Silhouette photo of man carrying candle lantern with lighted candle - underground railroad sites

Self-guided · County in New York

Underground Railroad Sites in Ontario County, NY

Homes, meetinghouses and crossings tied to the Underground Railroad and the people who helped freedom seekers move north.

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Photo: Julia Florczak on Unsplash

Ontario County is one of 62 counties in New York. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

A person holding a lit lantern in the dark - underground railroad sites — Photo: Subhro Vision on Unsplash

Portrait of Harriet Tubman - underground railroad sites — Photo: Library of Congress on Unsplash

Four brown wooden benches inside house - underground railroad sites — Photo: Tracy Jentzsch on Unsplash

On the record near Ontario County, NY

The 7 nearest

7 listed sites on the record match underground railroad sites within 200 miles of Ontario County, NY, out of 240 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 50 listed sites carry Ontario County as their county.

1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse9.4 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Farmington · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
North Street Friends Meetinghouse32 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Ledyard · listed 2005National Register of Historic Places
Catawissa Friends Meetinghouse141 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Catawissa · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Queensbury Quaker Burying Ground184 miles from the center of Ontario County · Site · Queensbury · listed 2015National Register of Historic Places
Quaker Bridge189 miles from the center of Ontario County · Structure · Greenville · listed 1988National Register of Historic Places
Quakertown Passenger and Freight Station197 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Quakertown · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
Friends Meetinghouse197 miles from the center of Ontario County · Building · Dover · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Ontario County, NY. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Underground Railroad in Ontario County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Ontario County, NY ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Ontario County, NY?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Ontario County, NY?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Ontario County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Ontario County, NY the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Ontario County, NY are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.