About the Byway

The Tubman Byway is a self-guided driving tour that winds for 125 miles through the beautiful landscapes and waterscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, then continues for 98 miles through Delaware before ending in Philadelphia. It is the only place in the world that preserves and interprets the places where Harriet Tubman was born, lived, labored, and where she fled from. Discover the powerful and exciting stories at the byway’s 45 designated sites in Caroline and Dorchester Counties in Maryland and Kent and New Castle Counties in Delaware. Spend a couple of hours or a couple of days exploring.

More than a century after her death, Harriet Tubman would still recognize many places in the Eastern Shore of Maryland’s mosaic of waterways, forests, and fields. Stops along the byway make it possible to learn about the lives of enslaved and free Blacks, abolitionists, and slave holders, as well as escape routes used by Tubman and her fellow freedom seekers.

At the heart of the Byway is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, which opened in 2017 with multimedia exhibits, a gift shop, nature trail, outdoor pavilion, and more. The lands in the area are part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, designated by Congress in late 2014.

Along the Byway, you will also find ample opportunities to hike, bike, paddle, shop, dine and attend events related to the area’s significant and unique heritage.

Maps & Guides

To Explore the Byway
Online Map
In-Depth Map & Guide
Audio Guide

Tours Along the Harriet Tubman Byway

There are a few different ways to explore the Tubman Byway:
Tour Operators

Here are local organizations and businesses offering tour services related to the Harriet Tubman Byway:

Blackwater Adventures
Offering step-on guide services. Certified by the Network to Freedom. Also offering tours by bicycle or kayak. Owners also own the Bucktown General Store, a site along the Tubman Byway. Operated by the Meredith family, lifelong residents of the area.
410-901-9255 or book a tour online.

Chesapeake Tours
Offering packaged tours related to Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and African American history for individuals and groups. Also offering custom tour packages for motor coach companies and tour operators as well as event planning services for family reunions. Step-on guides available. Operated by Anthony Cohen.
240-579-5112

Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center
Offering guided tours for groups of the Tubman Byway area. Also offering guided walking tours.
410-228-0401

Harriet Tubman Tours

Offering individual and group tours of “Tubman Country,” including history tours, tours that combine history and culinary, tours that combine history and birding, and more. Packaged half-day, full-day, and overnight tours for groups. Custom tours available. Operated by Alex and Lisa Green, lifelong residents of the area.
1-866-6HARRIET (1-866-642-7743)

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center
Visitors usually tour the exhibit hall on their own. Rangers are available beforehand for an introduction to the park and grounds, as well as afterward for group discussions. With advance notice, groups may request ranger-led tours or interpretive programs. Offer valid only when services are available. The parking lot at the Tubman Visitor Center can accommodate three tour buses. An outdoor pavilion is available for rental. The Visitor Center can also arrange for boxed lunches to be brought on site for groups. See the Tubman Experience request form.
410-221-2290

FAQs About the Harriet Tubman Byway

What is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway?

The byway is a self-guided driving tour that winds for 125 miles through Dorchester and Caroline Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, then continues for 98 miles through Kent and New Castle Counties in Delaware before ending in Philadelphia. It highlights 45 historically significant sites linked to Harriet Tubman and others seeking freedom from slavery in the mid-1800s. The byway was designated as one of the best driving tours in the nation by the Federal Highway Administration for its scenic beauty and significant history.

The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center was started by local community members in the 1990s as part of a grassroots effort to preserve and promote Harriet Tubman’s legacy. It includes information about Harriet Tubman’s life. You can visit this small museum at 424 Race Street in downtown Cambridge, Maryland. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 12 to 3pm and Saturday, 12-4pm. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center was developed by the National Park Service and the Maryland Park Service and opened in 2017. Its 10,000 square feet of exhibit place include interpretive exhibits, hands-on learning, and a movie theater, as well as 17 acres with a short nature trail and an outdoor pavilion. It is located about 20 minutes from the heart of Cambridge, Maryland, near Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am-4pm. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome.

Admission is free to most of the sites along the byway. Some sites may have a donation box. Bucktown General Store charges a modest fee for tours of the interior (available by appointment only).

There are limited restroom facilities along the byway. Restrooms at or near a byway site are noted on the individual site descriptions.

Yes, there are some local tour operators who offer guided tours of the Tubman Byway, which includes 45 sites on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and in Delaware. See the list of tour providers. If you’re interested in requesting a tour for your group at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland, fill out and submit the online tour request form. At that link you’ll also see the different options offered by the visitor center. If you have more questions about the visitor center, it’s best to contact the Tubman Visitor Center directly at htursp.dnr@maryland.gov or 410-221-2290.

An executive order in March 2013 established Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument and marked the landscape of Dorchester County, Maryland for its historical significance to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. At the creation of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park a year later, the National Park Service identified land in Dorchester, Talbot, and Caroline Counties for potential future acquisition. The Conservation Fund donated the only land currently owned by the National Park Service—480 acres at the Jacob Jackson site, the home of a free African American who delivered a message for Tubman that she was returning to guide her brothers to freedom.

The National Park Service also administers a sister park in Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York, where Harriet Tubman lived in her later years.

Passport to your National Parks stamps are available at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center.

Find out more about the park.