Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad is a traveling museum that visits communities across Illinois, spreading the history of the Underground Railroad and its history in Illinois. The exhibit highlights the real stories and contributions Black and white Americans made to help freedom-seekers escape the horrors of slavery and reach a better life.

Featured in the exhibit is the Songs of the Illinois Freedom Road performance, a musical performance by Chris Vallillo. The performance uses several primary sourcedocuments to recreate 11 historic songs that were sung by the enslaved to share knowledge among themselves and inspire each other to escape.

The exhibit is currently in located in Urbana and Danville through March, but will move to Cairo, Jacksonville, Galesburg and five other locations throughout Illinois by the end of 2026. An extension of the exhibit also exists in digital form, through an eight-part podcast series that takes you through the stories of Illinoisans who helped make the Underground Railroad possible.

The exhibit is produced by the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The group was designated by Congress to work with the National Park Service to tell stories of Lincoln’s life, including the stories of freedom-seekers moving through the area.

Read about the exhibit, its schedule and more here.