School Tours
In order to schedule a school tour and receive the school rate, schools must have at least 15 students (25 in May), and schedule at least 2 weeks in advance.
School Tour Hours: In May, school tours are offered Monday through Friday at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., or 11 a.m., and last approximately 2 hours. Self-guided tours are available Tuesday through Friday after 11:00 a.m., and anytime on Saturday. The museum is open 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday for groups that schedule at least 2 weeks in advance (May only).
General public hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In May, the museum is also open on Mondays. Beginning in June, Summer Hours go into effect, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
School Tour Rates:
Students - $6.50
Chaperones – $6.50
Download the school tour reservation form.
Tours
Please choose the tour that best fits your group.
Journey to Freedom Tour (Grades K-2)
How do you fit into the story? This experience will take students on an interactive journey through the stories of freedom heroes and show how they can make a difference.
- Galleries: RaGonNon, Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad.
- Activities: Historic Re-enactor, Story Time, Create your own RagGonNon
The North Star Tour (Grades 3-4)
What was the Underground Railroad? The Underground Railroad was a term used for the covert network of people and places who assisted fugitive slaves as they escaped from slavery. Come and learn about how this network operated, and the inspirational stories of those who escaped and risked their lives to secure the freedom of others.
- Galleries: Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad, Brothers of the Borderland, Tom Feelings Mural, and the John W. Anderson Slave Pen</li>
- Activities: Artifact Analysis, Historic Re-enactor, Compare & Contrast
Building the Underground Railroad: Geography, Economics, and Slavery Tour (Grades 5-8)
The roots of the Underground Railroad centered around the buying, selling, and movement of enslaved human beings. Come and learn about how the Internal Slave Trade of the United States shaped the foundations of the movement known as the Underground Railroad.
- Galleries: Tom Feelings Mural, John W. Anderson Slave Pen, Brothers of the Borderland, and Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad.
- Activities: Cotton Gin Experience, Artifact Analysis, Historic Re-enactor
The Civil War Tour (Grades 5-8)
What was the cause(s) of the American Civil War? This is a question that many people continue to heavily debate today. While we may never have a universal agreement over why the war was fought, the war did help lead to the end of American Slavery. Come and learn about how freedom was defined and about the individuals that risked their own lives to secure this freedom.
- Galleries: Brothers of the Borderland Escape! Freedom Seekers and the UGRR, John W. Anderson Slave Pen, From Slavery to Freedom
- Activities: Cotton Gin Experience, Civil War Encampment, Artifact Analysis
Becoming a Modern-Day Freedom Fighter Tour (Grades 8-12)
Did you know that slavery did not really come to an end over 150 years ago? In fact, there are more people enslaved today in our world, than in any other time in human history. Come and learn about how a historic Underground Railroad movement is needed today to finally eradicate modern-day slavery.
- Galleries: From Slavery to Freedom, Invisible: Slavery Today, and the John W. Anderson Slave Pen
- Activities: Slavery Footprint, Artifact Analysis, Group Exercise, Dialogue
Teacher Resources:
The Freedom Center prides itself on being a rich resource for educating school children, and the public at large, about the issues of slavery, freedom, and the world-wide struggle for equality, both past and present.
Please click here for valuable resources to help you share this knowledge with your students.
Upcoming Events:
Click here for a list of upcoming events.
The North Star Café:
If you would like to eat at the café, or order boxed lunches, please call (513) 333-7744.
Gift Shop:
Our Gift Shop offers a variety of Fair Trade merchandise from around the world. You may pre-purchase souvenir gift bags for your students or educational materials for your classroom prior to your visit. Please call the gift shop at (513) 333-7738 or purchase online at freedomcenter.org/shop/.
Family Research Center:
The family research center gives you the tools to trace your family tree and reconnect with your ancestors. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. If you’re interested in visiting the Family Research Center, please call (513) 333-7654.
Guidelines:
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour for check-in and orientation. Students must remain on the bus until the group coordinator has checked in at the front desk.
Chaperones must remain with their group throughout the visit. Chaperones are required to manage their groups. The Freedom Center reserves the right to remove any unruly groups.
Guided tours are never guaranteed.
The Freedom Center no longer has available storage for backpacks, phones, coats, coolers, and sack lunches. These items must remain on the bus. The Freedom Center is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
Due to capacity restraints, the Freedom Center may not be able to provide accommodations for eating sack lunches inside the building.
Buses may drop off visitors at the 2nd Street/group entrance of the building but are then asked to seek off-site parking.
Groups that cancel more than two business days before their visit will be issued a full refund. Groups that cancel within two business days of their visit will receive a 50% refund. Groups that no-show for their visit will not be refunded.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center's Schooled on Freedom program is generously funded by: the Woodward Trust, The Ohio Lottery, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Target and the Charles H. Dater Foundation.
The Schooled on Freedom program has been providing free admission and transportation, as well as teacher workshops, classroom lesson plans, and educational summer camps, for area school children since 2005. To find out more, or to speak to someone about how you can participate, contact us today.