Underground Railroad Self-Guided Walks
Sun, Feb 01 – Sat, Feb 28, 2026 • 8:00am - 4:00pm
15891 Paxton Avenue, South Holland, IL 60473
Join us for self-guided historical walks throughout February for Black History Month.
Each February in honor of Black History Month, the nature center offers Underground Railroad Self-Guided Walks along its outdoor trails, inviting visitors to embark on a reflective journey through history at their own pace. Participants follow the Redwing Trail, marked with North Star symbols and interpretive signs that trace an imagined escape with a fictional freedom seeker named Cecilia, representing the thousands who traveled the historic St. Louis-to-Chicago Underground Railroad route in the mid-1800s. Along the half-mile path, several placarded “stations” depict safe stops and diary-style narratives that bring to life the risks, hopes, and resilience of freedom seekers as they navigated treacherous landscapes toward liberation.
More Information
- Mon: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Tue: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Wed: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Thu: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Fri: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Sat: 8:00am – 4:00pm
- Sun: 8:00am – 4:00pm
How to find us?
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Sand Ridge Nature Center Presents: If Walls Could Talk: Stories of the Underground Railroad Part I
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Read more about Sand Ridge Nature Center Presents: If Walls Could Talk: Stories of the Underground Railroad Part I
Sand Ridge Nature Center Presents: If Walls Could Talk: Stories of the Underground Railroad Part II
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Read more about Sand Ridge Nature Center Presents: If Walls Could Talk: Stories of the Underground Railroad Part II
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The stories, while not always fully documented in primary sources, reflect a local community’s quiet but vital role in the broader story of freedom and the…
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