highlands museum & discovery center

What highlands museum & discovery center does

Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional history and children's museum located at 1620 Winchester Avenue in downtown Ashland, Kentucky, housed in the historic C.H. Parsons Department Store building (purchased by the museum in 2013). Founded in 1984 as the Kentucky Highlands Museum and renamed in 1997, the organization maintains a permanent collection of more than 11,000 historical artifacts spanning Eastern Kentucky history, country music heritage, aviation, medical history, river life, and space science — the latter developed through a partnership with the Morehead State University Space Science Center. The museum operates permanent exhibits on three floors, the Clark Family Discovery Center for interactive children's learning, and the 11,000 square foot Highlands Center event venue on the fourth floor, which is the largest conference/event venue in the city of Ashland.

The museum serves four primary visitor segments: families with children (the principal audience), K-12 school groups on $5 field trips, event organizers renting the Highlands Center or booking birthday parties, and cultural tourists exploring regional heritage. There is no proprietary technology stack; the core offering is the physical museum experience, the artifact collection, and the event facility. Revenue is generated through a mix of unit-priced walk-in admission ($10 adults/children, $8 military/seniors, $4 EBT via Museums for All, free under 2), five-tier subscription memberships ($125-$1,000+) that include ASTC reciprocal benefits across 300+ museums, venue rentals at $1,500 for the Highlands Center and $185-$200 for birthday parties, school field trip fees, on-site gift shop sales, and tax-deductible contributions including $10,000/5-year continuing sponsorships. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via walk-in visitation, an online membership portal processed through PayPal, and direct outreach for school bookings and event rentals, with social media (Facebook, Instagram) and community events as top-of-funnel awareness channels. Operations are supported by a staff of six (Executive Director, Business Manager, Curator/Registrar, Museum Educator, Admissions Clerk, Head of Housekeeping) and a 29-member Board of Trustees.

Name

highlands museum & discovery center

Legal name

Highlands Museum & Discovery Center

Website

https://highlandsmuseum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional history and children's museum in Ashland, Kentucky, preserving 11,000+ historical artifacts across permanent exhibits, a children's Discovery Center, and a 600-capacity event venue, serving families, K-12 school groups, event organizers, and cultural tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum & Cultural Education

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Museums (THAJADAE), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Regional history museum
• Children's discovery center
• Educational field trips
• Event venue rental
• Interactive learning exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Walk-in visitors pay admission fees: $10 for adults and children, $8 for military and seniors 65+, free for children under 2. Also participates in Museums for All program offering $4/person admission for EBT cardholders.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual family memberships sold at multiple tiers: Basic Family $125, Historians $250, Discoverers $400, Adventurers $700, Founders $1,000. Includes free admission for two adults and up to four children, ASTC museum discounts, gift shop discounts, and party rental discounts.
3. Event Venue Rentals: Highlands Center (11,000 sq ft 4th floor venue) rental at $1,500 for weddings, conferences, reunions, receptions accommodating up to 600 people. Birthday party rentals at $185 (members) / $200 (non-members).
4. Field Trip Fees: School and organization field trips at $5.00 per student/attendee. Teachers and staff free. Discounted $5 rate for parent/guardian chaperones.
5. Gift Shop Sales: On-site gift shop offering museum merchandise. Members receive 10% discount on gift shop purchases.
6. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations support new exhibits and upkeep. Continuing sponsors at $10,000 over five years receive banner display. Endowment contributions through The Foundation for the Tri-State.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Highlands Museum & Discovery Center operates a 501(c)(3) regional history and children's museum in Ashland, KY, providing access to over 11,000 historical artifacts across themed permanent and rotating exhibits covering Eastern Kentucky history, country music heritage, aviation, medical history, and space science. The museum offers general admission, five-tier family membership programs with ASTC reciprocal benefits, school field trips, birthday party rentals, and large event venue rental (Highlands Center) accommodating up to 600 people.

Product overview

Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is a 501(c)(3) regional history and children's museum offering a unified experience combining permanent and rotating exhibits, educational programming, event rentals, and membership benefits. The core offering centers on 11,000+ historical artifacts across themed permanent exhibits including history, aviation, medical, music heritage, and river life displays, complemented by a Discovery Center with interactive children's exploration areas. The museum generates revenue through general admission, five-tier membership programs with ASTC reciprocal benefits, and venue rentals (Highlands Center event space and birthday party packages). Planned expansion includes the Clark Family Discovery Center on the second floor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kentucky HumanitiesminorOthers · 1 January 2021Partial funding for website through Kentucky Humanities, part of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 NEH funding.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)minorOthers · 1 January 2021Partial funding for website through NEH as part of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
• Morehead State University Space Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to create Space Science Center displaying satellites, CubeSats, and showcasing the Space Program at MSU. Includes the Highlands International Space Station exhibit where young visitors can experience space-related features.
• The Foundation for the Tri-StateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndowment contributions managed through The Foundation for the Tri-State, established in 1972 to improve quality of life in the community by raising and administering funds for charitable, cultural, educational, and scientific purposes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kentucky Historical Society: Statewide history organization operating the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, KY. Directly comparable as a Kentucky-focused history museum with permanent collections, rotating exhibits, and educational programming for schools and families.
• Cincinnati Museum Center: Multi-museum complex in Cincinnati, OH (about 100 miles from Ashland) housing the Cincinnati History Museum, Children's Museum, and Museum of Natural History & Science. Closest regional peer combining children's discovery with regional history and a larger scale.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: World's largest children's museum, a broad incumbent setting standards for interactive children's exhibits and educational programming. Comparable in its combination of children's discovery with historical/specialty exhibits (e.g., space exhibits).

Regional players

• Kentucky Science Center: Louisville-based science and discovery museum with hands-on exhibits and IMAX theater. Comparable as a regional STEM-focused children's/discovery museum in Kentucky, though it focuses on science rather than regional history.
• Ashland Henry Clay Estate: Historic house museum in Lexington, KY operated by a nonprofit preserving heritage and offering tours/events. Adjacent peer in the Kentucky heritage space but focused on a single historic property rather than multi-exhibit regional museum.
• The Speed Art Museum: Kentucky's oldest and largest art museum in Louisville. Adjacent peer in the Kentucky cultural/heritage nonprofit museum space, though focused on art rather than regional history and children's discovery.

Direct peers

• Port Discovery Children's Museum: Baltimore-based children's museum with interactive discovery exhibits, educational programming, and field trip offerings. Comparable as a mid-sized children's discovery museum with similar revenue model (admissions, memberships, field trips, event rentals).
• Betty Brinn Children's Museum: Milwaukee, WI children's museum offering hands-on educational exhibits for young children and families. Closely comparable in scale and structure to a children's discovery center with field trips, memberships, and event rentals.
• Mid-America Science Museum: Arkansas-based science museum with interactive exhibits and educational programming. Comparable as a regional discovery-focused museum with similar scale, school field trip programs, and ASTC membership benefits.

Emerging players

• Conner Prairie: Indiana-based interactive history park combining living history experiences with science/nature exhibits. Comparable in combining regional history with hands-on children's experiences and ASTC membership benefits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HighlandsMuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandsmuseumashland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 highlands museum & discovery center