Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour
Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour at the Waverly Community House examines the complex history of a small village centered around its role in the Underground Railroad. The tour is an interactive program that explores the lives of the small village's abolitionists and formerly enslaved settlers. It is the only program centered around the Underground Railroad and local Civil War-era history of its kind in the area.
As a public-oriented program, Destination Freedom aims to tell the story of Waverly by exploring the town itself and using the experiences of 19th-century Waverly residents to better understand the world around us today. The Tour guides visitors through the historic Black community of Waverly to see the homes, schools, churches, and other gathering areas of freedom seekers and the allies who helped them fight injustice.
In 2022, Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour became part of the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom; its mission is to honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. With this addition, Lackawanna County now has two affiliated National Park Services within its borders, Destination Freedom: The Underground Railroad Walking Tour and Steamtown National Historic Site.
Special Exhibitions Gallery
This gallery is a museum-like room with artifacts and documents related to the tour and the Civil War era. The gallery is open throughout the year, but operating hours fluctuate depending on staff availability. Please call beforehand to confirm hours.
Self-Guided Walking Tour Map
Use the Destination: Freedom Map to tour your way throughout Waverly, visiting significant sites of the Underground Railroad Movement.
