Image: Library of Congress.
Over a century has passed since the legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman bravely guided enslaved people to safe houses in the North. Her rescue efforts have been celebrated nationally for decades, including a recent monument to Tubman unveiled in Newark, New Jersey. In partnership with Audible, the new site will serve as a place to hear stories and learn more about both Tubman and the Black communities in New Jersey. In the meantime, here are five places everyone can visit to honor the activist on Harriet Tubman Day.
Harriet Tubman’s home in Auburn, New York
While dedicated to her fight for freedom for Black Americans, Tubman purchased a place for herself to settle in New York. She eventually added the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged after donating the property to a church, where she lived until her passing in 1913. This important piece of history was declared the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in 2017, making it a great place for visitors to explore the abolitionist champion’s story.
The Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia
Tubman’s impact was so powerful that it can be seen today in places where she never even set foot. Founded in 1985, The Tubman Museum in Georgia, billed as “the largest of its kind in the southeast,” is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting African American culture. Here, visitors can learn more about Tubman and other Black icons throughout history within its collections of sculptures, paintings and more.
The Underground Railroad Byway
Tubman serves as an inspiration for many activists in Black history, and people have the ability now to follow in her footsteps. The Underground Railroad Byway is a 125-mile self-driving tour that winds through Tubman’s birthplace of Dorchester County, Maryland, all the way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she found freedom. With more than 30 site markers, the Tubman Byway offers a free map and audio guide to dive deeper into her journey.
The Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland
In her lifetime, Tubman escaped from slavery and returned to Dorchester County, Maryland, a total of 13 times to help lead enslaved people to safety. Started in the 1980s by a group of volunteers, the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center, a free museum, houses a short film and gives tours of the farm where Tubman lived and worked in her youth. In 2019, it added a breathtaking mural of Tubman created by Michael Rosato.
Traveling “The Journey to Freedom” statue
Although museums are a great place to learn more about history, this traveling statue manages to bring Tubman’s story to life. Titled “The Journey to Freedom,” the 9-foot-tall statue depicts a young Harriet Tubman guiding a child to freedom. The statue has been transported and displayed in various cities across the nation and is currently located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, until March 30, 2023 before it is moved again.