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Cave Creek Museum

Cave Creek, AZ · EIN 942404270 · Form 990 · FY2022 · NTEE A540 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · cavecreekmuseum.org
revenue
$263K
expenses
$221K
net assets
$801K
employees
2
volunteers
40
program ratio
49%
mission · from form 990

To provide a museum open to the public for the purpose of displaying and preserving historical, western and Native American artifacts.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Cave Creek Museum preserves and shares the history of Cave Creek, Arizona through exhibits, educational programs, and the Local Landmarks initiative. The museum honors historic buildings and cultural sites with storytelling plaques and an interactive map, fostering community engagement with local heritage. It serves residents, visitors, and schools by connecting them to the town’s pioneer past and desert environment.

named programs · 2 · from sources

what they call their work

Landmark Passport Program
Encourages exploration of 10+ Local Landmarks through a scavenger-hunt style activity; participants receive souvenirs after completing site visits and answering questions
Local Landmarks Program
Recognizes historic buildings and cultural sites in Cave Creek with bronze plaques and digital storytelling via an interactive map; includes a passport program for visitors to explore 23 designated landmarks
activities · 10 groups

what they do

  • Historic Mining & Mineral Exhibits 13 activities
    • Conduct "Gold Fever Jeep Adventure" tours
      Conducts "Gold Fever Jeep Adventure" tours to educate participants about Arizona's gold mining history.
    • Conduct Gold Fever Jeep Adventure tours
      Offers “Gold Fever Jeep Adventure” tours that educate participants about Arizona’s gold mining history through guided off-road excursions.
    • Conduct gold mining experience programs
      Conducts monthly "AZ Gold Mining Experience" programs that demonstrate the complete hard rock ore extraction process, including a mine shaft, tramway, ore carts, and crushing and extraction systems, using Arizona’s only fully functional ten-stamp ore crushing mill.
    • Conducting Gold Fever Jeep Adventure tours
      Conducts "Gold Fever Jeep Adventure" tours to educate participants about Arizona's gold mining history.
    • Conducting historical jeep tours
      Conducts "Gold Fever Jeep Adventure" tours to educate participants about Arizona's gold mining history.
    • Demonstrating historical mining processes
      Operates a complete hard rock ore extraction process display, including a mine shaft, tramway, ore carts, and crushing and extraction systems, during scheduled events. This includes Arizona’s only fully functional ten-stamp ore crushing mill, which uses ten 1,000-pound stamps to crush ore into fine gravel.
    • Demonstrating historical mining processes
      Operates a complete hard rock ore extraction process display, including a mine shaft, tramway, ore carts, and crushing and extraction systems, and Arizona’s only fully functional ten-stamp ore crushing mill, during scheduled events and as part of the monthly "AZ Gold Mining Experience."
    • Host the Arizona Gold Mining Experience™
      Hosts a ticketed monthly "AZ Gold Mining Experience" program on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 am, demonstrating the complete hard rock ore extraction process including mine shaft, tramway, ore carts, crushing, and extraction systems.
    • Hosting the Arizona Gold Mining Experience program
      Hosts a monthly ticketed educational program, "The AZ Gold Mining Experience," which demonstrates the hard rock ore extraction process.
    • Offer hands-on gold panning and school tour programs
      Provides a hands-on gold-panning station where visitors and students learn historic ore and mineral panning techniques from docents; offers free school tours for students and chaperones Monday through Thursday, including gold panning as part of the curriculum.
    • Offering gold panning experiences
      Offers a hands-on gold-panning station where visitors learn historic ore and mineral panning techniques from docents, including during school tours.
    • Operate Arizona’s only fully functional ten-stamp ore crushing mill
      Operates and maintains Arizona’s only fully functional ten-stamp ore crushing mill, using ten 1,000-pound stamps to crush ore, located within 5 miles of its original site and featured during public demonstrations.
    • Providing gold panning experiences
      Offers a hands-on gold-panning station where visitors, including students on school tours, can learn historic ore and mineral panning techniques from docents.
  • Metalworking & Lapidary Craft Education 4 activities
    • Conduct live blacksmith shop demonstrations
      Operates a working blacksmith shop and conducts live demonstrations showcasing historic metalworking techniques as part of the museum's outdoor exhibits.
    • Conducting blacksmithing demonstrations
      Conducts live blacksmith shop demonstrations showcasing historic metalworking techniques.
    • Hosting Family Fun Days: Fiber Fun Day
      Hosts "Family Fun Days: Fiber Fun Day" events where visitors can learn about felt sculpting using Churro sheep wool and try a spinning wheel.
    • Providing historical craft demonstrations
      Conducts live blacksmith shop demonstrations showcasing historic metalworking techniques and hosts "Family Fun Days" where visitors can learn about felt sculpting and try a spinning wheel.
  • Family & Children's Hands-On Learning Events 4 activities
    • Host family and children’s educational programs
      Offers monthly and recurring educational programs for children and families, including “Preschool Pioneers” (ages 3–5) with storytelling, music, and exploration; “Rosie and the Rustlers” featuring rope tying and western activities; and “Family Fun Days” on themes like fiber arts and wildlife.
    • Hosting educational programs for children and families
      Hosts educational events and monthly programs for families and preschool-aged children, including storytelling, movement, music, exploration of museum artifacts, rope tying, western activities, and programs focused on wildlife and the environment.
    • Offering educational programs for children
      Offers various educational programs for children, including a monthly program for preschool-aged children with storytelling, movement, music, and artifact exploration, and a "Rosie and the Rustlers" program featuring rope tying and western activities to teach about ranch life.
    • Provide educational programs for children and families
      Hosts educational events and programs for families and preschool-aged children, including storytelling, movement, music, exploration of artifacts, rope tying, western activities, and programs focused on wildlife and environmental understanding.
  • Guided and Self-Guided Museum Tours 4 activities
    • Offer docent-guided and group tours
      Provides docent-guided group tours for groups of 10 or more year-round and familiarizes guests with exhibits during public programs and school tours.
    • Offer guided tours
      Provides docent-guided tours for groups of 10 or more people year-round, including free school tours for students and chaperones.
    • Offering docent-guided group and school tours
      Offers docent-guided group tours for groups of 10 or more people year-round and provides free school tours for students and chaperones Monday through Thursday, familiarizing guests with the museum and its exhibits.
    • Providing guided tours
      Offers docent-guided group tours for groups of 10 or more people year-round and provides free school tours for students and chaperones Monday through Thursday.
  • Museum Exhibits & Collections Stewardship 3 activities
    • Document and share local history
      Documents and shares historical information about the Cave Creek area, including prehistoric Hohokam people, local figures, the first post office and school, and significant historical events, through presentations and exhibits.
    • Documenting and sharing local history
      Highlights historical information about the prehistoric Hohokam, local figures, the establishment of the first Cave Creek Post Office, the Wickenburg Massacre, Fort McDowell, Arizona's territorial history, and the first Cave Creek school, through presentations and exhibits.
    • Providing historical information and presentations
      Provides historical information and hosts presentations on various local and regional topics, including the prehistoric Hohokam people, local figures like Catherine J. Jones, the establishment of the first Cave Creek Post Office, the Wickenburg Massacre, the history of Fort McDowell, Arizona's territorial history, and the first Cave Creek school.
  • Memorial Development & Installation 2 activities
    • Develop the Veterans' Memory Garden
      Is developing Cave Creek's Veterans' Memory Garden, which will include six areas dedicated to each branch of the military and a seventh area honoring local Cave Creek veterans.
    • Developing a Veterans' Memory Garden
      Is developing Cave Creek's Veterans' Memory Garden, which will include six areas dedicated to each military branch and a seventh for Cave Creek veterans.
  • Member-Focused Newsletter Publishing 2 activities
    • Distributing a monthly newsletter
      Distributes a free monthly digital newsletter covering local history, exhibits, events, and museum store updates.
    • Produce and distribute monthly newsletters
      Distributes a free monthly digital and print newsletter covering local history, current exhibits, upcoming events, and museum store updates.
  • Raptor and Wildlife Education Programs 2 activities
    • Host wildlife and environmental education programs
      Hosts “Wild At Heart” and “Family Fun Days: Wild at Heart” programs to foster understanding, respect, and compassion for wildlife and the environment, educating adults on urban wildlife and helping children engage with nature.
    • Providing wildlife and environmental education
      Hosts educational events and "Wild At Heart" programs for families and adults focused on fostering understanding, respect, and compassion for wildlife and the environment, including education on urban wildlife and engaging children with nature.
  • Historic House Museum Operations 1 activity
    • Operate museum with seasonal public access and accessibility features
      Operates a museum open to the public from October 1 to May 31, with specific weekday and weekend hours, and provides handicap accessibility including a back entrance pathway, designated parking, and a handicap-accessible bathroom.
  • Uncategorized 9 activities
    • Offer hands-on historical demonstrations
      Offers hands-on demonstrations such as gold panning, blacksmithing, and fiber arts (felt sculpting, spinning wheel) to educate visitors about historical techniques and practices.
    • Operate a historical museum
      Operates a museum open to the public from October through May, providing access to historical and archaeological collections and outdoor exhibits including artifacts from Cave Creek’s mining and agricultural history, a historic church, and a nationally registered tubercular cabin.
    • Operate the Local Landmarks program
      Operates the Local Landmarks program, which identifies iconic buildings and spaces in Cave Creek, marks them with bronze plaques, provides an interactive storytelling map, and offers a passport program for participants to visit locations and learn about their history.
    • Operating a historical museum
      Operates a museum open to the public from October through May, providing access to historical and archaeological collections and outdoor exhibits including artifacts from Cave Creek’s mining and agricultural history, a historic church, and a nationally registered tubercular cabin. The museum also maintains historic buildings, a working blacksmith shop, and Arizona's only operational ten-stamp mill.
    • Operating a historical museum
      Operates a museum open to the public from October through May, providing access to historical and archaeological collections and outdoor exhibits, including artifacts from Cave Creek’s mining and agricultural history, a historic church, and a nationally registered tubercular cabin.
    • Operating the Local Landmarks program
      Identifies iconic buildings and spaces in Cave Creek, marking them with bronze plaques and an interactive storytelling map, and offers a Local Landmarks Passport program for community engagement.
    • Operating the Local Landmarks program
      Operates the Local Landmarks program, which identifies iconic buildings and spaces in Cave Creek, marks them with bronze plaques, and provides an interactive storytelling map and a passport program for participants to visit locations and receive "swag."
    • Provide access to historical collections and outdoor exhibits
      Operates a public museum from October through May with exhibits on Cave Creek’s mining and agricultural history, including artifacts, a historic church, a nationally registered tubercular cabin, and displays on the Hohokam, Fort McDowell, the Wickenburg Massacre, and local figures like “Cattle Kate.”
    • Run the Local Landmarks program with plaques and passport initiative
      Operates the Local Landmarks program that identifies iconic buildings and spaces in Cave Creek, marks them with bronze plaques, provides dedicated story pages, and offers a passport program where participants visit 10 locations, answer questions, and receive swag upon completion.
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$263K
Contributions & grants$211K80%
Program service revenue$30K11%
Investment income$2K1%
Other revenue$21K
expenses
Total expenses$221K
Program expenses49%
Admin / overhead42%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$90K
Grants paid out$200
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$801K
Cash$418K
Investments$100K
Liabilities$0
Net assets$801K
Liquid reserves28.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue -8.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

board members · 5
  • Brandon Hamilton — Board Member
  • Chris Kempster — Board Member
  • Colin Columna — Board Member
  • Marcia DAlessandro — Board Member
  • Steve Greenberg — Board Member
relationships · 20

who they work with

  • Act One Partner — Partners on the Culture Pass program to provide free access to arts and culture museums for families with limited financial capacity.
  • American Legion Post 34 Partner — Collaborating on the Veterans' Memory Garden project.
  • Black Mountain Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution Partner — Collaborating on the Veterans' Memory Garden project.
  • Cave Creek Visitor Bureau Partner — Passport pickup location for the Local Landmarks program.
  • Frank and Hazel Wright Funder — Donated land for the Cave Creek Museum site.
  • Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church Funder — Donated a historical church building which was relocated to the museum site.
  • Kiwanis Partner — Participates in Kiwanis Family Fun Days.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides financial support for the "Preschool Pioneers" program, making it free to attendees.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides financial support for the "Preschool Pioneers" program.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides financial support for the Preschool Pioneers program.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides funding that enables free admission to the Kiwanis Family Fun Days events at the museum.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides generous funding for "Family Fun Days: Wild at Heart" programs.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides generous funding for the "Wild At Heart" program, making it free to attendees.
  • Kiwanis Club of Carefree Funder — Provides generous support for "Family Fun Days: Fiber Fun Day" events.
  • Maricopa County public libraries Partner — Partners on the Culture Pass program to provide free access to arts and culture museums for families with limited financial capacity.
  • Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM) Network — Member of a network of museums extending reciprocal free admission benefits to over 200 member museums.
  • Tech 4 Life Partner — Handcrafted the museum's website.
  • Tech 4 Life Partner — Website handcrafted by Tech 4 Life
  • Tech 4 Life Partner — Website handcrafted by Tech 4 Life.
  • Tech 4 Life Partner — Website handcrafting and development support