History & Company

What History & Company does

Evanston History Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution founded in 1898 and headquartered at the Charles Gates Dawes House, a National Historic Landmark in Evanston, Illinois. It operates a museum, archives, and public programs whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share Evanston history. Its core offerings include docent-led house tours of the 25-room Dawes House, paid walking tours of Evanston's historic neighborhoods (Prairie School, Burnham, double-house architecture), access to a Research Room containing more than 100,000 artifacts and archival records, rotating exhibitions (including a nationally renowned Costume Collection), and the Talks@EHC discussion series plus the annual Mother's Day House Walk signature event.

The Center's underlying 'technology' is its physical collection and archival holdings, which have accumulated over 127 years and include decorative arts, rare books, documents, maps, photographs, oral histories, building permits, and city directories. Digital distribution is limited to a website, email newsletter (4,000+ subscribers), social media (6,000+ combined followers across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube), and the DonorPerfect donation platform. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI systems.

The revenue model is a hybrid of earned and contributed income typical of small American history museums. Earned revenue streams include ticket admissions ($10 for house tours and research room access for non-members; $15-$20 for walking tours), recurring memberships (individual and Merchant's Club business memberships), and venue rental of the Dawes House for corporate events. Contributed revenue comes via donations (check, credit card, donor-advised funds, gifts of stock via a partnership with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on free public programming, walking tours, and partnerships with organizations such as Evanston Latinos and Design Evanston to reach the local Evanston and North Shore audience.

Name

History & Company

Legal name

Evanston History Center

Website

https://evanstonhistorycenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Evanston History Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1898 that operates a museum, archives, and public programs from the Charles Gates Dawes House, a National Historic Landmark, serving Evanston residents, researchers, educators, and local businesses in Evanston, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum and Cultural Education

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Historical preservation services
• Museum and archives
• Community history education
• Docent-led walking tours
• Historic house tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The organization generates revenue through annual membership fees, with various membership tiers providing benefits such as free house tours, free research room access, and other perks.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID #36-2207924), the Evanston History Center accepts donations via check, credit card, donor-advised funds, and gifts of stock or mutual funds. The organization partners with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. for stock gifts.
3. Event and Tour Admission: Revenue generated from ticket sales for walking tours ($15-$20 per person), house tours ($10 for non-members), and research room access ($10 per visit). Members receive free admission to house tours and research room.
4. Merchant's Club Membership: Local businesses join the Merchant's Club for annual membership benefits including website advertising, program book ads, venue rental discounts (25% off Dawes House), social media spotlights, and newsletter listings.
5. Venue Rental: The Dawes House is available for rental for company meetings, retreats, and special events, with Merchant's Club members receiving a 25% discount on rental rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Evanston History Center operates a museum, archives, and public programming from the Charles Gates Dawes House, a National Historic Landmark. It collects, preserves, and shares Evanston history through guided walking tours, house tours, rotating exhibitions, a Research Room with 100,000+ artifacts, the Talks@EHC discussion series, and venue rental services. The Center serves general public visitors, local educators, researchers, genealogists, and the Evanston business community.

Product overview

The Evanston History Center operates as a nonprofit cultural institution offering a portfolio of history-focused products and services centered around its headquarters at the Dawes House, a National Historic Landmark. The core offerings include guided walking tours covering Evanston's architectural heritage, house tours and rotating exhibitions at the Dawes House, access to a research archive containing over 100,000 artifacts, and public programming through the Talks@EHC discussion series and Monthly Lunchtime Curiosity Cafe. The Center also operates annual signature events like the Mother's Day House Walk, offers venue rental services for private events, and maintains a Merchant's Club business membership program. Revenue generation comes through admissions ($10 for non-members), tour fees ($15-$20 for walking tours), research room fees, membership dues, donations, and venue rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Walking Tours Docent-led architectural and historical walking tours of Evanston neighborhoods, covering topics such as Prairie School architecture, Daniel Burnham sites, historic double houses, and Main Street evolution. Priced at $15 for members and $20 for non-members, with tours meeting at various Evanston locations including Quinlan Park, Dewey School, and the Evanston History Center.
• House Tours Self-guided and docent-led tours of the Charles Gates Dawes House, a National Historic Landmark chateauesque mansion with twenty-five rooms including a cherry-paneled library, vaulted dining room with musicians' gallery, six bedrooms, and twelve fireplaces. Available Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m., with one-hour guided tours at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m. Non-members pay $10; admission is free for members, children under 12, and D65 teachers with ID.
• Exhibitions Rotating museum exhibitions displayed throughout the Dawes House, including costume exhibitions such as 'Vive la Garçonne' and other historical displays. Exhibitions are open during regular house tour hours Thursday through Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
• Research Room Access Access to the Evanston History Center's archival collection containing over 100,000 artifacts, including decorative arts, rare books, documents, maps, photographs, oral histories, and a nationally renowned Costume Collection. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, 1-4 p.m., with $10 admission for non-members and free access for members and students. Includes biographical files, city directories, building permits, and local newspapers.
• Talks@EHC Discussion Series Discussion series featuring authors, scholars, historians, local leaders, artists, and multi-generational residents discussing Evanston history and community topics. Includes both in-person events at Dawes House and partnerships with other organizations. Events often co-presented with community organizations such as Evanston Latinos.
• Monthly Lunchtime Curiosity Cafe Informal monthly discussion series held the second Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. at the Dawes House, covering various Evanston history topics with coffee and tea provided. Free admission, no RSVP required.
• Mother's Day House Walk Annual signature event featuring tours of private historic homes in Evanston, with a commemorative program book distributed to 600-800 guests annually.
• Merchant's Club Membership Annual business partnership program for local Evanston and North Shore businesses. Benefits include website advertising to 2,500 visitors of a National Historic Landmark website, complimentary ads in the House Walk program book reaching 600-800 guests, 25% rental discount at Dawes House, social media spotlights to 6,000+ combined followers, and annual newsletter listing to 4,000+ subscribers.
• Venue Rental at Dawes House Rental of the Charles Gates Dawes House for company meetings, retreats, and special events. Merchant's Club members receive a 25% rental rate discount. Group reservations handled through Kris Hartzell.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership program for individuals and families providing benefits such as free house tours, free research room access, and other perks. Membership revenue supports the Center's mission of collecting, preserving, and sharing Evanston history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 artifacts preserved and accessible for research and exhibition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Evanston LatinoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Co-presenting partnership for community events. Evanston Latinos collaborated with the Evanston History Center on the 'Nuestras Historias en Evanston/Our Stories in Evanston' event featuring Latino community members sharing their experiences of building lives and community in Evanston. The event was bilingual with English and Spanish translation available.
• Design EvanstoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration based on Design Evanston's book 'Hidden in Plain Sight: Evanston's Double Houses' published in 2025. The Evanston History Center developed walking tours based on the book's content, covering unique double house architecture in the Lakeshore and Ridge Historic Districts.
• Merchant's Club MembersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness membership program including Bulley & Associates, Crafted Evanston, First Cut Produce, J. Sir Blog, Isberian, Meghan Jay Design, Nature's Perspective, Next Group, EVLRC, Scott Simpson Design Build, Select Lending Services, Presbyterian Homes (Westminster Place), Cat's Pride, DAR Fort Dearborn Chapter, Evanston Art Center, Evanston RoundTable, and others. Benefits include website advertising, social media spotlights, program book ads, and venue rental discounts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chicago History Museum: Chicago's primary city-focused history museum, operating exhibitions, archives, and public programs. Directly comparable as a city-level history institution in the same metropolitan market, but at significantly larger scale.
• DuSable Museum of African American History: Chicago-based history museum focused on African American history and culture, operating exhibitions, educational programming, and special events. Comparable as a Chicago-area history museum with similar nonprofit, member-supported structure.
• Skokie Heritage Museum: A North Shore suburban history museum and heritage center with similar small-staff, community-anchored operations. Comparable as a neighboring suburban history museum serving a similar demographic and competing for overlapping regional audiences.
• Naper Settlement: An outdoor history museum in Naperville, Illinois, preserving and interpreting local pioneer and settlement-era history. Closely comparable operating model: local history focus, site-based tours, educational programming, and membership-driven nonprofit structure.
• Glessner House Museum: A National Historic Landmark historic house museum in Chicago, offering docent-led tours, public programs, and research access. Closely analogous operating model as a National Historic Landmark house museum in the same metro region.
• Pullman National Monument: National Park Service site interpreting the historic Pullman company town, including guided tours, archives, and a visitor center. Comparable as a designated historic-site museum in the Chicago metro with similar tour-based revenue and educational programming.
• Frances Willard House Museum: A historic house museum located in Evanston, operated by the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Comparable as a co-located Evanston historic house museum with similar tour, education, and archival missions competing for local donors and visitors.

Emerging players

• Chicago Architecture Center: Chicago-based nonprofit offering docent-led architectural walking tours, exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable specifically as a walking-tour-led nonprofit cultural institution in the Chicago metro that overlaps on architectural-history programming.
• Newberry Library: Chicago-based independent research library with strong collections in history, genealogy, and American culture. Comparable as a nonprofit archival/research institution serving similar researcher and genealogist user segments.

Regional players

• Evanston Art Center: A local Evanston nonprofit arts institution offering exhibitions, classes, and events. Comparable as a co-located cultural nonprofit competing for the same Evanston resident, educator, and corporate partnership dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt9RUDDJsMSV6vljSkDUbew
• Facebookfacebook.com/evanstonhistorycenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evanston-history-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/evanstonhistorycenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 History & Company