Children's Discovery Museum
Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) operating a single hands-on children's museum in Waterville, Maine, serving families, school groups, and event hosts through four themed exhibit zones, paid admissions, memberships, and community donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersAugusta, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Children's Discovery Museum does
Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that operates a single hands-on children's museum at 7 Eustis Parkway in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1990 (originally in Augusta) and relocated to Waterville in 2020 with USDA funding support, the museum serves families with children, school groups, and event hosts across the Central Maine region. Its core product is an Exhibit Hall organized around four themed zones — Forest, Mill, City, and River — featuring interactive installations such as log cabin building, a STEM workshop, a two-story miniature downtown, and a soft-climbing area for younger visitors, all designed in collaboration with Rusty Lamar of Field Magnet Design, LLC.
The museum's core technology is the physical exhibit infrastructure itself rather than any software platform; supporting surface includes a Wix-hosted website with no mobile app, online ticketing, and modest social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. Operational product lines include daily admission passes, facility rentals for private events, birthday party packages, summer camps, and members-only hours. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining transactional admission ($9 Maine resident / $12 non-resident per day), a $150-per-year annual subscription membership, facility rentals, and philanthropic contributions including a roughly $2 million capital campaign funded by 17 corporate sponsors, 18 foundations, and over 100 individual donors, plus a $200,000 matching pledge tied to a 300-membership target. The organization is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Amarinda Keys with a small staff including Assistant Director Emily Bessey and Programs Director Caitlin Walker.
Children's Discovery Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Children's Discovery Museum
- Legal name
- Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine
- Website
- https://childrensdiscoverymuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) operating a single hands-on children's museum in Waterville, Maine, serving families, school groups, and event hosts through four themed exhibit zones, paid admissions, memberships, and community donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Children's Discovery Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Museum Services
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)
Keywords
Where Children's Discovery Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Augusta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Children's Discovery Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Admission Fees: Daily admission fees charged to visitors. Maine residents pay $9 per day for ages 1-100. Non-residents pay $12 per day.
- Annual Memberships: Annual memberships at $150 per year offering unlimited access and exclusive member benefits including members-only hours.
- Facility Rentals: Birthday party and event space rentals for private gatherings at the museum.
- Capital Campaign Donations: Major donor matching campaign raising approximately $2 million, with a $200,000 matching pledge from a major donor contingent on 300 new memberships.
- Corporate and Foundation Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors and foundations contribute to the capital campaign and ongoing operations. Campaign comprises 17 corporate sponsors, 18 foundations, and 100+ individual donors.
- Donations: General donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, including the Fun Fund program providing admission to families in need.
- Summer Camps: Seasonal summer camp programs for children.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Maine Resident Daily Admission - $9 per day |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Non-Resident Daily Admission - $12 per day |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership - $150 per year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Children's Discovery Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine operates a single physical facility in Waterville, Maine, featuring four themed exhibit zones (Forest, The Mill, The City, and The River) that provide hands-on, interactive learning through play for children and families. The museum offers daily admission, annual memberships, summer camps, birthday party packages, and facility rentals for private events.
Product overview
The Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) children's museum offering a physical exhibit-based experience centered around hands-on learning through play. The museum operates a single unified facility at 7 Eustis Parkway in Waterville, Maine, featuring four themed exhibit zones (Forest, The Mill, The City, and The River) in its Exhibit Hall. Revenue is generated through daily admission passes ($9-$12 per person), annual memberships ($150/year), and facility rentals. Additional offerings include summer camps, birthday party packages, and community programs such as the Fun Fund for subsidized admissions. The museum's capital campaign (approximately $2 million) funded the new facility, with a major $200,000 matching donor initiative completed in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibit Hall Main hands-on learning space featuring four themed exhibit zones (Forest, The Mill, The City, and The River) with state-of-the-art installations designed in collaboration with Field Magnet Design, LLC. Open Wednesday-Saturday 9:00-4:00 and Sunday 10:00-4:00.
- Daily Admission Day passes for visitors to access the Exhibit Hall. Maine residents ages 1-100 pay $9 per day; non-residents ages 1-100 pay $12 per day.
- Annual Membership Year-long membership priced at $150 annually, offering unlimited access and exclusive member-only hours.
- Summer Camps Seasonal summer camp programs for children, hosted at the museum facility.
- Birthday Party Packages Birthday celebration packages hosted at the museum, featuring dedicated Birthday Specialist staff.
- Facility Rentals Private event rental options for groups to use museum spaces outside regular hours.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tens of thousands of children served over 30+ years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Children's Discovery Museum
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Children's Discovery Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Children's Discovery Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Field Magnet Design, LLCcoreProfessional exhibit design firm led by Rusty Lamar with years of experience designing whimsical public installations and children's exhibits. Collaborated with museum team to create the four exhibit zones.
- MaineGeneral HealthminorHealthcare provider providing collaborative support for Health & Wellness component integrated into the exhibits and entranceway mural.
- Northern Light Inland HospitalminorHealthcare provider providing collaborative support for Health & Wellness component integrated into the exhibits and entranceway mural.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Children's Discovery Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marbles Kids Museum: Raleigh-based children's museum combining hands-on exhibits with an IMAX theater, funded through admissions, memberships, and donations. Comparable nonprofit operating model with similar product lines.
- Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum with immersive play-based exhibits, daily admission, annual memberships, and dedicated party/event rentals. Direct competitor in nonprofit children's-museum operations, programming, and pricing structure.
- Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: Two-location nonprofit children's museum in Pittsburgh featuring hands-on exhibits, maker spaces, and family programming. Comparable operating model, exhibit-based revenue, and membership/subscription programs.
- Boston Children's Museum: Long-established nonprofit children's museum in Boston offering hands-on exhibits, memberships, school programming, and event rentals. Closely comparable product mix and revenue model (admissions + memberships + facility rentals) in New England.
- Children's Museum of Atlanta: Atlanta-based children's museum with hands-on exhibits, daily admission, memberships, and special events. Direct comparable in mission, exhibit-based revenue model, and nonprofit structure.
- Mid-Hudson Children's Museum: Nonprofit children's museum in the Hudson Valley of New York offering interactive exhibits, memberships, and educational programming. Similar mid-sized, single-site children's museum operating model.
- Madison Children's Museum: Nonprofit children's museum in Madison, Wisconsin featuring hands-on exhibits, memberships, camps, and event rentals. Closely comparable scale, mission, and revenue mix to a small community-based children's museum.
Broad incumbents
- Maine State Museum: State-run museum in Augusta, Maine preserving and interpreting Maine's history and natural environment. Comparable nonprofit/public museum operating model and Maine geography, but broader historical/heritage scope rather than children's focus.
- The Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The largest children's museum in the world, operating as a nonprofit with extensive exhibits, memberships, and educational programming. Comparable mission and revenue model but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
Regional players
- Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine: Children's museum and theatre in Portland, Maine serving families with hands-on exhibits and programming. Operates in the same U.S. state with a comparable nonprofit children's-museum model, making it the closest geographic peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Customer concentration
Children's Discovery Museum social profiles
Digital presenceChildren's Discovery Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Children's Discovery Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Children's Discovery Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Children's Discovery Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Children's Discovery Museum
What does Children's Discovery Museum do?
The Children's Discovery Museum of Central Maine operates a single physical facility in Waterville, Maine, featuring four themed exhibit zones (Forest, The Mill, The City, and The River) that provide hands-on, interactive learning through play for children and families. The museum offers daily admission, annual memberships, summer camps, birthday party packages, and facility rentals for private events.
Is Children's Discovery Museum a public or private company?
Children's Discovery Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Children's Discovery Museum founded?
Children's Discovery Museum was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Children's Discovery Museum based?
Children's Discovery Museum is headquartered in Augusta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Children's Discovery Museum make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Admission Fees are the primary driver. The others are annual Memberships, facility Rentals, capital Campaign Donations, corporate and Foundation Sponsorship, donations and summer Camps.
Who are Children's Discovery Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marbles Kids Museum, Please Touch Museum, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Boston Children's Museum, Children's Museum of Atlanta, Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and Madison Children's Museum. Broad incumbents are Maine State Museum and The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is listed as a regional player.
Does Children's Discovery Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Children's Discovery Museum.
What industry is Children's Discovery Museum in?
Children's Discovery Museum's product category is Children's Museum Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAE, Children’s Museums, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 712110.