Jacksonville Area Museum to Host Illinois Underground Railroad Traveling Exhibit in April

The Jacksonville Area Museum at 301 E. State St. will host the traveling exhibit "Journey to Freedom: Illinois' Underground Railroad" from April 11 through August 1, 2026, one of the longest single-stop runs in the exhibit's statewide tour.

The exhibit is a project of the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, based in Springfield, and is designed so that each host community provides its own supplemental programming alongside the core traveling display. Jacksonville's stop spans nearly four months, compared to single-month stays at several other Illinois venues on the schedule, including the Cairo Public Library in April and the Galesburg Public Library in May.

The timing places the exhibit in a city with a documented and layered Underground Railroad past. In the 1800s, most of Jacksonville's Black population lived in a neighborhood known as "Little Africa," bounded by West Beecher Avenue, South West Street, Anna Street, and South Church Street. Of the more than 150 residents counted there in 1860, many were formerly enslaved people who helped freedom seekers move north. Underground Railroad conductor Ben Henderson and the Rev. Andrew W. Jackson were among the neighborhood's notable residents. The site is located at 424 S. Church St.; call ahead for tour information. Turner Junior High School offers guided tours of the historic areas, and the Visitors' Bureau of the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce carries brochures on the campus's past as an Underground Railroad site.

A few blocks away, the Dr. Bezaleel Gillett House at 1005 Grove St. marks another chapter in that history. After Gillett purchased the 10-acre property in 1838, he hid freedom seekers in an abandoned cabin or shack on the land. The structure may have had a trap door and a secret room to aid people traveling north, though local historians should be consulted to confirm those architectural details.

Outside town, the Huffaker farm at 1463 Geirke Lane preserves a two-story brick home built in 1840 that still stands on the property. The Morgan County Illinois Historical Society purchased the farm in 2003 to serve as a living history museum, and volunteers now maintain the 10-acre property and lead tours. The farmhouse is open for tours from May through September; book a spot by calling 309-678-7716. Parking is available on the farm.

A fall bus tour of Jacksonville's Underground Railroad sites runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15, with tickets priced at $20 per adult and $10 for children under 10. The reservation deadline is Oct. 12. Prospective visitors should confirm the year and current booking details with organizers; additional information is available by calling 217-492-4241.

Organizations interested in hosting a future stop of the traveling exhibit can contact the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition at info@illinoisugrr.org or by calling 217-492-8366.