Museum American Finance
Brief
The Museum of American Finance, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the nation’s only independent museum dedicated to finance and financial history, announced a major milestone in 2025 – the establishment of a new exhibit headquarters in Boston, MA, set to open on July 1, 2026. This marks the Museum’s first permanent exhibit space since its former home in New York City was damaged by a flood in 2018.
As the Museum’s long-time communications partner, Vested provided pro bono marketing and communications support for this significant announcement. Our team also leads the Museum’s Communications Advisory Board, playing a key role in shaping and sharing its story with the world.
Approach
Boston, as one of the country’s major financial centers, was the ideal location for the Museum’s new space and a natural focus for our media strategy. The new location on Commonwealth Pier, a prominent mixed-use waterfront development in the city’s fast-growing Seaport District, is not only historically significant but also offers proximity to financial institutions, educational partners, and a thriving community of innovators.
We leveraged these strategic elements in crafting a communications plan that emphasized both the Museum’s return to a physical space and its deeper connection to the Boston community. The Museum’s collection includes artifacts tied to the city’s financial history, making the announcement particularly resonant for local audiences.
To launch the news, we secured an exclusive with The Boston Globe, ensuring maximum visibility in both print and online formats. Following the exclusive, we broadened our outreach to secure widespread coverage across local and national outlets, highlighting the Museum’s mission, future programming, and new home.
Result
The announcement generated significant media attention, beginning with an exclusive in The Boston Globe that set the tone for widespread coverage. From there, we secured placements in more than eight additional outlets, including top-tier local and national publications such as WCVB (ABC-TV), Boston.com, WBUR (NPR Boston), The Patriot Ledger, PYMNTS.com, WHDH (Channel 7 News Boston), and CoinsWeekly. Altogether, the campaign reached an estimated audience of approximately 14 million, successfully reintroducing the Museum to the public and establishing strong awareness of its new home in Boston’s Seaport District.
Execution
