Chinese-american Museum Of Chicago

Name

Chinese-american Museum Of Chicago

Legal name

Chinatown Museum Foundation

Website

https://ccamuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

Keywords

• Chinese American exhibits
• Museum admissions
• Heritage preservation
• Educational programs
• Community outreach

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Museum charges admission fees to visitors: $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. However, the museum states visits are always free with suggested donations welcome.
2. Membership Program: Four-tier membership program offering progressive benefits including free admission, event access, behind-the-scenes tours, discounts, and recognition. Tiers range from $30 (Student) to $800 (Corporate Member).
3. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts cash donations, IRA charitable rollovers, stock gifts, planned giving, and donor wall brick purchases. Received $2M endowment donation from Raymond B. Lee in memory of Jean T. Lee.
4. Room Rental: 4th floor venue available for corporate events, workshops, and private parties with capacity for seated dinner (50), standing reception (40), or theater-style (70).
5. Artifact Donations: Accepts donations of historical objects, documents, and photographs related to Chinese American experience. Ongoing oral history project collecting family stories.
6. Gift Shop Sales: Online gift shop selling merchandise including cyanotype-dyed shirts and greeting cards under $50.
7. Sponsorship: Sponsorship opportunities for exhibitions and programs available for interested parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is a non-profit cultural institution located at 238 W 23rd Street in Chicago's Chinatown. It operates a museum dedicated to documenting, preserving, and exhibiting the history, art, culture, and innovation of Chinese Americans in the Midwest through permanent and rotating exhibitions, archival collections, educational programs, group tours, event space rental, a gift shop, and a membership and donation program. The museum is governed by the Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF).

Product overview

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is a cultural institution focused on showcasing and celebrating Chinese American art, culture, and innovation. The museum operates as a single physical location offering rotating exhibitions, group tours, room rentals, and research access to its collections and archives. Supporting programs include membership tiers, donation options, volunteer opportunities, and an oral history project. The museum is located in Chicago's Chinatown at the Raymond B. & Jean T. Lee Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions
• Group Visits and Tours
• 4th Floor Room Rental
• CAMOC Gift Shop
• Museum Membership Program
• Collections and Archives Access
• Donation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40,000 annual visitors to the annual Chinatown Summer Fair
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chinatown Parking Corporation (CPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaymond Lee was one of the founders of CPC and served as managing director. CPC established two parking lots for Chinatown, with proceeds supporting community organizations including CAMOC.
• Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (CCCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaymond Lee served as president of CCCC, responsible for the iconic Chinese Pagoda and Nine Dragon Wall. The organization collaborates on community events including the annual Chinatown Summer Fair.
• Chinatown Museum Foundation (CMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMF is the governing board of CAMOC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. CAMOC is the operating museum name while CMF is the legal entity.
• Chinese American Service LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaymond Lee served as an officer on the board of this key community service organization, supporting the broader Chinese American community ecosystem.
• Lee Family AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaymond Lee was an elder with the Lee Family Association and served on its board, supporting family and community heritage preservation.
• Chinese Mutual Aid AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Executive Director Mabel Menard worked for Chinese Mutual Aid Association as Director of Administration, creating potential for cross-referrals and collaboration.
• OCA – Greater Chicago ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Interim Executive Director Mabel Menard served as President, supporting broader AAPI advocacy and community engagement.
• Kitchen Table Stories ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Evanston-based multimedia healing justice project focused on uncovering Asian American stories in the Midwest.
• Evanston History CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to uncover Asian American history in Evanston and create living archives of ASPA residents through the Evanston Placemaking Initiative.
• China Institute in AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership offering We All Live in the Forbidden City program with standards-based, interactive programs introducing K-12 students to Chinese history and culture.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Chicago History Museum: Chicago's primary local history museum, focused on preserving and interpreting Chicago-area history. Operates as a comparable non-profit cultural institution in the same Chicago market with similar educational programming, exhibitions, and membership models.
• DuSable Museum of African American History: Chicago-based museum dedicated to African American history, art, and culture. As a peer ethnic/cultural heritage museum operating in the same Chicago market with similar non-profit structure, programming mix, and visitor demographics, it provides a strong regional operational comparable.
• Chinese Cultural Center of Chicago: Chicago-based organization promoting Chinese culture through educational programs, events, and community services. While not strictly a museum, it operates in the same Chicago Chinese American ecosystem and shares overlapping audiences and community partnerships with CAMOC.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center: National Smithsonian initiative that chronicles the Asian Pacific American experience through exhibitions, programming, and digital content. As a federal-level AAPI cultural institution, it operates at significantly greater scale and resources than CAMOC but addresses overlapping subject matter and audiences.
• Japanese American National Museum: Los Angeles-based national museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Japanese Americans. JANM is a much larger AAPI institution that demonstrates the operating model and programming breadth that a successful Asian American heritage museum can achieve, making it a useful scale comparable for CAMOC's long-term trajectory.

Direct peers

• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): New York-based museum dedicated to preserving and presenting Chinese American history, art, and culture. MOCA is the most established Chinese American museum in the U.S. and the closest direct comparable to CAMOC's mission, with similar collections, exhibitions, and educational programming.
• Chinese Historical Society of America Museum: San Francisco-based museum and historical society founded in 1963 to preserve and present the history of Chinese in America. CHSA's collections, archives, and exhibitions on Chinese American immigration and community life closely parallel CAMOC's focus on local Chinese American history.
• Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience: Seattle-based museum focused on Asian Pacific American history, art, and culture, and a Smithsonian Affiliate. Wing Luke is a directly comparable AAPI history museum that combines permanent and rotating exhibitions, oral histories, and educational programming similar to CAMOC.
• Chinese American Museum (Los Angeles): Los Angeles-based museum focused on Chinese American history and culture in Southern California. CAM-LA operates with a similar small-staff non-profit museum model, curating exhibitions, educational programs, and community events around Chinese American heritage.

Others

• OCA-Greater Chicago Chapter: Chicago chapter of OCA (formerly Organization of Chinese Americans), an AAPI advocacy organization. Shares executive leadership overlap with CAMOC (Mabel Menard served as its President) and addresses overlapping AAPI community audiences, though its mission is advocacy rather than museum operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ccamuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/camochicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chinese-american-museum-of-chicago
• InstagramInstagram.com/camochicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chinese-american Museum Of Chicago