Underground Railroad Visitor Center tells story of oppression, then freedom

The $21 million, 15,000-sf Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Md., uses engaging displays and exhibits to tell the story of Harriet Tubman’s life. The building’s design expresses the importance of traveling northward to escape the circumstances of slavery through an integrated site, building, and exhibit design.

The museum is conceived as a series of abstracted forms made up of two main structures, one administrative and one exhibit. The structures are joined by a shared entry plaza and terrace.