A year after holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Harriet Tubman Museum of Cape May will be opening its doors for public visitation on Saturday, June 19.
Last year, the museum held a small in-person ceremony on Juneteenth with Governor Phil Murphy to mark the end of construction. At that time, work was still being done on the museum’s exhibits, and it would not have been able to open due to COVID-19 restrictions.
According the Press of Atlantic City, this year the museum will recognize Juneteenth with its official opening as well as special events at the nearby Rotary Park. Civil War reenactors depicting the 22nd U.S. Colored Infantry, which included hundreds of Black New Jersey soldiers, will present the regimental flag to local descendants of those who fought in the Civil War. There will also be African dance demonstrations and a talk on the history of Juneteenth from retired teacher Teddy Bryan.
Following the opening, the museum will be open regularly to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under ten.
The New Jersey Harriet Tubman Museum tells the story of the abolitionist’s time in Cape May and the history of abolitionist activism on Lafayette Street. Tubman lived in Cape May in the 1850s where she worked in hotels and as a cook to fund her missions to free enslaved people. The museum also features a room dedicated to the history of Cape May’s Black community.