacksmith shop, one-room schoolhouse, and 1950s room. Open Fridays-Sundays 12pm-4pm for the general public, school groups, and tourists.
• Stanislaus Selections Gift Shop The in-museum bookstore gift shop operated by MM&HS during the museum's regular hours, featuring books on Modesto and Stanislaus County history, art originals and prints from local artists, greeting cards, children's toys, and local merchandise. MM&HS members receive discounts on special items. Open during museum hours.
• McMobile Museum A mobile museum service that delivers Stanislaus County history directly to the public by visiting various community events throughout the county.
• StaniStory: Change and Continuity in Stanislaus County A survey history book of Stanislaus County created for third-grade teachers and students, representing the first update in over 40 years to the local county-wide history curriculum. Based on the original 1941 landmark work by Joseph Burton Vasché.
• McHenry Museum Facility Rentals Venue rental services offering the Main Exhibit room (up to 200 guests) and lower-level Auditorium (64 seated or 90 theatre-style guests) for events. Main Floor pricing starts at $800 for a minimum of 4 hours ($131 per additional hour); Auditorium pricing starts at $250 for a minimum of 2 hours ($39 per additional hour). A refundable cleaning and damage deposit equal to half the rent total is required. Reservations handled through the City of Modesto's Parks, Recreation & Neighborhoods Department.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of ModestocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe museum is owned and maintained by the City of Modesto. The museum is operated by the City's Parks, Recreation & Neighborhoods Department. The City provides the physical facility and operational support, while MM&HS provides programming, docents, and community engagement.
• Stanislaus County LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhen the McHenry Library closed in 1971, its 200,000+ books were transferred to the new Stanislaus County Library Modesto Main branch one block away, enabling the library building's conversion to a museum.
• Central California Art LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer partner that occupied four rooms in the lower level from 1972-2003, developing galleries to display local artists' work before moving to new quarters.
• Modesto Junior CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director David Seymour teaches history at Modesto Junior College, connecting the museum's educational mission with higher education.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oakland Museum of California: A large-scale museum dedicated to California art, history, and natural sciences. While much larger and broader in scope, it operates in the same nonprofit museum space for California regional history and competes indirectly for visitor attention, educational partnerships, and grant funding.
• California Historical Society: A statewide nonprofit historical organization that collects, preserves, and interprets California history through publications, exhibitions, and educational programs. It serves a broader geographic and topical scope than MM&HS but operates a similar nonprofit-supported model for local/regional history preservation.

Direct peers

• Merced County Courthouse Museum: A local history museum housed in a historic courthouse in Merced, CA, presenting the history of Merced County. It is comparable as a neighboring San Joaquin Valley county-level history museum with free admission, permanent exhibits, and educational programming for schools.
• San Joaquin County Historical Museum: A regional history museum and historical society in Micke Grove Park serving San Joaquin County with permanent exhibits, educational programming, and community events. It is comparable as a neighboring Central Valley county-level history museum with similar mission, audience, and nonprofit structure.
• History San Jose: A historical society and museum complex in San Jose, CA preserving Silicon Valley region history through exhibits, educational programs, and events. Comparable to MM&HS as a county/regional-level nonprofit historical society with exhibits, school programming, gift shop, and member-supported operations.
• Sacramento History Museum: A community history museum in Old Sacramento dedicated to the history of Sacramento and the Sacramento Valley region. It directly competes for Northern California/Central Valley visitors and offers similar services including exhibits, tours, gift shop, and facility rentals for events.
• Haggin Museum: The Haggin Museum in Stockton, CA is a regional history and art museum serving San Joaquin County, directly comparable to MM&HS as a community-focused Central Valley museum with permanent exhibits, educational programming, and facility rentals. Its operating model (nonprofit-supported, regional tourism focus) closely mirrors McHenry Museum's structure.
• Carnegie Arts Center: Located in Turlock, CA within the same Stanislaus County region, this community arts and cultural center offers exhibits, classes, and event rentals similar to MM&HS. It overlaps in audience, programming style (local arts, history, community events), and nonprofit-supported venue model.
• Turlock Historical Society Museum: A local history museum in Turlock, CA (also in Stanislaus County region) dedicated to preserving and presenting local history. It directly competes for the same regional audience, school field trips, and donor base as MM&HS, with similar volunteer-driven operations and free/low-cost admission.

Regional players

• Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum: A specialty museum in San Jose, CA presenting Egyptian antiquities and cultural history. Comparable as a California-based nonprofit museum offering exhibits, educational programs, facility rentals, and a gift shop, though it serves a different subject matter and Silicon Valley catchment area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mchenrymuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/mchenrymuseumhistoricalsoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 MCHENRY MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY