African-American History

International Civil Rights Center & Museum

North Carolina


The FW Woolworth store where four black students from North Carolina A&T State University sparked the ‘sit-in’ campaign by ordering coffee on February 1, 1960, is now a museum honoring the ‘birthplace of the Civil Rights movement.' Its highlight is the original lunch counter, downstairs, while other exhibits include a no-holds-barred Hall of Shame displaying harrowing photos of atrocities from the era.

Call in advance if you’re visiting on a weekday morning; when it’s filled with local school groups, independent visitors may not be allowed in. Greensboro is about 50 miles west of Raleigh and 30 miles east of Winston-Salem.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Carolina attractions

2. Old Salem

25.33 MILES

The beautifully preserved core of the Moravian settlement of Salem extends across several blocks south of downtown. You’re not obliged to pay for…

3. Reynolda House Museum of American Art

27.79 MILES

Tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds started operations in Winston-Salem in 1875, and the family business prospered through world-beating brands including Camel …