National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Nestled in between the homes of the Reds and Bengals is a hidden gem of a museum. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located there thanks to the spot's proximity to the Ohio River, which served as the border between freedom in Ohio — which was a hotbed of safe houses for those seeking it — and slavery in Kentucky. While the Smithsonian Institution affiliate does spend a great deal of its space dealing with American slavery and the Underground Railroad — it even features a slave pen moved to the center from a Kentucky farm — it doesn't ignore ongoing slavery and human rights issues abroad, including sex trafficking and forced labor.
