Lighting the Way offers two different tours this fall!
Women of the Underground Railroad
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 2:30 PM
Celebrate International Underground Railroad Month with a walking tour commemorating women who played important roles in New Bedford’s abolitionist movement. Join Jan da Silva, Lighting the Way committee member and Program Manager of Visitor Experience & Community Engagement from New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, for a walk through downtown New Bedford to learn about the ways that women supported freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. From housing fugitives to raising funds, women were central to providing safe harbor for men, women, and children escaping slavery.
This tour is FREE; no registration is required.
Meet at either the Whaling Museum or the National Park visitor Center. The tour ends at the Nathan & Polly Johnson House on Seventh Street and Spring Street.
Making Waves: Historic Women of the Seaport
Saturday, October 15, 2:30 PM
Women have shaped and been shaped by the historic port of New Bedford for centuries. Join Lighting the Way experts Ann O’Leary and Mary Howland Smoyer for a special walking tour featuring the stories of women who will give you new insights into the whaling and fishing industries as well as the city’s historic role in the Underground Railroad. Along the way you’ll meet philanthropists, an abolitionist, an entrepreneur, an Azorean heritage advocate, and a lumper.
This tour is FREE; no registration is required.
Tour begins and ends at the Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill.
For the most up-to-date listing of Lighting the Way tour dates and times, please visit the Whaling Museum’s online calendar.