Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, part of Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

TOUR DETAILS

Harriet Tubman National Historical Park offers free self-guided tours of Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Fridays and Saturdays. The church is locked, so you must stop at the Visitor Center in the parsonage next door to ask a Ranger to open it for you. For the current tour schedule, see the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the park.

CHURCH TOUR

A tour of the church begins in the Visitor Center where the Ranger gives a few details about the history of the parsonage before heading next door. The church has been fully restored to its 1913 appearance when Harriet Tubman’s funeral service was held here. A few information panels inside go into the details of the restoration process.

Nave of the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

The stenciling along the top of the walls and the globes on the three light fixtures hanging from the ceiling reflect the Greco-style, which was popular at the time. The globes are original to Thompson Memorial and are on loan to the National Park Service from the A.M.E. Zion Church.

Original globes and restored Greco-styled stenciling inside Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

Also on display is the bell from the steeple, which originally came from the schoolhouse the congregation worshipped at before the church was built in 1881.

Original schoolhouse bell from church, Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

Plan to spend around 20 minutes for a self-guided tour. This gives you enough time to read through the information panels and ask the Ranger any questions you may have.

CHURCH HISTORY

Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church was built in 1881. Harriet Tubman helped fund its construction by donating $500, and she remained an active member until her death on March 13, 1913. The church itself continued as a place of worship until 1993, at which time the congregation moved to a new location to accommodate its growing membership.

Tubman’s funeral was held at Thompson Memorial, and she was buried at the Fort Hill Cemetery just a block away. Over a thousand people, both Blacks and Whites, were said to have filed through the church to pay their respects, but only about 500 could fit inside for the service. It really goes to show how Tubman was able to cross racial barriers in her pursuit of human rights and making the lives of people around her better. She was even listed by the New York Times as one of the 250 most important figures in the world who died that year.

Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church is a testament to Tubman’s life and legacy in Auburn. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1974 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. When the National Park Service established the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in 2017, the church and its parsonage were included. Both buildings were opened to the public in June 2024 after undergoing significant restoration. The parsonage now serves as the official Visitor Center for the park.

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