Did you know....
- Harriet Tubman led groups of people escaping slavery across the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge to freedom in Canada?
- African Americans employed at the famed
Niagara FallsCataract House aided the escape attempts of enslaved servants staying at the hotel with their vacationing owners?
- Great Lakes steamship sailor,
William Wells Brown secretly transported freedom seekers across the Niagara River from a ferry crossing in Black Rock, near Buffalo, New York
The Niagara River was often the last crossing for people escaping slavery in America. From the early 1800s until the end of the Civil War in 1865, thousands of people passed through western New York as they traveled to freedom in Canada. The Underground Railroad, a secret network of people who assisted those escaping slavery by providing money, food, clothing, and temporary shelter, made this journey possible.
Our unique geography, the people who risked their lives for freedom, and the lasting heritage of their ancestors are intertwined in the story of the Underground Railroad in the Greater Niagara region.
Find out more by visiting
Freedom Crossing: The Underground Railroad in Greater Niagara at the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. This new regional interpretive center tells the story of the Underground Railroad on the Niagara Frontier through historic photographs, artifacts, stories, audio stations, and art. Brochures and maps will lead you to Underground Railroad sites throughout the area.
Freedom Crossing is part of the New York State Heritage Trails initiative, and was made possible through a grant from Heritage New York. . Visit us on the campus of Niagara University, overlooking the Niagara Gorge and just minutes from Niagara Falls.
The Castellani Art Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 716-286-8200 or visit
www.niagara.edu/cam.
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