GPS City GuideWilmingtonTubman-Garrett Riverfront Park

Stop 4 of 37 · Wilmington audio walking tour

Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park

Wilmington Riverfront · 1999 · Park Officially Proclaimed

What you'll hear here: about a minute on Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park — how it came to be, who it mattered to, and what to look for while you're standing in front of it.

The Christina River waterfront holds Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, where you can trace two Underground Railroad operatives' story. Named for Harriet Tubman and Wilmington Quaker abolitionist Thomas Garrett, the park honors two Underground Railroad operatives who worked together in the mid-19th century. The park sits along Rosa Parks Drive opposite the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station and is part of Wilmington's redeveloped riverfront district.

It was developed as part of the riverfront revitalization in the late 1990s to give the public access to the Christina River, and on March 10, 1999 the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware officially proclaimed it Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park. Today the space functions as a lively venue for concerts, festivals and community events, with open lawns and walkways that overlook the river, historical markers and public art. In 2012 the bronze sculpture Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom by Mario Chiodo was installed here, depicting Tubman, Garrett and two freedom seekers, and forming the northern terminus of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Picture Tubman and Garrett here, and follow the walkways past the sculpture toward the river's edge.

Where it is

Coordinates
39.73639, -75.5525
Area
Wilmington Riverfront
Era
1999 · Park Officially Proclaimed
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.