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Saluting Freedom

Southern Living, Sep 2005 by McKinney, Wanda

Don't miss this compelling new museum that celebrates and promotes liberty for all.

The road to freedom is not straight or smooth," says Ernest Britton, a director at the year-old National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Nor is the stone on the outside of the Cincinnati, Ohio, museum. The exterior, constructed of undulating travertine marble, is beautiful but rough. It resembles the adjacent Ohio River, which afforded slaves passage from Kentucky to Ohio and signaled the first true steps toward freedom.

This stunning three-story structure, which faces Kentucky from its site on the riverbank, examines the search for liberty in America and other parts of the world. More than that, the facility celebrates the freedom that exists today and the heroes who helped achieve it.

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Brick and Stone

Made up of three buildings connected by glass walkways and covering 158,000 square feet, the Freedom Center encourages visitors to set aside at least two to three hours for a tour.

The most dramatic display in the museum sits on the second floor, by a huge glass wall overlooking the river. It's a slave pen. Found in Mason County, Kentucky, the 1800s log structure was used as a holding area for slaves until they were sold. The cabin still induces a chilling effect. Women and children were held downstairs. Upstairs, men were kept chained to pins in the ceiling trusses.

But much modern interaction also keeps interest alive in the museum. Mock-ups of hiding places, high-tech special effects, and engaging films contribute to the center's appeal.

Heroes and Challenges

The top floor contains a gallery that honors champions of liberty and features artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. "Every year we have inductees in the Everyday Freedom Heroes," says Ernest. "We bridge lessons of the past into actions of the future. We've selected such people as firefighters and Lech Walesa. We look at every freedom struggle.

"It takes three things to achieve independence," he concludes. "Courage, cooperation, and perseverance." All three are in abundance at the National Underground Freedom Center, which shows not only the struggle, but also the hope toward freedom. WANDA MCKINNEY

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202; (513) 3337500 or www.freedomcenter.org. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors and students with ID, $8 ages 6-12.

Saluting Freedom

Southern Living, Sep 2005 by McKinney, Wanda

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