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Follow the North Star

The North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association (NCUGRHA) researches, preserves and interprets the history of the Underground Railroad, slavery and abolition along the Upper Hudson River-Champlain and Canal-Lake Champlain corridor of northeast New York. Visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum where exhibits and videos reveal hidden success stories and our bus tours revisit underground escape routes. Our museum is a reflection of the importance of human freedom and its relevance for the present and future generations.

Follow the North Star

The North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association (NCUGRHA) researches, preserves and interprets the history of the Underground Railroad, slavery and abolition along the Upper Hudson River-Champlain and Canal-Lake Champlain corridor of northeast New York. Visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum where exhibits and videos reveal hidden success stories and our bus tours revisit underground escape routes. Our museum is a reflection of the importance of human freedom and its relevance for the present and future generations.
Harriet Tubman Booker T. Washington William Still Rosa Parks Roy Wilkins Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Frederick Douglass Sojourner Truth Thurgood Marshall William Edward Burghardt "W. E. B." Du Bois George Washington Carver President Barack Obama James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens Marian Anderson Althea Gibson

Prominent African Americans

Click on each image for more information.
Support the North Star Museum

Mother! When around your child you clasp your arms in love,
And when grateful joy you raise your eyes to God above
Think of the negro-mother, when her child is torn away
Sold for a little slave oh then, for that poor mother pray!

A replica of the 1836 Cradle Quilt, on which the above poem was handwritten in the center, is now on display at the North Star Underground Railroad Museum.

Your gift in support of the North Star UGRR Museum will be greatly appreciated.
Solomon Northup

c1808 – c1863

A free African-American born in Minerva, New York, to a freed slave and a free woman of color. In 1841, Northup was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He spent 12 years as a slave before being rescued with the aid of Canadian carpenter, Samuel Bass; Henry B. Northup, lawyer and son of the former master who had freed Solomon's father; and New York State Governor Washington Hunt. Northup wrote his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave, shortly after regaining his freedom. Solomon's story inspired the 2013 Oscar-winning film, 12 Years a Slave.

Read more at Wikipedia »
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois

1868–1963

Co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and leader of the Niagara Movement.

Read more at Wikipedia »
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Our Logo

Our logo unites two Underground Railroad symbols—the North Star and a Lantern. The North Star was the light in the night sky which guided enslaved Americans to freedom in the 19th century. A burning lantern was a sign that they had arrived at a safe house.

Our logo represents the eternal quest of the enslaved of the world to be free.

Our Mission

To research, preserve, interpret, and promote the Underground Railroad history of Northeastern New York's Waterways to Freedom and to celebrate the importance of that history and its relevance and significance to our own time. Our activities include:

Research
Exhibits
Preservation of historic sites
Instructional Materials
Media Presentations
Dramatic readings and displays

Museum Closed

The North Star Underground Railroad Museum is closed for the season, but can be opened for tours by appointment.
Visit the Museum page for days and hours.