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Our Mission

The Underground Railroad Center of Columbia Pennsylvania (URCC) is dedicated to the dual mission of 1) establishing the state-of-the-art Underground Railroad Museum and 2) creating a game-changing economic development engine for downtown Columbia. The museum will utilize leading-edge exhibit technology, including AI-powered holography, to tell the compelling stories of freedom seekers and the Pennsylvanians who aided them—and leverage Columbia’s unique status as ground zero for an awe-inspiring “Conspiracy of Good”—to supercharge the town’s appeal as a heritage tourism destination.

Our Vision

The 2026 opening of the Underground Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania—scheduled to coincide with Columbia’s 300th anniversary—will serve as the geographical linchpin for a trio of projects currently underway in Lancaster and York Counties, each of which is designed to offer a uniquely immersive Underground Railroad visitor experiences. Groundbreaking research has fueled intense national and international interest in the Underground Railroad, particularly in the lower Susquehanna Valley, where the first large-scale organizational efforts were made to create a pathway to freedom for African-Americans fleeing bondage.

The URCC will work in concert with the Stevens Tavern in Lancaster and the Mifflin Farmstead in Wrightsville (and other aligned organizations and attractions) to engage an entirely new tourism demographic and establish our region as the ultimate Underground Railroad destination in America.

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The Underground Railroad Center of Columbia Pennsylvania is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization was established in 2023 to create an 8,000 sq. ft. museum attraction to interpret and promote the role of Columbia in the American Abolitionist movement, and to utilize leading-edge exhibit design and technology to engage visitors and tell the story of the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. The Underground Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is targeting 2026 for its public opening.