A visit to Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park will transport visitors back in time to the founding of the Sandy Spring Quaker settlement and a historically free black community.
Explore the Woodlawn Museum to learn more about the Quaker and Underground Railroad experience before visiting the Woodlawn Manor House to see what a Federal-era house looked like and get a glimpse of Montgomery County’s agricultural past.
Woodlawn Cultural Park is also known for its unique interactive learning experience on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail. This experience evokes the journey that enslaved freedom seekers took while traveling through Montgomery County, Maryland on their way to safety in the North.
If you would like to tackle this 4.0-mile hike solo there are self-guided hikes offered with trail maps available on site for guidance. Public-guided hikes* are available rain or shine and are led by a “conductor” and give historical context along the way.
For an even more unique experience check out the Twilight Trek Program, where visitors can follow the same path freedom seekers took to the North, but during their nighttime travels.
VM Fact: September is Underground Railroad Month, an international celebration that originated in Maryland. This month-long holiday highlights Maryland’s rich history of enslaved African Americans escape to the North searching for freedom. Maryland’s deeply rooted history of the Underground Railroad also includes prominent abolitionists like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.
Open April – November 20, Friday & Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm. Grounds open year-round sunrise to sunset.
