The Journey:
Unsung Stories of the Underground Railroad
Kentuckiana played a central role in the Underground Railroad and served as a major corridor for enslaved men, women, and children fleeing bondage. Join us for an immersive storytelling experience to uncover the hidden stories of people and places in our community with close ties to this resistance story.
During this walkable, drivable audio tour you will visit significant locations and landmarks along both sides of the Ohio River that reveal local connections to the Underground Railroad. Your experience begins at the “Kentucky Fugitives to Canada” historic marker at 4th and Main Street in downtown Louisville. The first four stops are walkable and cover approximately two miles. For stops 5 and 6 you will make a short drive to New Albany, Indiana to complete the tour.
You will take a similar route to that of Lucie and Thornton Blackburn who fled Louisville to avoid sale and separation in the 1830s, traveling around downtown Louisville and then over the Ohio River to Indiana. The Blackburn story will serve as a central thread for discovering this important history, with significant locations, historical details, and additional voices woven into the narrative.
Welcome to The Journey.
cost: FREE
I’m ready to go! Where do I begin? To begin The Journey make sure you have a phone or device with access to the audio file, comfortable shoes for the walking portions, headphones (if preferred), and transportation. We suggest reviewing the six stops to get comfortable with the locations prior to leaving for the experience.
You listen to approximately 6 – 8 minutes of audio while visiting at each location.
Have questions? Please email education@fraziermuseum.org and someone from the Frazier Museum education team will be in touch with you within 24 hours.
Survey: we would love to have your feedback on the experience. To complete a short, six-minute survey after you participate in The Journey click here.
Virtual Experience: A virtual edition of The Journey is available for those who prefer to experience the tour from the home or classroom.
Educators: An 8th grade Inquiry built around the question How should we remember the Underground Railroad? is available free of charge. Click here.
The Journey Project is made possible and brought to you at no charge thanks to the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, Kentucky Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), funded by the Department of the Interior*. We are grateful for their support.
Special thanks to the following people and organizations for their work and/or influence on The Journey: Dr. J. Blaine Hudson, Carnegie Center for Art and History - a branch of the Floyd Country Library, Frazier Museum Education Department, Grid Principles Design Firm, Jermaine Fowler, Karolyn Smardz Frost PhD, Kentucky Historical Society - managing organization for the Kentucky Historical Marker Program, Pam Peters, Dr. Ricky L. Jones, Roots 101 African American Museum, Second Baptist Church (Town Clock Church), Shae Smith, and the (Un)Known Project.
*Please note: A portion of the funding for this project was provided by Kentucky Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Any views, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Kentucky Humanities. In addition, this material is based on work assisted by a grant from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), funded by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASALH or the Department of the Interior.