2025-11-14T01:49:26-00:00 2024-12-31 990 2024-01-01 621509462 Creative Discovery Museum CREA 4237852054 321 Chestnut Street PO Box 6339 Chattanooga TN 37402 Gordon A Stalans CFO 4237852054 2025-05-06 false 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Gordon A Stalans 321 Chestnut Street PO Box 6339 Chattanooga TN 37402 5502987 false X www.cdmfun.org X 1992 TN To inspire all children to explore, innovate, create, and play. 17 17 100 534 0 1957084 2177111 3167278 3020991 10308 36460 154363 158825 5289033 5393387 0 0 2758524 2771380 0 141982 3129010 3670619 5887534 6441999 -598501 -1048612 25077546 23587316 4493626 3466577 20583920 20120739 To inspire all children to explore, innovate, create, and play. false false 3144340 The Creative Discovery Museum uses proven, evidence-based principles to engage the senses, inspire exploration and ignite childrens passion for learning. While some guests may view a visit to the Museum as merely a fun outing, research has long proven that play is the work of childhood. Through play children gain mental, physical, and social skills necessary to succeed in their adult lives. In 2024 the Museum served over 280,000 individuals through museum visits, educational programs, free and reduced-price admissions and much more. 1623158 The Museum achieves its mission first through its permanent exhibition prgram focusing on arts, sciences, early childhood, health, and the environment as well as through traveling exhibits that complement and supplement the education content of its core exhibits. CDM traditionally offers a wide array of education programs within the museum that complement and enhance the exhibits including science theater demonstrations, infant and toddler development classes, home school workshops, summer camps, a teen volunteer program, inclusive activities for children with special needs, art performances and demonstrations, special event days, and walk-in activities. Additionally, CDM supports local schools with a variety of education programs including school tours at the museum, school outreach lessons, and family nights as well as professional development workshops for teachers. In 2024 the museum served over 49,000 students through school 100000 The Museum is committed to being a welcome space for all children and families. The Museum hosts ten free nights per year serving 5,000 individuals. Last year more than 10,000 visitors took advantage of the Museums for All program which allows anyone with an EBT or food stamp card to purchase admission for 5. CDM also provides free admission and partner memberships for a range of non-profit organizations such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Ronald McDonald House. CDM hosts a variety of inclusion programs such as six free sensory-friendly nights per year and the accessible Turquoise Trail Halloween event that engages over 50 volunteers and 200 guests of all abilities. The Museum hosted Club Discovery, an inclusive after-school program designed to provide a framework to explore the world in a safe environment for children with and without special needs, and a Friend Discovery Camp, a summer camp similar to Club Discovery for three weeks 4867498 true true false false false false false false false true true true false false false true true false false false false false false true true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 26 0 true 100 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 17 17 false true false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false TN X X X Gordon Stalans 4237852054 201 Chestnut Street Chattanooga TN 37402 Tim Sears President and CEO 040.00 X 173415 0 20652 Taylor Vinson Board Chair 008.00 X X 0 0 0 Christie Burbank Secretary 004.00 X X 0 0 0 Trey White Treasurer 004.00 X X 0 0 0 Thomas Barnes Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Betsy Cake Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Mickey Cloud Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Lisa Connor Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Mario Duarte Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Jay Hill Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Bailey Howard Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Patrick Keegan Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Christopher Reneau Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Patrick Stowe Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Caitlin Studer Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Dori Waller Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Walton Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 Kristin Watts Trustee 002.00 X 0 0 0 173415 20652 1 false true false The Counts Company 102 Cedar Lane Chattanooga TN 37421 Construction services 471965 Tennessee Aquarium One Broad Street Chattanooga TN 37402 Management services 185585 2 638499 2005 757929 778678 2177111 Admissions 712110 2344796 2344796 Education program fees 712110 517102 517102 Auxiliary services 712110 159093 159093 3020991 36460 36460 22020 908 21112 21112 21112 246405 2005 108692 137713 137713 5393387 3020991 195285 0 0 0 0 173415 34683 69366 69366 0 2146337 1818474 294230 33633 96671 90238 6433 190030 24261 165145 624 164927 131988 25364 7575 130000 130000 10075 10075 33077 33077 0 0 152171 140247 11873 51 121826 16550 105276 191682 168495 23187 90920 2084 84836 4000 0 289174 150790 138384 21764 21651 56 57 0 54361 21316 32506 539 127411 127411 0 1805464 1744358 61106 38661 38661 Exhibit costs 143980 143980 Repairs Maintenance 143042 143042 Program costs 60533 39923 18336 2274 Financial service costs 100091 100091 156387 9346 123178 23863 6441999 4867498 1432519 141982 737479 110375 99851 104154 1413994 932106 55643 419554 64118 150844 32870800 17153414 17071152 15717386 465481 889087 5169828 5263810 25077546 23587316 680560 413735 400635 358988 3412431 2693854 4493626 3466577 X 13705273 14480142 6878647 5640597 20583920 20120739 25077546 23587316 -1048612 585431 X X false true X true false X 4144629 4175520 4091456 1957084 2177111 16545800 4144629 4175520 4091456 1957084 2177111 16545800 16545800 8910 17313 31551 48766 58480 165020 16710820 10975804 0.99010 0.99290 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED false 5635500 617571 100000 6153071 5228518 606982 200000 5635500 6936521 4831 -1387737 325097 5228518 6678073 533363 274915 6936521 5660495 2500 1186110 171032 6678073 0.07000 0.93000 false false 117436 117436 20834325 10905327 9928998 2030 2030 10478934 6040039 4438895 1438075 206018 1232057 15717386 5263810 F Financial derivatives and other financial products Closely-held equity interests 5263810 F 5263810 Federal income taxes 5990027 585431 -98391 487040 5502987 -109600 -109600 5393387 6453208 -98391 -98391 6551599 -109600 -109600 6441999 XI 2d Bad debt expense and discount adjustment on pledges. XI 4b Rental expense reported on Part VIII, Line 6b - 908, fundraising expense reported on Part VIII, Line 8b - 108,692. XII 2d Bad debt expense and discount adjustment on pledges. XII 4b Rental expense reported on Part VIII, Line 6b - 908, fundraising expense reported on Part VIII, Line 8b - 108,692. X X X X X X X false Amuseum 203559 2005 201554 1918 23277 9869 62154 Drink and Discover 14950 14950 3825 2 29901 29901 7649 248410 2005 246405 1918 23277 9869 73628 108692 137713 X X X X false false false false false false false false false Tim Sears President and CEO 173415 20652 194067 Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 2 The museums accounting, finance, IT, and a substantial portion of its HR services are provided by the Tennessee Aquarium. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11 The Form 990 is distributed to the Board electronically before it is filed. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15a The museums executive committee determines compensation for the executive director by gathering comparative data from multiple sources. Salaries of other management staff are governed by a salary management program and a compensation survey performed by a third party. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 19 The museum makes governing documents including its conflict of interest policy and whistleblower policy available upon request. The museums financial statements are made available on its website, on third party websites, and upon request. Form 990, Part XII, Section 2, Line C The oversight process did not change.