‘One More River to Cross’: Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center Wins Prestigious Award

The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center is an immersive experience that tells history through true stories, authentic artifacts, historic re-creations, art and music, and interactive multimedia.

Niagara Falls NHA / © Kim Smith

Niagara Falls, NY (July 9, 2019) – Since its opening in May 2018, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, has invited visitors to experience One More River to Cross, an immersive exhibit that tells the story of the Underground Railroad from the perspective of freedom seekers. This year, that innovative exhibit has been named a recipient of the prestigious Award of Excellence by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).

The Center opened in 2018 in the historic US Customhouse next to the Niagara Falls Amtrak Station.

Niagara Falls NHA / © Kim Smith

Managed through a partnership with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, the Underground Railroad Heritage Center is located in the historic U.S. Customhouse adjacent to the new Amtrak train station. In the 1850s, the town of Niagara Falls was a key location on the Underground Railroad, situated along the Niagara River and the border with Canada. The river was thus the last barrier to cross for people escaping slavery to reach freedom in Canada. The Heritage Center seeks to reveal not only authentic stories of the Underground Railroad, but also to inspire visitors to recognize the continuing struggle for all people to live free from oppression—and to take action toward an equitable society.

One More River to Cross engages visitors in the stories of the Underground Railroad by focusing on the voices and experiences of freedom seekers themselves. Visitors enter through a re-creation of the historic train station, the first stop of many freedom seekers upon entering the city. They then pass through rooms filled with historic artifacts, re-created rooms, art, music, and multimedia interactive exhibits. Here they also meet specific individuals involved in the Underground Railroad, such as Harriet Tubman and the African American waiters at the Cataract House, who used their positions to help people secretly cross to Canada. At the end of the exhibit, visitors are immersed in the dramatic final leg of the journey: crossing the river by ferry or by bridge before stepping into freedom on Canadian soil.

One room of the exhibit echoes the interior of the Cataract House, where African American waiters served customers by day and served as secret agents on the Underground Railroad by night.

Niagara Falls NHA / Alan Adetola

Each year, AALSH bestows 50 Awards of Excellence on people, programs, exhibits, and publications that represent outstanding work in the fields of state and local history. The award is considered the nation’s most prestigious recognition of achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. This year, two National Heritage Areas were among the recipients: Niagara Falls NHA in New York and Freedom’s Way NHA in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Read about Freedom’s Way NHA’s award-winning program, Declaring Independence: Then and Now: .

Discover more news and stories from America's National Heritage Areas.