Incredible Journey to Midnight: Detroit Underground Railroad Lantern Walking Tour
All Aboard the famous train without tracks
Saturdays: June 18, July 23, Aug 13, Sep 17 / 7 PM (tour lasts 2.5-3 hours)
$35 Adults / $20 Youth (17 and under).
Tours depart promptly from inside Second Baptist Church, 441 Monroe Street, Detroit 48226 (Contact Hometown History Tours not Second Baptist for tour information).
Group rates available for parties of 15 or more. Private tours on other dates can be arranged for groups of 30 or more. Call 734.642.5712 for details.
Book tour by mail or phone.
Mail: Send check or money order to Hometown History Tours, PO Box 284, Lincoln Park MI 48146. Include # of tickets (discount code if applicable), your name and phone number. If you don’t get a confirmation call within a few days of sending payment, please call to make sure we received your payment.
“What an informative and interesting tour tonight! The historic “actors” really added a touch of reality as we walked the stops and history of the Underground Railroad. I will definitely recommend this to my friends and family!” Lynn, Dearborn Heights
“You did a terrific job. The four of us enjoyed the Underground Railroad tour very much. The actors, the timing, the incredible research that went into this tour – all were top notch. We have been raving about this tour since and have encouraged other friends to take it.” Carol, Grosse Pointe
Travel through Midnight, code for Detroit, and retrace the steps of Freedom Seekers at this important, final stop on the long and treacherous journey to freedom.
Hear the incredible stories of the brave people who risked their lives escaping the horrors of slavery, prominent abolitionists who aided them, and influential politicians who courageously raised their voices against oppressive ideology and changed the course of history as told through passionate actor portrayals.
Incredible Journey to Midnight: Detroit Underground Railroad Lantern Tour is more “experience” than tour.
Discover the role our courts played in enforcing the unpopular fugitive slave laws and how local episodes of popular resistance impacted the entire nation.
Descend the steep steps into the dark, isolated cellar of historic Second Baptist Church where the Croghan Street Station, a former authentic safe house was located and experience firsthand the frightening conditions Freedom Seekers endured during their long journey to freedom.
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The Frederick Douglass/John Brown meeting spot, Finney hotel and barn, and section of town where the horrific race riot of 1863 known as “the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit” erupted are just a few of the stops on this tour.
You never know what influential people may be in town on the night of our tours. Perhaps you’ll see Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, George DeBaptiste, Seymour Finney, Laura Haviland, or Senator Jacob Merritt Howard.
Long underplayed or never told, Detroit’s role in the Underground Railroad and the antislavery movement is one of many Detroit stories that begs to be told!
FAQs
- These are walking/people mover tours tours with emphasis on walking. Yes, we do lots of walking! Dress appropriately for the weather AND wear comfy, walking shoes.
- Tours run light rain (bring umbrella) or shine. In the case of extreme inclement weather conditions or warnings (severe thunderstorms, heavy downpours, tornado warnings) decision to run tour or not will be made based on conditions at 5 PM, two hours prior to tour. (Some people travel a distance, so we need to let them know). For day of tour weather update, call 734.642.5712 or visit our facebook page.
- Minimum attendees are required for tour to be a go. Check back with Hometown History Tours 24 hours prior to tour.
- Tickets are non-refundable – except when canceled by tour operator (Can’t attend? You may pass on tickets to friends or family)
Hometown History Tours representative will be on site one half hour prior to start of tour tour. To insure everyone has a quality experience, ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Space permitting, we take same day reservations.
For further information, call Hometown History Tours
734.642.5712
Book tour now! Call 734.642.5712 or click here to book online
From Belle Isle to Eight Mile, down Woodward Avenue – an original American byway and site of the nation’s first mile of concrete highway, to Gate 4 of Ford’s infamous Rouge Plant bridge to the Gateway to Freedom at the river’s edge, Hometown History Tours reveals the stories of Detroit that beg to be told.
HOMETOWN HISTORY TOURS 
I toured with the best tonight along Detroit’s Underground Railroad! This company was well organized, reasonably priced, incredibly knowledgeable, and the actors portraying historical giants along the way were talented in song and role playing! Thank you for making my first trip to Detroit so memorable! I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed learning about this piece of important history through people portraying Living History.
Thank you for joining us Jennifer, we enjoyed having you!
what, if any churches in michigan were involved in the underground railroad?
Second Baptist in Detroit. Mariner’s Church. Society of Friends Meeting Place in Adrian. These are a few that I know about but there are many more.