Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only U.S. Congress-designated national museum dedicated to preserving African American baseball history, serving the general public, schools, and corporate clients via on-site exhibits, traveling exhibitions, digital content, retail, licensing, and signature events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersKansas City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Negro Leagues Baseball Museum does
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 and based in Kansas City, Missouri's Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District — two blocks from the Paseo YMCA where Andrew 'Rube' Foster established the Negro National League in 1920. NLBM is the only national museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating African American baseball history, holding a U.S. Congressional national designation granted in 2006. Its core offering is a self-guided museum tour built around exhibits including the Field of Legends (13 life-size bronze statues of Hall of Famers) integrated with hundreds of photographs, artifacts, and film exhibits. The institution operates six revenue streams: paid admission ($20 adults, $12 children), a five-tier membership program ($25–$1,000 annually), the Extra Innings Gift Shop (physical and Shopify-powered online retail), a licensing program for authentic Negro Leagues team IP marks, facility rentals of the Field of Legends event space, and signature events (Hall of Game, Jazz & Jackie concert, Heart of America Hot Dog Festival), supplemented by donations and grants.
Beyond the physical site, NLBM distributes content through five traveling exhibitions (booking fees $2,500–$20,000), bilingual digital exhibits (Negro Leagues Béisbol, Barrier Breakers), the 22-episode STORIED video series produced with Pro Athlete Inc., the Black Diamonds podcast, the Undeniable animated series with MLB, and teacher resources. Customers span the general public, K–12 educational institutions, and corporate event clients; major institutional supporters include Bank of America ($1M grant), the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation ($2M grant), Republic Services Charitable Foundation, the Kansas City Royals Foundation, Hy-Vee, and Boulevard Brewing. The museum is currently executing a $30M capital campaign ('The Legacy Plays On') to build a new 30,000 sq ft facility at 18th & Vine and a 40,000+ sq ft Buck O'Neil Education & Research Center in the historic Paseo YMCA, roughly tripling its physical footprint from the existing 10,000 sq ft site.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- Legal name
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- Website
- https://nlbm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only U.S. Congress-designated national museum dedicated to preserving African American baseball history, serving the general public, schools, and corporate clients via on-site exhibits, traveling exhibitions, digital content, retail, licensing, and signature events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Heritage Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110), Museums (71211), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel) (CRAMAOAF)
Keywords
Where Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase admission tickets for self-guided museum tours. Adults and seniors pay $20, children ages 5-12 pay $12, children 0-4 are free. Active military receive free admission. Tickets are valid for 30 days from purchase date.
- Membership Program: Annual membership tiers including Major-Leaguer ($25), All-Star ($50), MVP ($100), Hall of Fame ($500), and Legacy Team ($1,000). Benefits include free admission for one year, merchandise discounts, and advance event notices.
- Retail Merchandise Sales: The Extra Innings Gift Shop sells officially licensed merchandise including apparel, caps, jerseys, baseballs, and specialty items through the online store and physical location. Products include Kansas City Monarchs items and NLBM branded merchandise.
- Licensing Royalties: The museum operates a licensing program featuring authentic IP marks and retro logos of various Negro Leagues teams. Companies pay royalties based on percentage of sales to use licensed marks on products including caps, jerseys, shirts, jackets, blankets, and coffee mugs.
- Facility Rentals: The Field of Legends venue is available for private events including corporate events, meetings, after-hour functions, and private parties. The museum provides bar service through its liquor license and requires a $250 non-refundable deposit to reserve dates.
- Donations and Grants: As a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the museum receives donations, corporate grants, and sponsorships. Notable grants include Bank of America ($1M), MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation ($2M), and Republic Services Charitable Foundation ($100,000).
- Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Special events including the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival ($35-$125 tickets), Jazz & Jackie concerts ($35-$50), and Hall of Game ceremonies generate revenue through ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Adults and Seniors $20, Children 5-12 $12 |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership tiers from $25 to $1,000 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Traveling exhibition booking fees ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Heart of America Hot Dog Festival tickets $35-$125 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a nonprofit cultural institution that operates a self-guided museum tour in Kansas City's Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, preserving and interpreting the history of African-American baseball through physical exhibits, photographs, artifacts, and films. Beyond the core museum tour, the NLBM books five national traveling exhibitions to other museums and institutions, publishes bilingual digital exhibitions and a 22-episode video series (STORIED), and operates the Extra Innings Gift Shop retail store and a licensing program for authentic Negro Leagues IP marks.
Product overview
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) operates as a multi-faceted cultural institution offering a combination of physical museum experiences, traveling exhibitions, digital educational resources, and retail operations. The core offering is the self-guided museum tour experience featuring exhibits including the Field of Legends with bronze statues of Hall of Famers. The institution's portfolio includes five traveling exhibits (Discover Greatness, Negro Leagues Béisbol, Shades of Greatness, Buck O'Neil: Right On Time, and Barrier Breakers), digital exhibitions (STORIED, Barrier Breakers digital, Negro Leagues Béisbol digital), educational programs (Undeniable animated series, Black Diamonds podcast, Teacher Resources), and the Buck O'Neil Education & Research Center expansion project. Supporting operations include membership programs with five tiers, an official licensing program for Negro Leagues IP, the Extra Innings Gift Shop for branded merchandise, and signature events including the Hall of Game, Jazz & Jackie concert, and Heart of America Hot Dog Festival.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NLBM Extra Innings Gift Shop: The museum's official retail store selling officially licensed Negro Leagues merchandise including apparel, headwear, jerseys, books, and specialty items.
Products and services
- Museum Self-Guided Tour Experience Self-guided museum tour featuring text panels, hundreds of photographs, artifacts, and several film exhibits integrated with a timeline of baseball and African-American history, anchored by the Field of Legends exhibit with 13 life-size bronze statues of Negro Leagues Hall of Famers. Tickets: Adults/Seniors $20, Children 5-12 $12, Children 0-4 free, active military free.
- Field of Legends Event Space Rental Rental of the Field of Legends venue at the museum for corporate events, meetings, after-hour functions, and private parties, with bar service available through the museum's liquor license. Reservations require a $250 non-refundable deposit.
- Discover Greatness Traveling Exhibit National traveling exhibition providing an illustrated history of the Negro Leagues for 8-week display periods at museums and cultural institutions. Booking fee of $5,000 plus shipping and handling.
- Negro Leagues Béisbol Traveling Exhibit Traveling exhibition honoring and exploring connections of African-American baseball history to Hispanic cultures, communities, and countries. Booking fee of $7,500 plus shipping and handling.
- Shades of Greatness Traveling Exhibit First-ever collaborative professional art exhibit inspired by Negro Leagues Baseball, featuring 35 original works by 28 diverse professional artists. Booking fee of $15,000 plus shipping and handling.
- Buck O'Neil: Right On Time Traveling Exhibit Traveling exhibition chronicling the remarkable life and times of Negro Leagues legend John 'Buck' O'Neil, adapted from his biography 'I Was Right on Time.' 6-8 week display. Booking fee of $2,500 plus shipping and handling.
- Barrier Breakers Traveling Exhibit Traveling exhibition chronicling baseball's integration pioneers from Jackie Robinson to Pumpsie Green, examining WWII's role in integration. Booking fee of $20,000 plus shipping and handling.
- Negro Leagues Béisbol Digital Exhibition Bilingual digital companion to the permanent and traveling exhibitions exploring connections of African-American baseball history to Latin cultures, communities, and countries.
- STORIED Digital Video Series 22-episode series about the history of the Negro Leagues told by NLBM President Bob Kendrick, produced in partnership with Pro Athlete Inc.
- Barrier Breakers Digital Exhibition Virtual exhibition chronicling baseball's integration pioneers, highlighting obstacles players of color faced and how their talent changed MLB and America.
- NLBM Membership Program Annual membership program with tiers Major-Leaguer ($25), All-Star ($50), MVP ($100), Hall of Fame ($500), and Legacy Team ($1,000). Benefits include free admission for one year, merchandise discounts, advance event notices, and tier-specific gift items.
- Negro Leagues Licensing Program Licensing of authentic IP marks and retro logos of various Negro Leagues teams to manufacturers for use on caps, jerseys, shirts, jackets, blankets, coffee mugs, and similar merchandise. Companies pay royalties based on percentage of sales.
- Extra Innings Gift Shop Official NLBM retail store (physical location at museum plus online storefront) selling NLBM branded merchandise and officially licensed Negro Leagues team products including apparel, headwear, jerseys, books, and specialty items.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 2 million visitors welcomed since 1997
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Sports hall-of-fame museum in Canton, OH built on admissions, events, and licensing. Comparable sports-specialty museum operating model.
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Basketball museum combining exhibits, events, and retail. Comparable sports-specialty cultural institution with similar revenue mix.
- Jackie Robinson Museum: NYC museum dedicated to Jackie Robinson and Black baseball/civil rights history. Closely overlaps in subject matter, mission, and donor-funded museum model.
- Negro Southern League Museum: Birmingham museum preserving Negro Leagues and Southern Black baseball history. Nearly identical subject focus and nonprofit exhibition model, in a different city.
- National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: The premier baseball museum in Cooperstown, NY, preserving and exhibiting baseball history. Directly comparable as a baseball-focused, admissions-and-membership-driven cultural institution.
- National Civil Rights Museum: Memphis museum interpreting African American history and civil rights. Strong thematic overlap with NLBM's civil-rights-through-sports mission and nonprofit funding model.
- Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: Baseball-themed museum and attraction with admissions and retail. Comparable baseball-focused visitor experience with merchandising.
Regional players
- Hockey Hall of Fame: Toronto-based sport-specialty museum monetizing admissions, events, and merchandise. Same museum category but serves a different sport and geography.
Broad incumbents
- International Tennis Hall of Fame: Sport-specific hall-of-fame museum with exhibits, events, and licensing. Comparable single-sport heritage institution model.
- National Museum of African American History and Culture: Smithsonian institution covering broad African American history including sports. Overlaps thematically but as a far larger, government-affiliated general museum.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum social profiles
Digital presenceNegro Leagues Baseball Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
What does Negro Leagues Baseball Museum do?
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is a nonprofit cultural institution that operates a self-guided museum tour in Kansas City's Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, preserving and interpreting the history of African-American baseball through physical exhibits, photographs, artifacts, and films. Beyond the core museum tour, the NLBM books five national traveling exhibitions to other museums and institutions, publishes bilingual digital exhibitions and a 22-episode video series (STORIED), and operates the Extra Innings Gift Shop retail store and a licensing program for authentic Negro Leagues IP marks.
Is Negro Leagues Baseball Museum a public or private company?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Negro Leagues Baseball Museum founded?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Negro Leagues Baseball Museum based?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is headquartered in Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Negro Leagues Baseball Museum make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Admission Tickets are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, retail Merchandise Sales, licensing Royalties, facility Rentals, donations and Grants and event Tickets and Sponsorships.
Who are Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pro Football Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Jackie Robinson Museum, Negro Southern League Museum, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, National Civil Rights Museum and Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Hockey Hall of Fame is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are International Tennis Hall of Fame and National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Does Negro Leagues Baseball Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
What industry is Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's product category is Sports Heritage Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAF, Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film), with a secondary code of CRAMAOAF, Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7990.