National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Name

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Legal name

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Website

https://freedomcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

History Museum and Cultural Education Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Museums (712110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• History museum exhibits
• Social justice education
• Cultural heritage programming
• Abolition and slavery studies
• Community engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase tickets for museum admission at standard rates for adults, seniors, and children. Revenue is generated per visit on a per-person basis.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership programs offering unlimited general admission, discounts on purchases, and exclusive access to programming. Valid for 12 months with auto-renewal options.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations, planned giving, foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and commemorative funds (e.g., Verneida I. Britton Memorial Fund). Donations are tax-deductible.
4. Private Events and Facility Rentals: Event space rentals and catering for private events, corporate functions, and community gatherings.
5. Freedom Store Retail: On-site gift shop selling merchandise, books, and educational materials.
6. Group Bookings and Field Trips: Discounted group rates for adult groups and K-12 school field trips with minimum guest requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center operates a museum of conscience and education center dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad and contemporary issues of slavery and human trafficking. Its core offerings include permanent and temporary exhibits on abolition and freedom, educational programming for schools and community groups, and visitor engagement experiences at its physical site.

Product overview

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum offering a diverse portfolio of products and services centered on social justice education and historical preservation. Its core offerings include general admission tickets and annual memberships providing access to seven permanent exhibitions (Brothers of the Borderland, ESCAPE! Freedom Seekers, From Slavery to Freedom, Invisible: Slavery Today, Suite for Freedom, The Slave Pen, The Struggle Continues, In This Place), rotating special exhibitions, and facility amenities. Educational programming comprises K-12 field trips with pre-visit materials and facilitator guides, educator resources including lesson plans and C3 inquiries, the Be The Conductor youth leadership program, and an extensive video library of discussions and lectures. Additional services include the John Parker Library and FamilySearch Center for genealogy research, audio tours, group bookings, and group rates. The museum also offers engagement opportunities through corporate partnerships, planned giving programs, and a Freedom Store. Combined tickets are available with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions and Visitor Admissions On-site museum experience featuring exhibits on the Underground Railroad, abolition, and contemporary slavery, available to the general public, families, school groups, and tourists through ticketed admission.
• Educational and Group Programming Curriculum-aligned and group-oriented educational experiences on freedom, abolition, and contemporary human rights topics, delivered on-site and through outreach to K-12 schools, colleges, and community organizations.
• Membership Program Recurring annual membership subscriptions providing supporters with benefits such as free or discounted admission and other member perks in exchange for ongoing contributions.
• Facility Rental and Event Hosting Rental of museum event spaces for private, corporate, and community events, generating service-fee revenue while leveraging the institution's distinctive setting.
• Museum Retail and Gift Shop On-site sales of books, apparel, and mission-related merchandise to museum visitors, supporting both visitor experience and contributed-revenue objectives.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FamilySearch / The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamilySearch Center sponsored and supported by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, providing free genealogy assistance and access to FamilySearch database with millions of records and partnerships with Ancestry, MyHeritage, and other genealogy websites.
• Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCombo ticket partnership allowing visitors to experience both museums. Located at Cincinnati Museum Center (1301 Western Avenue), tickets valid for 30 days after purchase.
• Cincinnati Museum CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational partnership sharing ticketing infrastructure, combined admission offerings, and joint membership benefits including 50% discount at Cincinnati Museum Center.
• Boeing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Brothers of the Borderland exhibition featuring Oprah Winfrey-narrated film about John Parker and Rev. John Rankin.
• American ExpressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of ESCAPE! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad exhibition.
• AT&TminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of ESCAPE! exhibition.
• Luxottica RetailminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of ESCAPE! exhibition.
• Fifth Third FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Suite for Freedom orientation film and Fifth Third Community Days providing free admission on select Sundays and MLK Day.
• Skirball FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor donor making Invisible: Slavery Today exhibition possible, along with Lois and Richard Rosenthal.
• Coca-Cola CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Struggle Continues exhibition.
• The Links IncorporatedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization partnered with Freedom Center's Youth Docent program, training opportunities for youth focused on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings.
• End Slavery Now / Anti-Slavery OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Free the Slaves, International Justice Mission, Polaris Project, and Goodweave in the Invisible: Slavery Today exhibition to highlight anti-slavery activities worldwide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of African American History and Culture (Smithsonian): Smithsonian national museum covering African American history including slavery, civil rights, and contemporary issues. Comparable as a national-scope cultural institution with ticketed admission, educational programming, donor/sponsor funding, and permanent exhibit collections — operates on a much larger federal scale.

Direct peers

• National Civil Rights Museum: Museum located at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis dedicated to the American civil rights movement. Directly comparable in mission (slavery-to-civil-rights narrative), single-site operation, K-12 field trip programming, group bookings, and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• The Legacy Museum (Equal Justice Initiative): EJI's Montgomery museum connecting slavery to mass incarceration with immersive exhibits and narrative-driven storytelling. Comparable as a mission-aligned history/social-justice museum with strong educational programming and foundation funding.
• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: Interpretive museum in Birmingham exploring the civil rights movement with permanent exhibits, K-12 educational programming, group tours, and donor-supported operations. Highly comparable in scale and visitor segments.
• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: Detroit-based museum of African American history with permanent exhibits tracing the African diaspora, slavery, and civil rights. Comparable nonprofit museum with similar admission/membership model, K-12 field trips, and educational programming focus.
• Whitney Plantation: Louisiana plantation museum dedicated exclusively to the history of slavery in the American South. Direct peer in mission, with site-based exhibits, guided tour model, and educational programming for schools.
• Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center: Cincinnati-based museum on genocide and human rights, directly bundled via combo tickets with the Freedom Center. Closest geographic peer and operational partner with overlapping donor base and visitor demographics.
• International Slavery Museum: Liverpool museum examining transatlantic slavery and its legacy, with permanent exhibits and educational programming. Comparable in mission (focus on slavery history) and educational programming format, though regionally focused on UK audiences.
• Museum of the African Diaspora: San Francisco museum exploring African diaspora history, culture, and contemporary issues. Comparable as a mid-sized nonprofit cultural institution with permanent exhibits, special exhibitions, educational programming, and donor-supported operations.
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture: Baltimore-based state museum of African American history with permanent and traveling exhibitions, K-12 educational programming, and group tour model. Comparable nonprofit museum with similar scale, visitor segments, and donor-funded operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FreedomCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-underground-railroad-freedom-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/freedomcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Underground Railroad Freedom Center