The Rich Girls Museum is the first Black-owned selfie museum in the nation. Located in downtown Greensboro, this popular spot is owned by N.C. A&T alumni MarTeekia Sweat. One of the newest selfie museums to open on the east coast, The Rich Girls was designed to bring a new creative experience to the Greensboro area.
Prior to creating The Rich Girls Museum, Sweat worked as a property manager in the Greensboro area for 6 years before moving to Los Angeles, California for 2 years. While in Los Angeles, she was able to visit many selfie museums. While there, she enjoyed her experiences and knew she had to bring this opportunity to the east coast as well.
“I went to a bunch of selfie museums in Los Angeles and I thought it was such a cool technique and cool thing to do,” Sweat said. “I knew the east coast didn’t have something like that, so I knew I should build a selfie museum in Greensboro.”
Her time at N.C. A&T played a big role in her entrepreneurial journey. Sweat explains how coming to an HBCU was always a dream of hers. Attending N.C. A&T allowed her to discover her creative side by encouraging her to go after her goals and dreams even if people say they are unattainable.
“Being an African American, people always say you aren’t going to be anything,” Sweat said. “People always told me you’re never going to get a real job, especially with my name being MarTeekia [but] I did. I was a property manager and now I own my own business.”
Sweat moved back to Greensboro in 2019 and worked on her business. A year later, she and her business partner Josh White opened the Rich Girls Museum in October 2020. The museum was a hit—attracting guests from across the country instantly.
“We didn’t know it would blow all the way up,” Sweat said. “But because we knew social media is such a big thing, we had a feeling it would definitely be a thing.”
The museum is taking necessary measures to ensure that they limit the spread of COVID-19. Upon arrival, all guests are asked to have their temperature checked and are provided hand sanitizer to ensure that CDC and COVID-19 restrictions are met.
The groups are limited to 12 people at a time and all staff and guests are asked to wear face coverings to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
The museum has a total of 8 rooms that guests can see. There are many favorites, but the most popular has been the “Money” room, where the floor is covered in $100 dollar bills and guests have the opportunity to pose and take pictures with the money and the Airplane room, which has hot pink airplane seats, carpets and walls mimicking a luxurious airplane interior. Each room has its own unique qualities that makes the experience fun and enjoyable for all.
“It’s all so cool,” N.C. A&T sophomore psychology student Jordyn Kerr said. “When you first walk in, it’s like we are coming through a soda machine.”
The museum is located at 4000 Spring Garden St. Greensboro, NC in Suite M. The museum is open for self guided tours Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $30 and must be reserved online in advance.
Private reservations are also available by request only Monday through Wednesday for $300 per hour. To reserve your tickets and learn more about the museum, please visit their website and be sure to visit their Instagram page to keep up with all museum updates.
