National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Review

In the years before and during the Civil War, Cincinnati was one of the major hubs along the secret road from bondage in the South to freedom in Northern states and in Canada. This $110 million facility is devoted to educating the public about the history of the underground railroad through exhibits, programs, and interactive displays. The centerpiece of the collection is an actual slave pen, a wooden cabin recovered from a nearby Kentucky farm that held captive slaves en route to auctions in the South. The exhibit also tells the story of the slave pen's owner, John W. Anderson, and reveals how he ran his slave-trading business. As the young museum has matured—it opened in 2004—it has also addressed contemporary racial reconciliation and the fight for freedom worldwide.