International Civil Rights Center & Museum

What International Civil Rights Center & Museum does

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM), operated by Sit-In Movement Inc., is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum located at the original F.W. Woolworth's building at 134 S. Elm Street in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the 1960 sit-ins began. The museum opened in 2010 and houses 35,000 square feet of exhibit space across 14 permanent galleries, anchored by the restored original lunch counter and supported by rotating special exhibits such as "Sit-In Nation" and "I Am A Man." Its core technology stack includes an Interactive Virtual Tour product that combines proprietary pre-recorded exhibit footage with live Zoom-based Q&A sessions led by senior docents, requiring a 25-participant minimum for remote learners.

The museum generates revenue through a diversified portfolio spanning admissions (on-site, virtual, and group tours priced $8-$20 per visitor), venue rentals across eight event spaces ($200-$1,000 per 3-hour minimum, with non-profit discounts), gift shop merchandise, corporate event sponsorships ($500-$10,000 tiers), and individual/corporate donations. Its go-to-market combines self-serve online booking via Bookeo for individuals and families, a Tour Coordinator-managed inside-sales process for groups of 10+ with 25% deposits, and earned-media-driven signature events including the annual Civil Rights Gala and Dr. George C. Simkins Jr. Memorial Golf Classic. Customer segments are K-12 schools/universities, individual tourists and families, corporate/social event clients, and corporate sponsors.

Strategic priorities include pursuing National Historic Landmark designation from the National Park Service — advanced unanimously by the Landmarks Committee on May 15, 2024 — and UNESCO World Heritage inscription, supported by the March 31, 2022 acquisition of the adjacent former First Citizens Bank Building at 100 South Elm Street for $5.5 million. The organization is led by CEO John Swaine, operates with a small professional staff, and has received significant public and philanthropic capital from Guilford County ($2M), the City of Greensboro ($2M), the State of North Carolina ($1M), and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation ($500K).

Name

International Civil Rights Center & Museum

Legal name

Sit-In Movement Inc.

Website

https://sitinmovement.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating at the Greensboro site of the 1960 sit-ins, offering guided tours, virtual programs, venue rentals, and signature fundraising events to individual visitors, schools, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural & Historical Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Civil rights museum
• Historical exhibits
• Guided educational tours
• Event venue rentals
• Civic education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admissions and Tour Fees: The museum generates revenue through tour admissions for on-site, virtual, and group visits at tiered pricing for adults and students.
2. Venue Rentals: The museum rents out multiple venue spaces including the Auditorium, Break-Out Area, Executive Boardroom, Changing Gallery, Classrooms, Joint Center, Citizen Square Patio, and Main Lobby for events, corporate meetings, weddings, and celebrations.
3. Donations and Grants: The museum is a private, self-sustaining 501(c)(3) organization that relies on donations, grant support, and sponsorship of programs and events to fund operations.
4. Gift Shop Sales: Revenue generated from the museum's online and on-site store selling clothing, merchandise, books, memorabilia, collectibles, and gift admissions.
5. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for the Civil Rights Gala and other events at various tiers including Walk of Courage ($1,500), Freedom Supporter ($2,500), Build America Better ($5,000), and Lunch Counter ($10,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The museum operates a 35,000 sq ft civil rights history exhibit anchored by the original F.W. Woolworth's lunch counter where the 1960 Greensboro sit-ins began, offering 14 permanent galleries and rotating special exhibits. It sells on-site and virtual guided tours, venue rentals across eight event spaces, an on-site/online gift shop, and annual fundraising events (Civil Rights Gala, Golf Classic), funded through admissions, rentals, sponsorships, donations, and grants as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Product overview

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum is a teaching landmark and museum (501(c)(3) non-profit) offering a unified portfolio of civil rights education experiences. The core product is its permanent galleries, 'The Battlegrounds' (14 exhibitions across 35,000 sq ft), anchored by the restored F.W. Woolworth's lunch counter. This is supported by multiple tour modalities: the Signature Staff-Guided Tour (gold-standard in-person experience), Seated Tour & Walkthrough (filmed + self-guided), Interactive Virtual Tour (Zoom-based with pre-recorded content), and SIMI Tour (K-2nd grade). The museum also generates revenue through venue rentals (8 distinct spaces with AV capabilities), annual events (Civil Rights Gala, Golf Classic), gift shop merchandise, and donation programs. A Guest Portal provides account management for visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Staff-Guided Tour On-site gold-standard small-group, fully staff-guided excursion through the entire permanent museum collection, including 'The Battlegrounds' galleries. Duration: 60-75 minutes. Adults: $20, K-12th grade: $15. For individual visitors and families up to 9 people.
• Seated Tour & Walkthrough On-site visit combining a filmed version of the staff-guided tour in the auditorium with a self-guided journey through museum galleries. Duration: 90-105 minutes. Adults: $15, K-12th grade: $10.
• Interactive Virtual Tour Online interactive virtual presentation combining pre-recorded exclusive museum footage with live Q&A with a senior museum docent via Zoom, tailored as a civic learning program. Duration: 90 minutes. Adults: $15, Students K-12th: $10. Minimum 25 participants required; minimum balance of $250 charged for groups of fewer than 25.
• SIMI (Sit-In Movement, Inc.) Tour Abbreviated on-site tour tailored for K-2nd grade students, including a story read by a docent/volunteer and a scavenger hunt of the galleries; Hall of Shame exhibit excluded by default. Duration: 60-90 minutes. Adults: $10, K-12th grade: $8. Not a walk-in offering; requires group scheduling.
• Venue Rental Services Rental of eight distinct museum spaces for corporate events, business retreats, conferences, weddings, and celebrations: Auditorium ($900 commercial / $700 non-profit for 3-hour min, 180 seats), Break-Out Area ($500 / $350, capacity 80), Executive Boardroom ($550 / $450, seats 20), Changing Gallery ($600 / $400, standing 100), Classrooms ($275 / $200, seats 35 each), Joint Center ($350 / $250, seats 15), Citizen Square Patio ($850 / $500), and Main Lobby ($1,000 / $800, standing 225). Includes AV equipment, table/chair rentals, and event planning services.
• The Battlegrounds (Permanent Galleries) 14 permanent exhibitions covering 35,000 sq ft of exhibit space featuring original artifacts, interactive exhibits, audio/video narratives, pictorial depictions, and video re-enactments spanning the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 onward. Includes the restored original F.W. Woolworth's lunch counter where the 1960 sit-ins began.
• Special Exhibits Rotating on-site and virtual exhibits including 'Sit-In Nation' (10 banners, sponsored by The Fresh Market), 'I Am A Man' (24 panels on Memphis sanitation workers' strike), 'March on Washington' (9 banners), and the virtual exhibit 'Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights'.
• Gift Shop / Museum Store On-site and online store offering ICRCM clothing, memorabilia, collectibles, books, and merchandise. Gift admissions and personalized gift vouchers also available for purchase.
• Civil Rights Gala Annual fundraising gala commemorating the Greensboro civil rights sit-ins. The 2026 gala marks the 66th Anniversary with theme 'Standing Up for Democracy.' Sponsorship tiers range from $1,500 (Walk of Courage) to $10,000 (Lunch Counter). Individual tickets: $150.
• Dr. George C. Simkins Jr. Memorial Golf Classic Annual fundraising golf tournament honoring Dr. George Simkins' civil rights legacy. 2026 event at Greensboro National (June 5). Early bird registration: $125 (by May 21), general: $150. Sponsorship tiers from $500 (Hole Sponsor) to $7,500 (Title Sponsor 'The Aces').

Quantifiable outcome

• The sit-in campaign launched from this site spread to 13 states and 55 cities within six months
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Fresh MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored the 'Sit-In Nation' special exhibit. The museum thanks Jason Potter and The Fresh Market for their generous support in promoting racial equity and strengthening community partnerships.
• International Coalition of Sites of ConscienceminorOthersThe museum is a member of this international coalition of sites dedicated to human rights education and conscience.
• American Alliance of MuseumsminorOthersThe museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, the largest museum services organization in the US.
• Association for the Study of African American Life and HistoryminorOthersThe museum is a member of this professional organization dedicated to preserving and promoting African American history and culture.
• Southeastern Museums ConferenceminorOthersThe museum is a member of this regional museums organization serving the southeastern United States.
• WUNC 91.5 (North Carolina Public Radio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorth Carolina Public Radio station WUNC 91.5 provides supplemental messaging of support and listings on their website for the museum.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Motown Museum: The Motown Museum in Detroit is an emerging peer with thematic overlap: a single-site cultural heritage museum housed at a historic location (Hitsville U.S.A.), offering guided tours, group bookings, gift shop, and venue rentals. Same operating model and revenue mix, but focused on Black music history rather than civil rights history.
• Rosa Parks Museum: The Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery, AL is an emerging/niche peer with partial overlap: a smaller, university-affiliated civil rights museum with permanent exhibits and K-12 group tours focused on a single figure/event of the Movement. Comparable in scale and educational mission to ICRCM.

Direct peers

• National Memorial for Peace and Justice: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice (also EJI, Montgomery) is a sister site to The Legacy Museum and is directly comparable as a civil rights heritage attraction with paid admissions, group tours, and a strong educational/awareness mission.
• Mississippi Civil Rights Museum: The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson is a state-affiliated direct peer, operating permanent galleries on the Movement, K-12 group tours, and rotating exhibits with a similar site-based nonprofit model, though it is government-operated rather than fully independent nonprofit.
• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a comparable civil rights teaching museum in Alabama, sharing the same nonprofit structure, K-12 group tour focus, permanent galleries on the Movement, and reliance on corporate sponsorships and donations. Operates at a similar site-based, single-location scale.
• National Civil Rights Museum: The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis is the closest direct peer: a 501(c)(3) civil rights history museum anchored at the site of the MLK assassination, with permanent galleries, group tours, virtual programming, and event rentals. Operates at a similar scale and revenue model (admissions, rentals, gift shop, donations, galas).
• Center for Civil and Human Rights: The Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta is a directly comparable nonprofit civil rights museum offering permanent and rotating exhibits, guided tours, group/educational programming, venue rentals, and signature fundraising events in a major U.S. tourism market.
• The Legacy Museum: The Legacy Museum (Equal Justice Initiative) in Montgomery, AL is a direct peer: a narrative-driven history museum on racial justice with permanent exhibits, group/educational tours, virtual experiences, and a high-profile brand. Comparable visitor-economy positioning and education-focused mission.
• Whitney Plantation: Whitney Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana is a direct peer: a single-site, history-focused museum dedicated to slavery and its legacy, offering guided tours, K-12 group programming, and donations-driven nonprofit operations. Comparable scale and visitor-experience model.

Broad incumbents

• National Museum of African American History and Culture: The Smithsonian NMAAHC is the broad incumbent in African American history/culture: a federally funded, vastly larger museum on the National Mall with permanent galleries, group tours, and educational programming. It does not directly compete for Greensboro sit-in narratives but sets visitor expectations and absorbs a share of civil rights heritage tourism demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP6jdYNo27pV4O9LN4rzIFw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/sitinmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-civil-rights-center-museum
• Instagraminstagram.com/sitinmuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 International Civil Rights Center & Museum