Las Vegas Natural History Museum

What Las Vegas Natural History Museum does

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 and opened to the public in 1991, operating a single facility at 900 Las Vegas Blvd N in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. It maintains interactive natural history exhibits across dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, African wildlife, and marine life (including live shark feedings), complemented by hands-on experiences such as the Touch Tank, the Critter Connection live animal ambassador program, the Creation Station robotics lab (LEGO Education SPIKE), and Art in Action STEAM workshops. The institution also hosts signature annual events including Sci Fest Vegas, Mystery at the Museum, and the Dinosaur Ball fundraiser, and runs a Sin City Scholars academic scholarship program.

The museum's core "technology" is its physical exhibit portfolio and trained educational staff rather than a software platform; digital infrastructure is limited to a Wix-hosted website, Veevart-based ticketing and donations, and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok). It holds Smithsonian Affiliate status (since 2015) and American Alliance of Museums accreditation (since 2011), the two most prestigious institutional credentials in U.S. museum operations.

Revenue is generated across six streams: ticket admissions (one-time), annual memberships (subscription recurring), Museum Valued Partner (MVP) corporate sponsorships ranging from $500 to $10,000 annually, event sponsorships, venue rentals for private events, and tax-deductible charitable donations. Customer segments are split between K-12 schools and students (280 field trips serving 9,056 students annually), families and general public visitors (the 90,000+ annual visitors), corporate partners and sponsors, and individual donors. Operations are led by Executive Director Laurie Thomas under a volunteer board chaired by Marcel Bloomer (Bank of America Merrill Lynch SVP), with no parent company or outside equity ownership.

Name

Las Vegas Natural History Museum

Legal name

Las Vegas Natural History Museum

Website

https://lvnhm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating interactive natural history exhibits and STEM programming in downtown Las Vegas. It serves K-12 schools, families, and the general public through exhibits, educational programs, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum & Science Education

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Natural history museum
• Science education programs
• Interactive exhibits
• STEM learning workshops
• School field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Admissions: Museum admission fees charged to general public visitors, included in all event pricing
2. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering unlimited admission, exclusive benefits, and Smithsonian Magazine subscriptions
3. Museum Rental: Private event rentals of museum facilities for corporate events, weddings, and parties
4. Corporate Sponsorship (MVP Program): Museum Valued Partner (MVP) corporate sponsorship tiers ranging from $500 to $10,000 annually, offering recognition, event tickets, and VIP access
5. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions supporting exhibits, educational programs, and animal care
6. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorships for signature events including Sci Fest Vegas and Dinosaur Ball

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum operates a science and natural history museum in downtown Las Vegas offering interactive exhibits (dinosaurs, Egypt, Africa, sharks), hands-on educational programs including marine touch tanks, animal ambassador encounters, and STEM robotics labs, along with school field trips, summer camps, private events, and signature annual events such as Sci Fest Vegas and the Dinosaur Ball fundraiser. The institution serves as a Smithsonian Affiliate and AAM Accredited museum providing curriculum-aligned science education to families, students, and the broader Las Vegas community.

Product overview

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is a natural history and science education institution offering a unified portfolio of interactive exhibits, educational programs, and special events. Core offerings include dinosaur and wildlife exhibits (Africa, Egypt, Sharks), hands-on animal experiences (Touch Tank, Critter Connection), STEM programs (Robotics, Art in Action), and school field trip/outreach services. The museum also hosts annual signature events (Dinosaur Ball, Sci Fest Vegas, Mystery at the Museum) and manages membership, private tours, and venue rental services. The institution serves as a Smithsonian Affiliate and AAM-accredited museum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dinosaurs Exhibit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 90,000+ visitors annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Smithsonian InstitutionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2015, gaining access to Smithsonian resources, traveling exhibits, and the prestigious Smithsonian name. This affiliation provides credibility, potential for collaborative programming, and access to the broader Smithsonian network of affiliates.
• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBank of America's Museums on Us program provides cardholders with free museum admission on specified weekends. The partnership includes board leadership through Marcel Bloomer, SVP at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, who serves as Chairman of the museum's Board of Directors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• California Academy of Sciences: Larger, established natural history/science institution with aquariums, planetarium, and research operations. Offers a benchmark for scaled educational programming and digital exhibit delivery.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: The flagship partner of the Smithsonian Affiliations program. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Las Vegas museum effectively leverages this network for content and credibility, making it the most relevant institutional reference.
• Field Museum: Iconic national natural history museum with extensive collections, dinosaur exhibits, and traveling exhibits. Comparable in brand positioning, fundraising model, and exhibit renewal.

Direct peers

• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: Mid-sized natural history/science museum heavily focused on hands-on STEM, robotics, and interactive exhibits. Closely comparable to the Creation Station Robotics and Touch Tank model.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: Multi-disciplinary museum complex with natural history and educational programming. Comparable in scale, membership model, and reliance on corporate sponsorships and school group revenue.
• San Diego Natural History Museum: Regional natural history museum with comparable exhibit portfolio (dinosaurs, wildlife, hands-on programming) and similar scale of visitation and educational outreach. Comparable along mission, audience, and operational model.
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Mid-sized natural history and science museum with similarly diversified education, exhibit, and membership model. Comparable in STEM programming, volunteer base, and K-12 field trip operations.
• Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: University-affiliated natural history museum with comparable collections, educational programs, and visitor scale. Operates with a similar volunteer-heavy model and academic outreach.

Regional players

• Discovery Children's Museum: Las Vegas-based children's museum focused on hands-on STEM and interactive exhibits. Direct regional competitor for family, school, and educational visitor share in the same Las Vegas market.
• The Mob Museum: Las Vegas downtown museum with overlapping visitor demographics (tourists, school groups, event rentals). Comparable in geographic location, scale, and use of signature events and venue rentals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LasVegasScienceNaturalHistoryMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/las-vegas-science-natural-history-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/lvsnhmuseum
• TikToktiktok.com/@lvsnhmuseum

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Las Vegas Natural History Museum