Swiss Heritage Village and Museum

What Swiss Heritage Village and Museum does

Swiss Heritage Village and Museum, operated by Swiss Heritage Society, Inc., is a private nonprofit outdoor heritage museum chartered in 1985 in Berne, Indiana. The 26-acre campus preserves and displays 14+ relocated authentic 19th-century Swiss-American structures, including the Luginbill House (1816), Baumgartner Church (1860), Sweitzer Barn (late 1800s), an 1881 Schoolhouse, the world's largest Civil War-era Hauenstein cider press, and indoor exhibits added in the Swiss Heritage Museum in 2002. Its primary product is guided and self-guided tours of these grounds plus indoor museum exhibits, with admission priced at $5-$8 per visitor and children under six admitted free.

The organization monetizes its physical assets across five revenue streams: tour admissions, wedding and event venue rentals ($300-$1,800 per booking at Sweitzer Barn, Baumgartner Church, or combined package), commemorative brick sidewalk sales ($50-$300 per brick), annual memberships with tax-deductible donations, and special events including Swiss Days, Heritage Festival, Education Day (serving 1,000+ students), Holiday Bazaar, Benefit Auction, and Haystack Luncheon. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: annual signature events drive top-of-funnel foot traffic, school partnerships generate mid-funnel education bookings, and wedding venue marketing plus membership programs convert bottom-of-funnel. Daily operations rely heavily on unpaid community volunteers for groundskeeping, tour docents, gift shop staffing, and event support. Distribution is regional, operating seasonally May through October (closed Sundays and holidays), drawing visitors from Berne, southern Adams County, and northeast Indiana, with wedding clientele attracted from a broader geographic range.

Name

Swiss Heritage Village and Museum

Legal name

Swiss Heritage Society, Inc.

Website

https://swissheritage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swiss Heritage Village and Museum is a nonprofit 26-acre outdoor heritage museum in Berne, Indiana, chartered in 1985 to preserve 19th-century Swiss-American history. It serves schools, wedding clientele, heritage tourists, and community supporters through guided tours, venue rentals, and annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum and Cultural Attraction

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAB

History Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYTHAJACAC

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Attractions & Landmarks (Observation Decks, Monuments, Scenic Sites)

SECONDARYBPAGAHAA

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

Keywords

• Outdoor heritage museum
• Historical preservation services
• Museum guided tours
• Cultural event hosting
• Wedding venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Berne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Admissions: Visitors pay admission fees for guided and self-guided tours of the outdoor museum grounds and indoor museum. Standard admission ranges from $5-$8 per person depending on age category, with free entry for children under 6 and complimentary admission for teachers and bus drivers on school tours.
2. Wedding and Event Venue Rental: The organization rents its historic Sweitzer Barn and Baumgartner Church for weddings and receptions, with pricing from $300-$1800 depending on venue selection. Additional revenue from grounds rental ($200), golf cart rental ($50), and tent rental coordination.
3. Memorial Brick Sales: Commemorative paving bricks sold for walkway to covered bridge entrance. Regular size bricks start at $125 for first brick; large size at $300. All proceeds support village restoration and operations.
4. Annual Memberships: Annual membership drive with benefits including newsletter access and free admission to the museum village and special events. All gifts over $25 are tax-deductible.
5. Special Events Revenue: Revenue from annual events including the Benefit Auction (May), Haystack Luncheon (June), and Holiday Bazaar (November). Events feature food vendors, exhibitors, and donations.
6. Donations and Volunteering: Community donations support village operations, grounds maintenance, and restoration projects. 'Create A Legacy' sidewalk program allows donors to purchase commemorative bricks honoring individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swiss Heritage Village and Museum operates a 26-acre outdoor heritage museum in Berne, Indiana, featuring 14+ relocated 19th-century Swiss-American buildings and an indoor museum exhibit. It offers guided and self-guided museum tours, school and group educational programs, historic wedding and reception venue rentals (Sweitzer Barn and Baumgartner Church), and seasonal community events such as Swiss Days, Heritage Festival, Education Day, Holiday Bazaar, Haystack Luncheon, and a Benefit Auction. Revenue is generated through admission fees, venue rentals, memberships, event income, commemorative brick sales, and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Swiss Heritage Village & Museum operates as an outdoor heritage museum and event venue featuring 14 restored 19th-century Swiss-American buildings and grounds (including the Museum, Luginbill House, Sweitzer Barn, Schoolhouse, Log Cabin, Summer Kitchen, Sawmill, Cider Press, Doctor's Office, Cheese House, Baumgartner Church, Barber Shop, and Smoke House). The core offering centers on guided tours of the village grounds and the indoor Swiss Heritage Museum, supplemented by educational programs including school tours and Education Day. Revenue-generating modules include wedding and reception venue rentals at the Sweitzer Barn ($1,500) and Baumgartner Church ($300-$400), annual events (Swiss Days festival, Heritage Festival, Holiday Bazaar, Haystack Luncheon), and a membership program. The village also operates a commemorative brick sidewalk program and benefit auction for fundraising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outdoor Heritage Museum Tours and Admissions
• School Tours and Educational Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ students served annually through Education Day program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Berne Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCross-promotional partnership with the Berne Chamber of Commerce website, which lists Swiss Heritage Village among major local attractions, retailers, and services. Links to both bernein.com and cityofberne.com for community information.
• City of Berne, IndianaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal partnership for cross-promotion through cityofberne.com website. Swiss Heritage Village is located within Berne city limits, benefiting from municipal services and infrastructure.
• Muensterberg Clock TowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared heritage initiative honoring Swiss ancestry. The clock tower is a replica of the famous tower in Bern, Switzerland - a private venture honoring heritage similar to Swiss Heritage Village's mission.
• South Adams SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the annual Holiday Bazaar event. South Adams Schools complex (South Adams High School) provides facility space for vendor event each November.
• Swiss Properties, Inc.coreOthersOriginal land donor that gifted approximately 8 acres of land plus additional purchase option for the Swiss Heritage Village site at 1200 Swiss Way. This foundational gift enabled establishment of the outdoor museum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Living History Farms: Open-air agricultural history museum in Urbandale, Iowa with 500+ acres of historic farms and town sites, school tour programs, and annual events. Comparable outdoor-heritage museum business model with strong education and event revenue mix.
• Conner Prairie: Indiana-based interactive outdoor heritage museum in Fishers featuring relocated and recreated 19th-century buildings, school programs, weddings, and signature annual events. Directly comparable outdoor-heritage concept with overlapping education and event offerings, though larger scale.
• Old World Wisconsin: Wisconsin outdoor heritage museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society featuring 60+ historic structures, costumed interpreters, and school programs. Similar outdoor-heritage site concept focused on immigrant-settler history in the Upper Midwest.
• Historic Cold Spring Village: Open-air living history museum in Cape May, New Jersey with 25+ restored 19th-century buildings, costumed interpreters, school programs, and annual events. Comparable outdoor-heritage village with similar building count and education focus.
• Heritage Hill State Historical Park: Outdoor living history museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin featuring 25+ restored historic buildings from the 1600s-1900s, school tours, weddings, and seasonal events. Closely matches the 26-acre/26-building scale and event-driven revenue approach.
• Swiss Center of North America: Swiss heritage museum and cultural center in New Ulm, Minnesota preserving Swiss-American immigrant history with exhibits and events. Most direct thematic peer — same Swiss-immigrant heritage focus and similar nonprofit museum operating model.
• Amish Acres: Historic Amish farmstead and heritage venue in Nappanee, Indiana operating restored 19th-century buildings, school tours, theater, restaurant, and event rentals. Closest geographic and conceptual peer — same state, same Anabaptist/Swiss-German heritage theme, comparable size and revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Shelburne Museum: Vermont museum complex of 39 buildings and 100,000+ artifacts covering American decorative arts, folk art, and history. Broader scope and substantially larger scale, but offers comparable outdoor-heritage campus model with relocated historic buildings.
• Indiana State Museum: Statewide museum in Indianapolis covering Indiana history, science, art, and culture with exhibits, school programs, and signature events. Broader scope with year-round indoor operation, but overlapping educational programming and heritage-interpretation function.
• The Henry Ford: Large indoor-outdoor American history complex in Dearborn, Michigan featuring historic buildings, village, school programs, weddings, and major annual events. Substantially larger and broader, but shares the outdoor-village, education, and event-rental business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SwissHeritageVillage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-heritage-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Swiss Heritage Village and Museum