children's museum

What children's museum does

The Children's Museum in Easton (CME) is an independent, private nonprofit 501(c)(3) operating a single-location children's museum at 9 Sullivan Avenue in North Easton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1991 and celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, the museum serves families with young children across southeastern Massachusetts (Easton, Brockton, and surrounding communities) through hands-on, play-based educational exhibits and programs organized around a S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) curriculum. Its core offering is the indoor museum experience, anchored by a 'Tinkerdoodle' philosophy emphasizing open-ended, child-led creative exploration using simple craft materials, plus a complementary outdoor exhibit space called The Wild Place. The museum runs recurring educational programs including Exploring Music (toddler music), Curiosity Crew (toddler play-based learning), Tuesday Studio (art programming), and CME 360 (an outreach model delivering S.T.E.A.M. curriculum into libraries and schools).

The product surface is primarily physical and analog: interactive exhibits, daily craft activities, themed event weeks (Mini Week, Giant Week, Kids Rule Week), music and art classes, and birthday party hosting. There is no mobile app, no public API/SDK, and no digital product layer. Distribution is walk-in admission ($15 per person for adults and children 1+, free under 1 year) plus scheduled group bookings on Thursdays in May and June for school field trips. The technology footprint consists of a website with an events calendar and Constant Contact email newsletters, and organic social channels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack combining transactional one-time admission, recurring membership fees (annual memberships for up to 6 immediate family members plus reciprocal discounts to 200+ museums via the ASTC network), charitable donations and sponsorships (35+ corporate sponsors including a presenting sponsorship from Highland Street Foundation), special-event fundraisers (Trivia Night, Father's Day Road Race, 35th Birthday Celebration), birthday party packages, and group/field-trip fees. The museum also operates a Building for Future Capital Campaign for facility improvements and is supported by institutional affiliations including the Association of Children's Museums, Museums for All, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Blue Star Museums, the Easton and Metro South Chambers of Commerce, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.

Name

children's museum

Legal name

Children's Museum in Easton

Website

https://cmeaston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Children's Museum in Easton is a 35-year-old private nonprofit operating a single-location, play-based children's museum in North Easton, MA, serving families and schools in southeastern Massachusetts through S.T.E.A.M. exhibits, educational programs, birthday parties, and outreach via the CME 360 program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Easton

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

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Visitors pay $15 per person (adults and children 1 year and older) for museum entry. No advance ticket purchase required, enabling walk-in visits.
2. Memberships: Family memberships offering unlimited visits for up to 6 immediate family members plus discounts to over 200 other museums through reciprocity programs.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Charitable contributions from individuals and corporate sponsors. Building for Future Capital Campaign for facility improvements. Multiple corporate sponsors listed including Highland Street Foundation.
4. Special Events and Fundraisers: Annual events including Trivia Night fundraiser, Father's Day Road Race, and 35th Birthday Celebration fundraiser at Thorny Lea Golf Club.
5. Birthday Parties: Birthday party packages allowing families to host celebrations at the museum.
6. Group Visits and Field Trips: School field trips hosted on Thursdays during May and June. Group visit packages for educational outings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Children's Museum in Easton (CME) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that operates a hands-on, interactive children's museum at 9 Sullivan Avenue, North Easton, MA. It delivers S.T.E.A.M.-focused learning through play via exhibits, structured programs, and outreach, serving young children and families.

Product overview

The Children's Museum in Easton is a single-location children's museum offering hands-on educational experiences for families. The museum operates on an admission-based model ($15 per person) and provides access to interactive exhibits and educational programming. The core product portfolio includes general museum admission, a membership program for unlimited visits, and various educational programs including CME 360 (S.T.E.A.M. outreach for schools and libraries), Exploring Music (toddler music education), Curiosity Crew (toddler play-based learning), and Tuesday Studio (art programming). Additional offerings include the Wild Place outdoor exhibit, birthday party hosting, and group field trip services. The museum also hosts a calendar of special events and seasonal activities throughout the year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CME 360: Full S.T.E.A.M. programming offered to libraries and schools, bringing educational content to partner institutions.
• Tinkerdoodle
• The Wild Place

Products and services

• General Museum Admission
• Family Membership
• CME 360 Outreach Program
• Exploring Music Program
• Curiosity Crew Program
• Tuesday Studio Program
• Wild Place Outdoor Exhibit
• Birthday Party Hosting
• School Field Trips

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Highland Street FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of August Adventures annual program, which encourages families to visit museums, parks, cultural attractions, and community organizations throughout August.
• Association of Children's MuseumscoreOthersInstitutional membership providing networking, resources, and best practices sharing among children's museums globally.
• Museums for AllcoreOthersInitiative supporting accessible museum experiences for low-income families, providing reduced or free admission.
• Massachusetts Cultural CouncilcoreOthersState arts and cultural agency providing funding and support for cultural organizations in Massachusetts.
• Blue Star MuseumsminorOthersProgram providing free admission to military personnel and their families during summer months.
• Easton Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business chamber supporting community economic development and local business visibility.
• Metro South Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional chamber serving Brockton and surrounding communities.
• Massachusetts Office of Travel & TourismminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism promotion agency, partially funding museum operations.
• Corporate Sponsors (35+ listed)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious local businesses including Evelyn Law, Estate & Elder Law Advisory, The Arbors, CareOne Sharon, Burn Boot Camp Sharon, Sharon Orthodontics, Fernandes Lumber, Easton Country Club, Bank of Easton, North Easton Savings Bank, Roche Bros., Dedham Savings, TJ Maxx, National Grid, and others providing financial and promotional support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boston Children's Museum: The largest children's museum in New England, operating hands-on exhibits and educational programming in Boston. Directly comparable in mission, programming philosophy (play-based learning), and target audience (families with young children), though at substantially larger scale.
• Providence Children's Museum: A regional children's museum serving southern New England families with interactive exhibits and educational programming. Closest direct peer in geography, scale, and product offering, competing for the same southeastern Massachusetts / southern New England family demographic.
• Please Touch Museum: A children's museum in Philadelphia focused on hands-on, play-based learning for young children. Comparable in mission, programming approach, and reliance on admissions/memberships, though operating in a larger urban market.
• Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The world's largest children's museum, operating extensive hands-on exhibits and S.T.E.A.M.-focused programming. Highly comparable in product category and educational methodology, but at enterprise scale several orders of magnitude larger.
• Madison Children's Museum: An independent children's museum emphasizing hands-on exhibits, S.T.E.A.M. programming, and outreach to schools. Comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and mission, with similar reliance on admissions, memberships, and donor support.
• EcoTarium: A regional science and nature museum in Worcester, MA offering hands-on indoor and outdoor exhibits for families. Comparable in combining indoor interactive exhibits with an outdoor nature exploration component similar to CME's Wild Place.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Science, Boston: A major science museum in Boston with extensive S.T.E.A.M.-focused exhibits and educational programming. Overlaps with CME's S.T.E.A.M. mission and family audience but operates at substantially larger scale and as part of a broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Capron Park Zoo: A small regional zoo and family attraction in Attleboro, MA. Competes for family visit occasions within the same southeastern Massachusetts trade area, though with a different core product (animals vs. interactive exhibits).
• New Bedford Whaling Museum: A cultural institution in southeastern Massachusetts offering educational programming and exhibits for families and school groups. Comparable as a regional nonprofit cultural/educational destination competing for similar family and school field-trip audiences.

Others

• Association of Children's Museums: The professional industry association for children's museums globally, of which CME is a member. Relevant as an ecosystem/network peer providing best practices, advocacy, and programming resources to children's museums of all sizes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/cmeaston
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensmuseumineaston
• Instagraminstagram.com/childmuseaston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-childrens-museum-of-easton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about children's museum