Button Farm Hosts Harriett Tubman Traveling Statue Through May 30

GERMANTOWN, MD — A traveling exhibit of the monument Harriet Tubman: The Journey to Freedom is on display through May 30 at the Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown.

This is the first time the 9-foot tall, 13-foot long depiction of the Maryland abolitionist as she guides a child to freedom on the Underground Railroad has been hosted in the Washington, D.C., metro area. It was launched on a nationwide tour in 2020, a news release said.

Harriet Tubman: The Journey to Freedom will be open to school groups and educators for viewing on weekdays and to the general public on weekends during. Special themed weekends will include Earth Day featuring “Nature’s Role” in Tubman’s journeys; a Mother’s Day tribute to inspirational women, and a Memorial Day weekend celebration honoring Tubman’s service as a Civil War spy and scout among other events.

Guided and self-guided tours will be offered, along with educational presentations and exhibits. Performances, music, food, and fun will round out the family-friendly activities.

Tubman was born a slave, Araminta Ross, in March 1822 on the Thompson Farm near Cambridge in Dorchester County, Maryland. She used the Underground Railroad to escape to freedom in the North in 1849, then used it to help others gain their freedom. She also actively spied against the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Tubman overcame abuse, war, chronic illness and extreme injustice to make her mark on American history as a suffragette, an abolitionist and a Civil War veteran.

The Menare Foundation Inc. and Heritage Montgomery are hosts of the statue, created by sculptor Wesley Wofford.

He describes the statue: “She is leaning into the wind with her shoulder, chin down, and bracing herself against the elements. Her eyes are cut formidably up, anticipating the next part of the journey. The wind illustrates the peril of the journey but is also a metaphor for the intense opposition she faced.”

Related: Artifacts Found At Harriet Tubman Site Link To Africa, Enslaved People

The Details

Button Farm, home to the Menare Foundation, Inc., is partnering with Heritage Montgomery, Visit Montgomery, and other community sponsors, to make the Journey to Freedom Experience available to the widest audience. This event will feature timed entry reservations and accommodate those with special needs. For registration or calendar of events, visit www.buttonfarm.org for more information.

The Menare Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Underground Railroad history and historic sites. It works with individuals and organizations to use the legacy of the Underground Railroad as a spark for human potential.

Button Farm Living History Center
16820 Black Rock Road, Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 202.903.4140 · www.buttonfarm.org