On the remote Eastern Shore of Maryland, where tidal marshes meet vast agricultural fields and the horizon stretches unbroken for miles, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park preserves the landscape where one of America’s greatest freedom fighters was born, enslaved, and ultimately found the courage to escape—then returned 13 times to lead approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The park’s world-class 17,000-square-foot visitor center, operated jointly with the National Park Service, offers immersive exhibits and serves as the gateway to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Admission is free.
The Visitor Center
The visitor center features approximately 10,000 square feet of immersive exhibits exploring Tubman’s life—from her childhood and enslavement in Dorchester and Caroline counties, through her daring rescue missions on the Underground Railroad, to her service as a Union Army scout and spy during the Civil War, and her later years as a suffragist and humanitarian. Highlights include multimedia presentations, a theater showing films about her life, and interactive displays that place visitors in the landscape Tubman navigated.
Visitor Center Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Hours | Wednesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM |
| Closed | Monday, Tuesday, Thanksgiving, Christmas |
| Admission | Free (donations welcome) |
| Junior Ranger Program | Available (ask at front desk) |
The Tubman Byway
The visitor center serves as the orientation hub for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway—a self-guided driving tour encompassing numerous historical sites across Maryland’s Eastern Shore connected to Tubman’s life and the Underground Railroad. The byway links churches, waterways, farmsteads, and landscapes that Tubman used during her rescue missions, providing context that cannot be replicated in a museum alone.
The Landscape
The park’s setting is itself a powerful exhibit. The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge adjacent to the park preserves the same tidal marshes, forests, and waterways that Tubman knew intimately. She navigated these wetlands at night using the North Star, birdsong, and her extraordinary knowledge of the terrain to evade capture. The flat, open landscape—which today supports bald eagles, great blue herons, and migrating waterfowl—was both prison and pathway for those seeking freedom.
Tubman’s Legacy
Harriet Tubman (c. 1822–1913) escaped slavery in 1849 and subsequently returned to Maryland’s Eastern Shore 13 times, leading approximately 70 people to freedom—never losing a single passenger. During the Civil War, she served as a scout, spy, and nurse for the Union Army, and in 1863 became the first woman to lead an armed military raid in U.S. history (the Combahee River Raid). After the war, she advocated for women’s suffrage and established a home for elderly African Americans in Auburn, New York.
Essential Visitor Information
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park is located at 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622, approximately 10 miles south of Cambridge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The park is jointly managed by the Maryland Park Service and the National Park Service.
Nearby state parks: If you have extra time, Roger Wheeler State Beach is a short drive away, and Salty Brine State Beach is a short drive away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Admission to the visitor center and all exhibits is free. Donations are welcome. The center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM.
Plan at least 1.5 to 2 hours for the exhibits and film. If you also drive the Tubman Byway to explore related historical sites across the Eastern Shore, allow a full day.
A self-guided driving tour connecting historical sites across Maryland’s Eastern Shore related to Tubman’s life and the Underground Railroad. The visitor center provides maps and orientation for the route.
Yes. The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the park and preserves the same tidal marsh landscape that Tubman navigated. It offers wildlife drives, hiking trails, and exceptional birdwatching.
Yes. Ask at the front desk of the visitor center for Junior Ranger materials. The program engages children with Tubman’s history through age-appropriate activities.
Tubman made 13 trips back to Maryland’s Eastern Shore and personally led approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She never lost a single person in her care.
Yes. The visitor center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM. It is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Scarborough State Beaches
- Pets allowed? statewide rule
- Domestic animals are allowed in Rhode Island state parks but must be leashed and under a handler's control at all times.
- Leash rule statewide rule
- Leash no more than 6 feet in length required (up to 25 feet in state management areas)
- Beaches & swim areas statewide rule
- No animals allowed on any state bathing beach, East Beach/Ninigret or Burlingame Picnic Area from April 1 through September 30
- Cabins & lodging statewide rule
- No cabin lodging program; camping allows a maximum of two pets (dogs or cats) per campsite, but pets are not permitted at Charlestown Breachway or East Beach campgrounds
- Statewide exceptions statewide rule
- Current rabies vaccination certificate required for camping pets; e-collars/e-leashes do not count as leashed
Are dogs allowed at Scarborough State Beaches?
Domestic animals are allowed in Rhode Island state parks but must be leashed and under a handler's control at all times. Individual parks can post stricter rules — check signage on arrival.
Rules verified July 2026 via rules.sos.ri.gov. More: Rhode Island state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
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