Chesapeake Conservancy Commemorates Grand Opening of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center

National Park Protects Chesapeake’s Cultural and Natural Heritage

Annapolis, MD – Chesapeake Conservancy joined partners to commemorate the opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. Managed through a partnership between the Maryland Park Service and National Park Service, the new visitor center offers exhibits, an audio-visual program, visitor information, a museum store, research library, and seasonal interpretive programs to teach visitors about the famous abolitionist’s life and legacy. “As advocates and contributors to the initial legislation for a Harriet Tubman National Park, Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to have worked alongside a dedicated group of citizens, historians and elected officials to help create this lasting legacy for Harriet Tubman,” Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn said. “Harriet Tubman’s legacy is an important part of the Chesapeake’s story to share with current and future generations. The new visitor center will provide a major draw for travelers and economic development. The first national park honoring an Black woman in the United States is a national model for the conservation of landscapes paired with significant cultural and natural heritage. By proximity, it also complements the nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, providing large landscape conservation for one of the nation’s premier waterfowl habitats and bird watching destinations.” In 2013, President Obama designated the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument. This monument would later become a part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park after The Conservation Fund generously donated 480 acres, which was an essential component needed for establishment. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park preserve the landscape characteristics of Tubman’s early home of Dorchester, Talbot, and Caroline Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, as well as her home in Auburn, New York.