CINCINNATI, Ohio — The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center placed second in the USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards list of top history museums in the United States.
“History’s relentless, courageous pursuit of freedom and the struggle to attain it in this country matters. For the fifth year in a row, people reaffirmed that these stories matter,” said Woodrow Keown, Jr., president & COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, in a press release. “As we continue to share these stories and the looming shadow of slavery and its lasting legacy in our country, we are endlessly grateful for everyone who has visited, supported and voted for us. We applaud those organizations and individuals who continue to remain committed to the cause of freedom nationally and globally.”
The museum has now landed in the top three on this list for five years in a row. They placed at number one back in 2023.
The center opened back in 2004. The release states its location on the Ohio River is symbolic as that is where many formerly enslaved people “took their first steps on free soil after self-liberating through the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s.”
“The Freedom Center honors that legacy through immersive, thought-provoking exhibits, programming and films to be a convener of dialogue around issues of freedom, the denial of freedom, systemic racism, implicit bias and modern-day enslavement,” the release reads.
The museum is located at 50 E Freedom Way in Cincinnati. You can purchase tickets here.
“Being recognized among the best history museums in the nation is an honor for our entire city, which continues a legacy that champions freedom and ensures the rich tapestry of our shared cultural heritage is woven with the many, varied voices who have shaped it,” Keown said in the release.
The center wasn’t the only Cincinnati museum to make the cut. Just below them, at number three, ranked the Cincinnati History Museum.
