Underground Railroad in Kansas
Freedom is something that many take for granted, but our nation’s struggle for freedom for all citizens did not begin and end with the Civil War. September 2020, Kansas will commemorate International Underground Railroad Month and Kansas’ role in bringing freedom seekers to a land of new possibilities that served as a foundation for future Civil Rights movements.
Kansas is home to 21 National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. We applaud the efforts of those who manage and preserve these sites and are grateful for the historians who have committed themselves to documenting and sharing the stories of those that risked everything.
Kansas Tourism and our partners at Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area are celebrating the bravery of the freedom seekers who traveled the Underground Railroad and the conductors who supported them along the way. We embrace the importance of these historic sites and the enduring struggle for freedom and equality.
Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie
Wamego - Between 1857 and 1860 freedom seekers and conductors used this prairie and the Mitchell farmstead on their journey to freedom.
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Ritchie House
Topeka - Built by abolitionists John and Mary Jane Ritchie in 1856, the Ritchie House was a station along the Underground Railroad and is considered to be Topeka’s oldest home.
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Constitution Hall
Topeka - Free State representatives voted to ban slavery for the future state of Kansas here in 1855. It also served as a local headquarters for Underground Railroad operations in 1857.
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African-American Quilt Museum
Lawrence - Meet the world-renowned visual narrative artist and quilter Marla A. Jackson. Her quilts are inspired by oral histories of her ancestors and Kansas history.
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Grover Barn
Lawrence - Freedom seekers (and legendary abolitionist John Brown) sought shelter in this barn built by the Grover family in the late 1850s. Though modified over time, the stone walls...
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Quindaro National Commemorative Site
Interpretive signs at the overlook tell the story of “Old Quindaro,” a river port town founded in 1857 to provide a safe harbor for freedom seekers.
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