Before I visited the new Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, I had no idea what a crucial role the city and surrounding area played in the success of the underground railroad.
What was the underground railroad? The Heritage Center’s brochure says:
Many relied on a network of people and places known as the Underground Railroad.
Neither a railroad nor underground, this network helped freedom seekers reach safe haven in Canada, where slavery was abolished and no person could be claimed as property.
The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is one of the most engaging museums I’ve seen so far. I was so “in the moment” that I took hardly any photos. I’ve just learned that in 2018 the Heritage Center was ranked one of the Top 10 Best New Attractions by USA Today. The interpretation is so modern, educational, and inspiring that I’m not at all surprised.
Check out this news story from May 2018 for a look inside.
Go visit and explore the lives of individual freedom seekers who made it across the river to Canada in the permanent exhibit One More River to Cross. The bespoke watercolour illustrations, the quality of the storytelling, the multimedia displays … it’s all top notch. I’ll never look at Niagara Falls the same way again.
Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is museum no. 58 in my #100museums challenge (see 100 Museums Challenge).