american computer museum

What american computer museum does

The American Computer & Robotics Museum (ACRM) is a 501c3 non-profit educational institution founded in May 1990 in Bozeman, Montana by George and Barbara Keremedjiev, and is the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the world. Its core product is a permanent collection of physical exhibits spanning approximately 4,000 years of human innovation, from original cuneiform tablets through early mechanical calculators, Enigma codebreaking artifacts, Apollo-era space-race hardware, the first personal computers, and exhibit zones on Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing. The collection is supported by a structured Artifact Wish List Program soliciting donations of rare items such as Apollo guidance computers, Apple I, and Xerox Alto.

ACRM monetizes through a tiered one-time admission model ($10 adults, $7.50 seniors and military, $5 youth and students, free for children under 9 and members), an annual membership program providing free admission, tax-deductible donations and planned giving (including stock and memorial gifts), event revenue tied to the annual Stibitz-Wilson Awards and venue usage, and program fees for IdeaLab classes, Field Trips and Tours, and a seasonal STEM Summer Camp. The museum operates from a single facility at 2023 Stadium Drive, Suite 1-A, open Tuesday through Sunday 10am–4pm, and serves a diversified base of families, K-12 educators and students, technology and space enthusiasts, and Bozeman-area tourists, with a board that includes Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, microprocessor co-inventor Federico Faggin, and Montana State University leadership. Distribution is purely physical, supported by earned media (TripAdvisor recognition including a six-year Certificate of Excellence and 2026 Travelers Choice Award), organic social, an email newsletter, and a co-marketing relationship with the neighboring Museum of the Rockies.

Name

american computer museum

Legal name

American Computer Museum LTD

Website

https://acrmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The American Computer & Robotics Museum is a 501c3 non-profit museum in Bozeman, Montana, operating the world's oldest continually running collection of computing and robotics artifacts spanning 4,000 years, serving families, educators, students, and tourists through exhibits, classes, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Computing and Technology History Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN), Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)

Keywords

• Computing history exhibits
• STEM education programs
• Technology museum
• Hands-on learning workshops
• Educational field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Bozeman

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission Fees: Revenue from admission tickets at $10 adults, $7.50 seniors/military, $5 youth, with free entry for members and children under 9
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program offering free admission and other benefits
3. Donations and Planned Giving: Tax-deductible donations via PayPal, credit card, check, stock gifts, memorial gifts, and planned giving through wills or trusts
4. Event Rentals and Programs: Revenue from special events including Stibitz-Wilson Awards and venue usage

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Computer and Robotics Museum operates a permanent exhibit collection spanning 4,000 years of computing and technology history, from original cuneiform tablets to personal computers, covering AI, Quantum Computing, the Space Race, and the Enigma Code. It supplements these exhibits with hands-on IdeaLab classes, school field trips, a seasonal STEM summer camp, and the annual Stibitz-Wilson Awards event. Revenue is generated through admission fees, annual memberships, donations, and event programming.

Product overview

The American Computer & Robotics Museum is a 501c3 non-profit museum that serves as the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the world. Founded in 1990 in Bozeman, Montana, the museum offers a unified experience centered on its permanent collection exhibits spanning 4,000 years of technology history. These permanent exhibits are supplemented by IdeaLab Classes providing hands-on learning programs, Field Trips and Tours for educational groups, a STEM Summer Camp for youth, and the annual Stibitz-Wilson Awards event. The museum also maintains an Artifact Wish List Program to expand its collection through donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Collection Exhibits The museum's core offering featuring permanent displays spanning 4,000 years of human innovation, from original cuneiform tablets to first personal computers, covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, the Space Race, Cracking the Enigma Code, and more. Open to the general public, families, tourists, students, and researchers.
• IdeaLab Classes Hands-on learning programs that explore the principles of computing year-round, using accessible tools like microcontrollers and simple robotics kits to demystify how technology works. Targeted at students, families, and youth.
• Field Trips and Tours Educational group visits and guided tours designed for school groups and organizations to experience the museum's exhibits with structured learning objectives. Targeted at school groups, teachers, and educational institutions.
• STEM Summer Camp Seasonal summer program for youth focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education through hands-on activities. Targeted at school-age children and youth.
• Stibitz-Wilson Awards Annual awards event recognizing achievements in computing and robotics, held in Inspiration Hall. Targeted at computing and robotics industry leaders, researchers, and supporters.
• Annual Membership Annual membership program offering free admission and other benefits to museum supporters. Targeted at frequent visitors, local residents, families, and technology history enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75% of visitors report learning a lot or a great deal during their visit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montana State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontana State University is a major institutional partner and donor at the Founders level ($100,000+). The partnership includes representation on ACRM's Board of Directors through Dean Brett Gunnink of the Norm Asbjornsen College of Engineering.
• Museum of the RockiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRM is located near the Museum of the Rockies, making it easy for visitors to enjoy both museums in a single day. The museums are marketed together as complementary Bozeman attractions.
• Association of American MuseumsminorOthersACRM is a member of the Association of American Museums (AAM), a professional organization supporting museums nationwide.
• Association of Science-Technology CentersminorOthersACRM is a member of ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers), a global organization of science museums and technology centers.
• Bozeman Chamber of CommerceminorOthersACRM holds membership in the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce, supporting local business community engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Computer History Museum: The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California is the largest and best-known museum dedicated to the history of computing. It directly competes with ACRM in the same niche of computing and technology history exhibits, but at a significantly larger scale and with substantially higher visitor traffic.
• The National Museum of Computing: Located at Bletchley Park in the UK, The National Museum of Computing houses one of the world's largest collections of functional historic computers, including Colossus and Turing's Bombe. It is directly comparable to ACRM as a computing-history-focused museum, though operating in a different geography.
• The Tech Interactive: Formerly The Tech Museum of Innovation, this San Jose-based science and technology center combines interactive STEM exhibits with hands-on learning labs. It is a direct peer to ACRM in mission and audience, with greater scale and an urban Silicon Valley catchment.
• Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum: The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn, Germany is the world's largest computer museum, covering 5,000 years of computing history from cuneiform tablets to modern robotics. It is the most direct global analog to ACRM in subject matter and curatorial scope.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Museum: Munich's Deutsches Museum is one of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums, with substantial computing and information-technology galleries. It serves a comparable educational mission to ACRM but as part of a much broader science and engineering portfolio.
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History: The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC includes significant computing and information-technology collections (including the original Apple I and ENIAC-related materials). It competes for visiting school groups and STEM audiences as a much larger, free, federally supported incumbent.
• Museum of Science: Boston's Museum of Science is a major general science and technology museum with substantial computing, robotics, and engineering exhibits. Comparable to ACRM in STEM education mission but at significantly larger scale and with a national-brand audience.

Emerging players

• Living Computers: Museum + Labs (closed): Founded by Paul Allen in Seattle, Living Computers was a direct peer in the computing-history museum category before closing to the public in 2020. Its collection and programming model closely paralleled ACRM, illustrating both the opportunity and the operational fragility in this niche.

Regional players

• Museum of the Rockies: Located near ACRM in Bozeman, Montana, the Museum of the Rockies is a Smithsonian-affiliated natural history and paleontology museum. ACRM is explicitly co-marketed with this institution as a complementary Bozeman attraction for tourists.
• Children's Museum of Bozeman: Another Bozeman-based museum that overlaps with ACRM's family and youth audience, particularly around STEM programming. It competes for the same families and field-trip dollars within a small regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-computer-robotics-museum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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