International Civil Rights Center & Museum

This museum is a MUST visit for everyone!!! Greensboro is home of the historic 1960 sit-ins. Standing in the very space where four young Black students sparked a national movement for justice was humbling and powerful. Every American should visit this ground zero for civil rights. It’s a city of courage, resilience, and change. Also, a reminder that history lives in the places we choose to remember…

I love anything dealing with history. The good, the bad and ugly. This museum was so informative and I learned abt so many stories that I had never even heard of before. I opted for the self guided tour so I could be on my own time and schedule reading everything. The tour started with abt a 50min documentary then can proceeded to walk the exhibits. I spent abt 2hrs total here. Great way to learn things while also staying cool from the heat.

Our tour was on 6/19/20225 at 12:00 Noon and it was absolutely breathtaking, mind blowing and thought provoking. Not only did allow me to pause to reflect but it also received how inherently out of touch my generation and my children’s generation are with a historical reality. I’m so grateful to God we had this experience and our tour guide was nothing less than exceptional with how he narrated the contextual frame and store of each segment. I would highly recommend this experience for any child no matter their race or culture.

In the current state of our nation this is a place everyone should visit regardless of your demographic. My wife and stopped to visit on our way up to Maryland and took a guided tour with Mrs. Jeanne. She was absolutely the best and had a wonderful singing voice, the guided tour was TOTALLY worth it. Get Mrs Jeanne if you can ;)

The gentleman at the front desk was very polite and welcoming. Our tour guides- Angela and then Darren, were very friendly and knowledgeable about each topic. You could tell they’re very passionate about their roles. Such a great experience, very eye opening! Definitely worth the time. Our tour took about 1 1/2 hours. I would go again and try the self-guided tour so I have more time to read from each board in each part of the exhibit.

Excellent visit. I drove in from Virginia on March 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. for a tour. Celine was beyond knowledgeable and led us on what I would call my best tour ever. I have toured many notable places, and this tour was the most informative. I liked the ending as well, how we can be that change and fill the blank spaces on the international board. Well Done!!! v/r, Dr. Ken King

This is a must-see, moving experience. The museum tour is packed with historic artifacts, films, and photos from the civil rights movement. There is a tour leader who provides a passionate and informative narrative throughout. Our guide, Darren, was fantastic. The highlight was standing in the actual preserved Woolworth's restaurant where the famous sit-in by four black college students requested to be served at the whites only counter.

Wonderful museum. Very real, very thorough and informative. Everyone should have the opportunity to visit. Why I didn’t give it 5 star rating? 1) Is that they do not allow pictures anywhere in the museum, and I think being able to share photos might inspire others to visit or look into some of what is covered by the museum. 2) The introductory movie is a little long and so thorough it kind of takes away from seeing the actual exhibits. The feel was very well done, so much so you feel like you have already toured the exhibits before even starting. I feel like possibly incorporating part of the film in the museum exhibits themselves separately as opposed to in a movie room all together would give more importance to the exhibits themselves.

Cool tour! Greatly appreciated the guided assistance of the knowledge staff. There are a lot of restrictions on photography but I saw a lot of violators. I would recommend that anyone visiting the area check out this museum.

Very interesting to see and learn more than what you learned in school. $15 per adult Start with a video approx 50mins then walk thru museum

I would like to let you know a little about my visit to this historic museum. I was quite excited and happy to take my daughter to experience the museum. Immediately upon entering the doors we were treated rudely. My enthusiasm as well as my daughters was quickly dampened by rudeness from the front desk employee. Upon approaching the front desk Immediately I felt an instant attitude from this employee and a snobbish demeanor as if we were disturbing her. We were at first happy to see that they provided student discounts so as we attempted to pull out our College student ID we were yelled at and made to feel ashamed and were yelled at and told that the discount was for K-12 ONLY! Yelling was uncalled for. Staff very condescending, arrogant and came across as having an instant attitude and it is quite evident that she feels superior to those of us that visit the museum. Since I was so taken aback by her ignorant manner I asked on my way out for her name . I guess she thought would intimidate me, so as her last act of aggression she actually came outside the museum and approached me to make sure she told me her name because I had asked. I can honestly say it taught me and my daughter a lot about how far you all have come as a people. Perhaps we were not treated well because we were not black so me and my child got to experience reversed racism. Our tour guide was trying her best. I was taken aback by being treated like school children from being told that we had to stay together, not to talk, do not touch the walls, do not walk ahead, do not stay behind. I truly never experienced such nonsense during a tour of a museum. I was not going to let this one go or not write to you so that you all are aware that to me this is unacceptable behavior and I was not going to tolerate it. Please make sure that you thank your for showing us how truly distasteful the staff at the international civils rights museum can be. I will gladly be sharing my experience on social media.

Every trip is educational! We took the Guided tour at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Downtown Greensboro. #februaryone They have a self guided tour option, but I highly recommend the guided tour. Shout out to Robin for the excellent tour. No cameras are allowed on tour. Also, shout out to the Bennett Belles who actually planned a protest OUTSIDE the Woolworth's. One of the NCA&T guys decided to go inside and sit at the counter. Their sit in movement inspired more sit ins around the country!

I have had 3 opportunities to bring a large number of students to learn about our local Civil Rights involvement and the impact it had on the national movement in this country. Every visit has been full of revelation and empowerment. I appreciate the International Civil Rights Center & Museum for their diligence and endurance to make this a generational experience. In addition, the Museum's intentionality of purpose for all future generations of Black Americans that are impacted everyday by the bravery of our forefathers and past heroes. Thank You!

Jaw dropping, lack of words to express this piece of history that has been shared from a humanitarian POV, a corrected history lesson for ALL. Eye opening, conversation starter, drop the mic close your mouth and listen to a people's pain and struggle to help shape not only North Carolina but the world. I strongly recommend, encourage, endorse this as a shared exhibit. 5 stars, 2 thumbs up There is so much to learn. By learning we block out ignorance. Knowledge is power. So all are safe a mask is required due to the closed in quarters. Safety 1st

I visited the International Civil Rights Center & Museum on MLK day. You can buy tickets for a guided tour, but I bought tickets to the film and a walkthrough on my own. The film is like a guided tour on film. You are introduced to all the galleries and given information on all the main exhibits. Then I was able to walk though the museum on my own and know what I was looking at based on the film. The highlight of the museum is first the recreation of the college dorm room in which four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College planned a sit-in in 1960 at the lunch counter of the Woolworth's that is now the site of this museum. After seeing the room you can walk in to the next highlight, the actual Woolworth's lunch room and the counter where the sit-in took place, which has been preserved as it was in 1960. Unfortunately, you can't sit at the counter now and even worse you can't take pictures anywhere in the museum. The four students sat down at this lunch counter, where the official policy was to refuse service to anyone but whites. Denied service, the four young men refused to give up their seats. Days later there were up to 300 students doing the sit-in, crippling the business. The students were harassed by white patrons, but resisted the urge to retaliate. This is considered by some to be the birth of the civil rights movement, as it eventually led to lunch counters across the South being integrated. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is a very historic site that was key to the civil rights movement. I'm so glad the actual Woolworth's lunch counter has been preserved. You don't have to just see it recreated in movies. I can't give this museum 5 stars because of the no pictures policy. That makes no sense in 2022. I wish I had pictures of some of the exhibits and could have taken a selfie at the lunch counter.

Highly recommend the guided tour. Angela was our tour guide and she made the experience very personal and powerful. We learned about the lunch counter sit-in movement and its places about in the struggle for civil rights.

Our tour guide Darrell was so awesome in walking our group through hard history, educating and inspiring us! Thought provoking place!

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum opened in 2010. The museum requires a good chunk of time to view. I'd recommend at least two hours but I like to read and see everything in the 35,000 sq ft museum. The museum offers several ways to view the museum a seated tour and walk through which is a 60 minute film on a loop of staff taking you through the galleries then you get to walk through yourself. Another option is a staff guided tour. And the virtual tour is another option where you view the video of the in person tour. I did the seated tour and the wall through although it wasn't made clear to me that the auditorium for the filmed portion was in the basement so I started with the walk through portion in the FW Woolworth's lunch counter in its original location. I am glad I toured the museum first as the video portion answered some questions as I walked through and read the exhibits. The museum's focus on Civil Rights is about February 1st 1960 when four students from A&T started a sit in at the white only lunch counter that lasted almost five months. As it went on they were joined by others; took shifts at the chairs; when school was not in session high schoolers stepped in. The sit ins also expanded to other towns. Those arrested in Greensboro also chose to stay in jail rather than be bailed out as that made the jails full and provided them housing and food. They were inspired by Ghandi to be nonviolent in their protests. By the summer of 1960 the lunch counter was integrated. If you are interested in how these four from Greensboro changed the Civil Rights this is the place to go. This country has a dark past so it isn't easy viewing but we need to celebrate those that took a step for change. We've come along way but this is still much further to go.

The museum was well curated. The video covered a lot of information. You were able to walk through galleries that reinforced messages shared in the video. Mr Darrin was very helpful at the front desk and gift shop. We were fortunate to hear his story of how he came to work at the museum and his family connection to the Sit In .

This is a historic building that inspired the sit-in movement of the 60s. The tour is $25 for adults and $15 for youth (K-12) and is about an hour long. They also have an online tour that you can purchase for a limited viewing as well. I had La'Tonya as our docent and she did an outstanding job at bringing the history of this place to life. Unfortunately, photo nor videos are not allowed on the tour, but it will leave an unforgettable impression on you. It's wild to think this was the norm over a half century ago. We've come a long way and there is still some more to go. This place will definitely put perspective on things. For eats, I highly recommend Crafted: The Art of the Taco and Cheesecakes by Alex that are a few minute walk from here. They both have some super delicious foods!!

This place was super cool. It looks kinda sketchy from the outside (as a Chicagoan who is used to "traditional museums"). But they really took their time and showed a in-depth personalized version of the civil rights movement. I'm not sure I would really call it international with their focus on the American civil rights movement. However, the personal stories from the tour leaders and the items inside are fantastic. It's $20 for the guided tour and takes about an hour but it's well worth the money. Don't skip it! A few sensitive pictures, so be careful with really young kids.

The facts were good I went there for a field trip but there was this one lady with disgusting hair that wouldn't let us watch a video just bc we're we're fidgeting she yelled at us and cost more distraction to our learning

Had a fantastic guided tour of the museum! The displays were excellent and our guide was outstanding! Seeing the famous Woolworth counter was truly an experience.

Angela, the tour guide, was amazing -- honest and direct, while giving an excellent overview of Greensboro history. Would like to go back and have time to learn more from the interactive elements, as well as the artifacts. The video wall, viewed while standing behind the actual lunch counter, was an amazing depiction of the critically key role the sit in played in launching so much of student and community civil rights activism.

An institutional iconic facility for ALL people, filled with history of the civil rights movement and the life of African-Americans during, beginning and current. You will be touched and filled with human emotions of sadness and joy. Of accomplishments and of inhumane conditions of America toward African-Americans. Get the direct facts and truth of the times, past and current. The school Board should have a mandate that every student in Guilford County, has to attend and visit the museum. An amazing place for all to see, visit and embrace.

The museum should be required visit for anyone living in Greensboro and the surrounding areas. Full stop. Thankfully our county students do tour (well prior to the current pandemic) as part of their elementary school curriculum. The layout and tours are set up very well and fully allow you to walk through a timeline from slavery, to emancipation, to Jim Crow, to the Civil Rights act of 1965, and through modern times. The docents are ready to answer any questions. My mother, a retired New York City principal who has been to many museums as both an educator and patron, was very impressed each time she has visited. I literally took off one star as the management of the 501(c)(3) has not filed an IRS form 990 or 990-EZ since 2018 and it seems expenses are diminishing reserves, especially in light of the City of Greensboro offering loan forgiveness to the organization well before the current pandemic. I am concerned that this great, important, and iconic museum survives and can run sufficiently well beyond this decade. Highly recommended.

Drove here from Charlotte with 6 second grade scholars as a prize for their victory of winning a Black History Month Quiz Bowl last month. The kids were so excited to visit the museum, upon our entrance we were met by a staff member who greeted us with a very fowl attitude. Which seemed to be the trend from most of the staff that worked here. The gentleman at the front desk was rude and dismissive. It was really disappointing and out a sour taste in our mouth for the whole tour. It was really disheartening to have to deal with a staff that doesn't know how to engage with children and to be frank adults at that matter. One wouldn't expect staff from the Civil Rights Center would be so unwelcoming to patrons.

We had a thorough and wonderful tour of the museum by Mr D. McGill. Thanks for the history.

Darren McGill was our guide at the International Civil Rights Museum. Wow! He's the best! He is very knowledgeable about the content. He covers interesting highlights that everyone should be aware of. His best quality is his SPIRIT! He wants all of us to know of our sorrowful past but believes we must focus on loving each other rather than hurting or displaying violence. He sings a bit, he's funny, and he makes you think. The museum is excellent. Seeing the original lunch counter gave me the chills. I strongly recommend asking for Darren!

I went here on my day off, it was a great experience. I did do the guided tour and I'm glad I did because I learned so much. I was bummed that you couldn't take photos but I definitely recommend checking it out.

Situated in the historic site of the Woolworth's Diner sit-in at the start of the Civil Rights movement, the well-done displays, including the preserved diner, help the guests to personally experience the lives of those who suffered the indignities and cruelties of segregation and prejudice as well as the victories. Our docent, Darren McGill, a descendant of one of the original activists, gave an informative and moving account of all aspects of the museum. He poured his personal emotion, pride, and passion into the tour. I highly recommend visiting the museum and taking the tour.

My son has a school field trip here! He has a medical mask exemption signed by his pediatrician that John the owner is not honoring! My son can not wear a mask because of his medical condition! Why does this place still require masks when all mask mandates have been lifted John should not be upset that people are standing up to his mask policy as he has this photo posted on his website

Second time visiting. Toured with my daughter in 2019 and returned with my son in 2022. What a special place and an experience that really should be had by all. My son was very moved by the experience and said that it's even more important for people to know about this place and to experience it today.

Great museum to visit. It gives you a glimpse into the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement with pictures and films. It is worth your time because you step back into time and realize how much and how little we have changed as a society. It highlights the change of the Separate is Not Equal time in our history when the Greensboro's 4 decided to do a sit in in the Woolworth diner counter. It started a whole movement at the Woolworth's across the nation.

Amazing museum which takes you directly into the civil rights experience. DEFINTELY take the docent-guided tour AND leave plenty of time to explore both floors (recommend 2 hours). Thanks to Darren for guiding us through history and ensuring we understood how the struggle continues today. The museum candidly confronts the horror of our country's racist history, showing the impact on individuals and people collectively. It equally highlights the courageous acts of many who stepped forward at great risk to initiate or further progress.

5 out of 5 Would recommend! So much black history packed into this museum. It's not an interactive museum but still there's a lot of interesting and sometime triggering information to consume along with quite a few artifacts to view. Our guide, Angela, was awesome, very knowledgeable and engaging. I visited this museum with my 19 and 15 year old daughters and they remained engaged and interested throughout the entire 75 min tour. You can't take any pictures inside of the exhibit - only in the lobby area. The gift shop is nice too.

Highly informative and eye-opening museum if you're in Greensboro. My wife, two sons (11 yrs, 9 yrs), and I enjoyed the guided tour by Elijah. We started the tour a bit late, which was already in progress. It was interesting to see the Woolworth's lunch counter and learn more about this courageous act of civil disobedience by 4 college freshman students, which sparked a national movement. The museum did an outstanding job of depicting what life was like under Jim Crow laws before the 1960s. I was struck by the "two-sided" coke machine and water fountains, which clearly illustrated how colored vs. white travellers experienced life in different ways. History books cannot fully convey the extent to which segregation for colored vs. white individuals in public transportation, schools, and hospitals was entrenched and socially engineered in many communities. At the end of the tour, we joined a new guided tour by Daniel to view the first 2 exhibits. I was amazed by the story of how a KKK robe came to be donated to the museum by a community member, who found it while cleaning out the attic of a deceased grandfather. This museum is well worth your time! Don't forget to show your AAA card for a discount of $2 per ticket.

Darren was the best tour guide! I recommend everyone go to this museum - we all need to learn more about real history!

Very good museum. Very well put together curations. A hard topic but a must see if in Greensboro. Darrin have a great tour as well and was interesting to learn about Greensboro's history in the civil rights movement.

The Women's March on Washington, with all its 670+ sister marches, boasting millions of people standing for something (different somethings), made a powerful statement. But of all the marches, only the Greensboro March took its thousands of marchers past the International Civil Rights Museum, the actual location of the first sit-in. The same Woolworth facade remains on the building, the same original flooring, and even the same historic lunch counter, unmoved from how it looked back in 1960. Dillon Tyler was our exceptional tour guide, looking into a past that is unfortunately not entirely in our past. His stories of the subliminal and overt conditioning in transportation, separate entrances, double-sided soda machines with radical markups on the Colored side... and I was ashamed that it took me this visit to realize for the first time that "Colored" wasn't the era's way of saying African-American, but that it was everyone not pristine white. Chinese like me. All Asians, in fact, as well as all Native Americans, and all Jews as well. Don't go to this museum to feel comfortable. Or to feel a sense of superiority that we've "arrived". Go to get riled up, and go do something to make the world better starting with yourself and your own home and community.

Woolworth is nostalgic for me. I used to always visit the store and especially the lunch counter with my Grandmother when I was a child. I had no idea the ability to sit at the counter was such a big deal until I was an adult. I enjoyed the museum and the tour guide Sage was awesome. She was very passionate and extremely knowledgeable. I enjoyed the gift shop and purchased a tshirt to make sure I'm doing my part to educate anyone not familiar and remind anyone this knows the story. I highly recommend this museum and hope locals make sure they bring their family visiting from out of town. This is a history lesson that must be shared.

I highly recommend a visit to this museum. We enjoyed Angela who was a knowledgeable tour guide. She connected important history to our country's current issues. Thank you!

I enjoyed the movie at the start of the tour but overall it's just walking around and reading placards and posters and looking at pictures. Not my idea of a truly interactive learning experience.

I dropped a star because of the way they handle the tours. Our tour had to keep stopping as people were added to it late which made our group rise to 26 people which was far too many if you ask me as you couldn't see everything. Then for the folks that was added, they had to resume their tour after we were done to finish what they missed...? Why dont they just start them later? Tour guide was amazing, he knew his stuff. He knew these exhibits inside out with a wealth of knowledge to share with our group. Tour takes around 1.5 hours. This museum does a great job of showing this not so old history and how important events like the 'sit in' at Woolworth's have been and must not be forgotten. As the tour guide states 'doesn't matter if law changes our minds do not', very well said...

My wife and I live in Wake Forest. I had visited the museum over ten years ago. I was moved and much impressed then and even more so today. Our guide was knowledge, passionate and effective. Learned so much that I didn't know. I strongly suggest any American- black, white or whatever, go and learn /enjoy.

Super informative experience, the ladies hosting the guided tour was amazing. Worth a drop by before checking out the local eateries. The history in that town is astounding, love local history museum like this.

Came to visit with family from out of town. It's amazing to walk into this building, which is unassuming from the outside, and realize the history that occurred in this building. The facility is not very big compared to other museums, but it's economical and packs a lot in the space it has. Our tour guide was very informative and engaged. We learned a lot about not just the history of the sit-ins but also how it fits within the context of the larger civil rights movement. Definitely recommend.

I had an amazing experience at the ICRM. I stopped on a road trip and only had an hour before closing. Even though I got in late, Darren started a tour for me of the Woolworth's counter. What an incredible site - ive been really fortunate to visit and work in some of the really important sites of the Movement - this one is infinitely special, and moving. The rest of the museum is great too - a focused study of major moments and concepts in the CRM ~1940 - mid 60s. The best part of this museum is the people running it. Darren opened up a closed exhibit so I could check it out. I talked with CEO John and historian Will for nearly an hour after the museum closed. They were so kind to stick around and answer questions, share their stories and express their passion for this history. I felt lucky to have stopped here.

My friend and I had the BEST experience. We met in Greensboro having not really explored the town. She is from NY and I am from CA so we went to explore downtown together for the first time. We were walking and saw the old soda shop/ pharmacy and she informed me we were right around the Lunch Counter Sit in and wondered if that was the same place. We didn't realize that the civil rights museum was only a block away as we discussed how fascinating the history is in Greensboro for a block or two. Then, we saw the museum and thought how crazy it was we were JUST talking about that. We were so excited to see it and it adore museums and learning about history. Unbeknownst to us, there was this beautiful African American woman sitting in her car and heard us geeking out. We talked about how important these museums and monuments were, how my friend saw the one in DC, how I went to the ground zero memorial 4 years after 9/11 and how it touched me so much, how she went to the Vietnam memorial in DC and it changed her. The woman in the parked car, Eltie, popped her head out and said sweetly, "I am sorry! I was listening to your whole conversation and had to interject!" and had this sweet smile on her face and let us know what time the tours were, where the sit in was, how the DC one isn't authentic, and how much it cost to get in, and gave us all the information. Turns out, she WORKED there!!!! So, here this sweet woman is who worked all day there and still took the time to help inform and educate us. We are beyond appreciative of her. I hope her supervisor sees this review and gives her a gift card or a pony for going above and beyond to help educate us! She for sure represents the company and is passionate about teaching and her job. We plan to go next weekend and taking my boyfriend. We are beyond excited and are hoping Eltie will be there to guide us. Thank you so much for hiring people that are compassionate about it and so informative.

No words could explain how phenomenal this museum is. So informational and the man at the front desk who also helped guide our tour (can't remember his name) was very friendly, nice, and had so much information to share. This exhibit was very eye opening and I'll definitely be back!

I was in town for a wedding but I had some down time so I decided to check out this museum. It was a short walk from my downtown hotel. This was a very moving experience. I was able to walk-in and join a tour very quickly. Robin was our guide and she was outstanding. She really brought the exhibits and information alive with her storytelling. As an African American is was a humbling experience to remember all that we have been though but very empowering to show how far we've come. It was very powerful to experience the lunch counter. I would encourage everyone to check out this museum.

This was a really cool and fun museum I would like to go again and it was very interesting and very aesthetically pleasing my my tour guide was really cool and sang a couple songs the songs were really interesting and I really enjoyed my trip a lot of the rules at the beginning may seem a little bit scary when you're first going in in the museum tour but it was really really good

AMAZING and INFORMATIVE VISIT! Ms. Angela was our tour guide and I can tell that she is very passionate about the information given. Very friendly, sweet and funny. As an African American who is very knowledgeable about our history, I learned some information to take back to my friends and family. I recommend you visit!

This place was fantastic. So much history. Going into Woolworths and seeing the actual where the sit-on occurred. Also the tour guides were fantastic! Darren brought so muchh charm to his tour. We even sang a spiritual at the end. Great gift shop too.

I love this museum, it really shows History, and every time I go I am so thankful for everyone went through so that I can have the freedom I do.

Let me start by saying this is a great museum and I'm glad we made the trip to Greensboro for it. As other reviewers have said this is the first "sit in" during the prime of the Civil Rights movement and that in itself is enough to make you want to take a trip to see it in person. Since it was my first time going I opted for a guided tour, which had it pros and cons. The pros is that our tour guide was very informative and passionately about the information he was relaying to the crowd, but the con was that the crowd was huge..so big that as we went through different rooms not everybody could fit at the same time and if you did it was very tight quarters and it also didn't leave too much room to ask questions, you just moved along swiftly. The price was very, very reasonable and it is great for children. It gives them a chance to actual see in person what they touch on briefly in school or just scrape the surface, but more in depth and a different perspective. For me the best of the museum was actually seeing the original sit building where 4 black students were able to non-violently protest against not being able to get served due to being black. It gave me a strong sense of pride. Definitely a must if you are visiting North Carolina.

We visited the museum with our kids ages 6 through 15. It was very educational and inspiring. I was worried that my youngest would have a hard time sitting through the movie at the beginning but he did well. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We didn't realize masks were required and we thought we would be turned away. The tour guide welcomed us in and provided masks to our entire group.