Discover Where HARRIET was Filmed in Virginia

Harriet is based on the story of iconic freedom fighter Harriet Tubman, her escape from slavery and subsequent missions to free dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad in the face of growing pre-Civil War adversity.Harriet_One-Sheetsm

Released November 1, 2019, Harriet filmed in Virginia in fall and winter of 2018, spending time in Richmond, Powhatan, Cumberland, Petersburg, Mathews and several other localities. The project from Focus Features will be the first feature length film to tell the story of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who brought hundreds of slaves to freedom in 19th century America. Released November 1, 2019, Harriet stars Tony-award winning actress Cynthia Erivo, alongside Leslie Odom Jr, Janelle Monae, and Joe Alwyn.

Following Harriet Podcast

"Following Harriet" is a podcast that takes a closer look at the life of Harriet Tubman, one of the bravest and most extraordinary women in our country's history. Through interviews with leading historians, educators and even the director of the Focus Features film Harriet, it puts the American icon in a broader context and examines the 19th Century experience of African Americans, especially in Virginia.

"Following Harriet" has won the following awards to date:

  • #1 History Podcast & #12 overall Top Show on Apple Podcasts
  • Silver Award, New York Festivals Radio Awards 2020 – Narrative/Documentary Podcast
  • Webby Awards 2020 Honoree – Podcasts: Best Mini Series
  • Award of Merit, PRSA Virginia Public Relations Awards 2020 – New Media and Digital Communications

Subscribe to "Following Harriet" wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, etc.).

  • EPISODE 1: BECOMING HARRIET

    Harriet Tubman was so much more than the short history lesson we got about her in school. She was a wife and mother, an entrepreneur, a soldier, a spy, a nurse and an activist who fought for women’s right to vote. In this episode, we explore the most influential and interesting episodes in her life.

  • EPISODE 2: THE ENSLAVED & THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM SEEKERS

    As we learn more about Harriet Tubman, we also get a better understanding of the broader experience for African Americans in the 19th Century. In this episode, we travel to museums throughout Virginia and to the presidential homes of Thomas Jefferson (Monticello) and James Madison (Montpelier) to hear how those stories are being told today.

  • EPISODE 3: HARRIET'S LEGACY TODAY: STRENGTH, COURAGE & TRIUMPH

    In this episode, we pull Harriet’s story and the story of the African American experience in 19th Century America right through to the present. We talk about why a movie like Harriet, and how it depicts the way she lived her life, is so important to us as Americans at this time.

  • EPISODE 4: (BONUS) MUSICIAN RHIANNON GIDDENS ON HARRIET

    This bonus episode is a condensed version of our interview with Grammy Award-winning musician, artist and activist Rhiannon Giddens, founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. We talk to her about her song "At the Purchaser's Option," her music and Harriet Tubman.

Filming Locations

  • 12602 Harrison Landing Road
  • 8048296018

In 1619, after a stormy voyage across the Atlantic, the Good Ship Margaret landed at Berkeley with thirty-six men aboard. In accordance with the instructions given in the charter by the Virginia Company, these settlers observed the first official English Thanksgiving in America…

  • 216 N Sycamore Street
  • 8047320700

A devastating fire on a hot summer night in 1815 wiped out the old towne of Petersburg, a collection of wooden warehouses and homes along the Appomattox River. The brick commercial district that grew from the ashes became a crossroads for batteaux on the canals and trading ships…

  • 400 Sausiluta Dr
  • 8046521470

Three Lakes Park and Nature Center bring together the three worlds of air, water, and land for visitors to explore. The Nature Center is a 6,500 square foot facility featuring a variety of exhibits designed to provide hands-on experiences. The 50,000 gallon aquarium also gives…

  • 1039 Williams Wharf Road
  • 8047259685

Williams Wharf, an historic boatyard and steamship landing provides public access to Mathews' picturesque East River for engineless watercraft (canoes, kayaks, rowing shells). The site was also used to film a scene in the  Harriet  film!  Recent restoration of the…

Locations Associated with Harriet Tubman

  • George Washington Memorial Parkway
  • (703) 289-2500

In the 1930s landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a “real forest” designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of…

  • 3100 Desert Road
  • 7579863705

Established in 1974, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge consists of over 112,684 acres of forested wetlands in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. The 3,100 acre Lake Drummond lies at the center of the swamp, with the Feeder Ditch connecting the…

  • 224 Witten Street
  • 8048618889

Pocahontas Island, named after the legendary Native American princess, is probably Petersburg's earliest predominantly African-American neighborhood. It is a peninsula located on the north side of the Appomattox River within the limits of Petersburg. Some of Petersburg's…

Underground Railroad Locations in Virginia

Courtesy of the National Park Service

Education and Resources

Black History

Virginia’s history is made up of revolutionaries, brave thinkers and passionate doers of all…