International Museum of Surgical Science

What International Museum of Surgical Science does

The International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical history museum and a division of the International College of Surgeons, founded in 1954 and located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago inside the historic Eleanor Robinson Countiss House. The institution operates as a single-site specialty museum housing over 10,000 square feet of galleries and a permanent collection of more than 7,000 artifacts, 600+ artworks, and 1,000+ rare texts spanning roughly 1,200 years of surgical and medical history.

IMSS generates revenue through a diversified nonprofit mix: tiered admissions ($25 adult, $18 seniors/students/military/educators, $15 children, free under 3), membership programs ranging from $50 to $1,500, gift shop sales via Square online, individual and corporate donations, event venue rental in the historic mansion, and fee-based educational workshops such as the $75 Kintsugi session. Special exhibitions rotate on a multi-year cadence and are developed with academic and professional partners including ARC/STSA, AST, Rasmussen University, FANHSC, and CIRCA Pintig, and the museum participates in reciprocal access networks such as ASTC, Museums for All, and GoCity.

The organization is small (1–10 employees) and operates with a heritage-protection overhang from the building's status as a Chicago Landmark and U.S. National Register of Historic Places listing. Distribution is being extended digitally through a mobile guide application with beacon technology developed with Encurate, and audience access is being widened via 22 free admission days planned in 2026 and outreach to underserved healthcare-workforce communities. No AI/ML capabilities are evidenced; technology is limited to proximity-based mobile content delivery.

Name

International Museum of Surgical Science

Legal name

International Museum of Surgical Science

Website

https://imss.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Museum of Surgical Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical history museum in Chicago, founded in 1954, operating galleries, exhibitions, and educational programs from a National Register historic mansion for the general public, students, and medical professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

History Museums (THAJADAB), Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Medical history museum
• Surgical artifact exhibits
• Healthcare education programs
• Museum membership programs
• Historic event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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. Museum Admission: Revenue from admission tickets for visitors to the museum galleries and exhibitions.
2. Museum Memberships: Annual membership programs offering free admission, discounts, and benefits including Student ($50), Individual ($70), Family ($105), Director's Club ($130), Chairman's Club ($650), and Founder's Club ($1,500).
3. Gift Shop Sales: Museum store selling IMSS exclusives, merchandise, and related items through online Square storefront.
4. Donations and Contributions: Charitable donations from visitors and supporters; the museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity organization.
5. Event Venue Rental: Venue rental fees for photo shoots, filming, and private events including the annual MEMENTO MORI Halloween Gala fundraiser.
6. Educational Programs: Revenue from field trips, tours, workshops (e.g., Kintsugi Workshop at $75), and educational programming for students and educators.
7. Special Exhibitions: Revenue from special exhibit admissions and associated programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The International Museum of Surgical Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical history museum that preserves and exhibits over 7,000 surgical and medical artifacts across more than 10,000 square feet of public galleries housed in the historic Eleanor Robinson Countiss House in Chicago. The museum operates as a division of the International College of Surgeons, offering public exhibitions, educational programming, membership programs, event venue rentals, a gift shop, and a mobile app for visitors.

Product overview

The International Museum of Surgical Science operates as a medical history and contemporary art museum housed in a historic 1917 lakefront mansion. The museum maintains over 10,000 square feet of public galleries with a permanent collection of over 7,000 medical artifacts and 600+ paintings, plus rotating contemporary art exhibitions. Core offerings include general admission, membership programs, educational field trips and tours, the Artist-in-Residence program, event venue rental, and a gift shop. The museum also offers a mobile app for interactive self-guided experiences. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and division of the International College of Surgeons, the museum is dedicated to enhancing public understanding of surgical history and advances in medicine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission Public admission to over 10,000 square feet of exhibits displaying 7,000+ surgical and medical artifacts, targeted at general visitors, students, and healthcare professionals interested in the history of surgery and medicine.
• Museum Membership Annual membership program providing supporters with benefits such as free admission and other museum privileges, intended for repeat visitors and museum supporters.
• Educational Programs Curriculum-aligned educational programming and learning experiences about the history of surgery and medicine, targeted at school groups, students, and healthcare trainees.
• Event Venue Rental Private and corporate event hosting in the museum's historic galleries and rooms of the Eleanor Robinson Countiss House, offered to event planners, corporations, and private clients.
• Gift Shop On-site retail store selling merchandise and gifts related to the museum, surgical history, and Chicago, targeted at museum visitors.
• Mobile App Mobile application for visitors providing enhanced museum experiences including audio tours and exhibit information during their visit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 free admission days offered annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, supportive and core.

• Filipino American National Historical Society Greater Chicago Chapter (FANHSC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Partner for 'Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America' exhibit (May 15 - August 2, 2026). FANHSC created the exhibit to define and deconstruct the emerging stereotype of the Filipino nurse, showcasing the history of Filipinos in U.S. healthcare dating back over a century.
• CIRCA PintigmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Chicago's premiere Filipino theater company providing dramatic readings, panels, and live presentations for the 'Unheard Voices of Care' exhibit. CIRCA Pintig was founded in the early 1980s by newly arrived immigrants from the Philippines.
• Illinois Arts Council AgencysupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Provides partial support for museum exhibitions and programming through arts funding.
• City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special EventssupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Provides CityArts grant support for museum exhibitions and programming.
• Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2023Exhibition sponsor for 'The Operating Room: Surgical Technology Then and Now.' ARC/STSA has set the gold standard for higher education programs in surgical technology and surgical assisting since 1972, validating excellence and ensuring quality patient care.
• Association of Surgical Technologists (AST)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2023Exhibition sponsor for 'The Operating Room: Surgical Technology Then and Now.' AST is the oldest and most widely recognized professional organization for surgical technologists, established in 1969 by members of the American College of Surgeons, American Hospital Association, and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
• Rasmussen UniversitysupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2023Additional exhibition support for 'The Operating Room: Surgical Technology Then and Now.' Rasmussen University is an institution of higher learning dedicated to global enrichment and meeting evolving community needs with innovative programs and career-focused education.
• Encurate Mobile TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile app development partner creating the museum's first mobile experience with interactive map, self-guided tours using beacon technology, and exclusive content including the history of Eleanor Robinson Countiss and the historic mansion.
• GoCitysupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum included on GoCity's Chicago sightseeing pass, allowing pass holders access to the museum as part of their attraction bundle.
• ASTC Passport ProgramsupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum participates in the ASTC reciprocal program, offering free admission to passport holders from other science centers and museums worldwide.
• Museums for AllsupportiveChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating museum in the Museums for All initiative, offering free or reduced admission to SNAP/EBT cardholders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum (London): Major UK science museum with extensive medical and technology collections. Comparable as a broader-incumbent science museum with overlapping medical-history subject matter.
• National Museum of American History: Smithsonian museum covering broad U.S. history including medicine and technology. Comparable as a large federal history museum that intersects with IMSS's medical-history subject matter.

Direct peers

• Wellcome Collection: London-based museum and library exploring health and human experience, with free admission and a strong programming model. Comparable as a leading global medical-history cultural institution.
• Dittrick Medical History Center: Medical history museum and archive affiliated with Case Western Reserve University, focused on the history of medicine with a research/collection orientation similar to IMSS.
• National Museum of Health and Medicine: U.S. medical history museum operated by the Defense Health Agency, with deep collections of surgical artifacts and a similar mission of advancing understanding of medical science.
• Mütter Museum: Medical history museum at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, also a specialty medical museum with a small staff and admission-based model. Most direct comparable in mission and audience.

Regional players

• Art Institute of Chicago: Chicago's flagship art museum, with a strong reciprocal and membership culture. Competes for the same membership-based cultural-tourism audience and reciprocal-program visitors.
• Field Museum: Premier Chicago natural history museum and major tourist anchor. Competes for the same tourist and group-tour visitorship that IMSS targets with its ticketed specialty-museum model.
• Adler Planetarium: Chicago lakefront cultural attraction on the same Museum Campus corridor. Competes for tourist foot traffic and partnership bundling (e.g., Chicago CityPASS) relevant to IMSS's visitor flow.
• Museum of Science and Industry: Largest science museum in Chicago and a major tourist draw on the same museum campus corridor as IMSS. Closest direct competitor for science-oriented tourist visitation in the Chicago market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IMSS_Chicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@surgicalmuseumchicago
• Facebookfacebook.com/surgicalmuseumchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surgicalmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/surgicalmuseumchicago
• Pinterestpinterest.com/surgicalmuseum
• TikToktiktok.com/@surgicalmuseumchicago

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 International Museum of Surgical Science