Museums, Zoos & Parks Industry Profile

Companies in this industry operate museums, historical sites, zoos, botanical gardens, parks and other institutions focused on preserving and exhibiting works of cultural or natural significance. Major US museums include the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian (National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, and National Air and Space Museum). Top US zoos include Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago), San Diego Zoo, and St. Louis Zoo.

Major institutions based outside the US include the Musée du Louvre in Paris; Beijing's National Museum of China; and London's British Museum, National Gallery, and Tate Modern. According to the Museums of the World 2020 Directory published by De Gruyter Saur, there are 55,000 museum establishments in more than 200 countries worldwide. This industry also includes an estimated 10,000 zoos and aquariums, according to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The US museums, zoos, and parks industry includes about 7,600 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $20 billion. Establishments in the US industry include about 5,100 museums, 1,100 historical parks, 650 zoos and botanical gardens, and 665 nature parks and similar institutions.

Most institutions in the industry are nonprofits. Historical sites and parks are often operated by federal, state, local, and tribal government entities.