When people talk about the Underground Railroad, they usually picture places far from here. Deep South escape routes. River crossings. Hidden attics and storm cellars…
But Central Ohio wasn’t just nearby history. It was part of the network.
Not rumored. Not “maybe.” Real, documented, and standing today.
And just as important, this region also tells the story of what freedom looked like after escape… the building of a new life, the resistance, and the refusal to stay down.
Here are some of the most meaningful historic sites in and around Central Ohio connected to the fight for freedom, abolition, and Black self-determination.
Kelton House Museum & Garden
📍 586 E Town St, Columbus, OH 43215
If there’s one Underground Railroad site in Columbus with ironclad documentation, it’s the Kelton House.
The Kelton family were outspoken abolitionists, and their home served as a confirmed safe house for freedom seekers traveling north. This wasn’t symbolic support… it was active, dangerous, and deliberate.
In fact, Fernando Kelton was such a staunch supporter of abolition, he was chosen to serve as a pallbearer when President Lincoln’s funeral procession came through the Ohio Statehouse!
Today, the Kelton House Museum does an excellent job telling the story without embellishment. You learn who was helped, how the system worked, and just how much risk was involved for everyone inside those walls.
This is Underground Railroad history you can physically walk through.
*Note, the Kelton House experienced a devastating fire in the autumn of 2025. The museum is closed until it can be successfully restored.*
Hanby House
📍 160 W Main St, Westerville, OH 43081
The Hanby House offers a wider-angle view of abolitionist Ohio.
Home to Benjamin Russell Hanby, composer of “Darling Nelly Gray,” the house reflects the deeply rooted anti-slavery sentiment that defined Westerville in the mid-1800s. The Hanby family were committed abolitionists, and their home played a role in the broader movement that made towns like Westerville critical to Ohio’s resistance efforts.
Benjamin’s father, Bishop William Hanby, operated an Underground Railroad stop out of the house, as well as two other locations in Central Ohio.
Needless to say, this home radiates a strong abolitionist energy that you have to experience for yourself.
*Note: Hanby House is closed for the winter. It will reopen after March 15, 2026.*
Nelson T. Gant Homestead
📍 1845 West Main Street, Zanesville, OH 43701
While not a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Nelson T. Gant Homestead is one of the most powerful historic sites in Ohio… full stop.
Nelson T. Gant was a formerly enslaved man whose determination and business acumen led him to become one of the wealthiest men in the United States. His home wasn’t a hiding place. It was a destination. A symbol of what freedom could look like when it was fully claimed.
The homestead exists today to tell that story.
As the site itself puts it:
“Knowing where we have been helps prepare us for where we can go. The Gant Home is a beacon of hope for a new generation… This home represents the true meaning of freedom. The refusal to allow any person, place or corrupt idea to stand in the way of a person with a dream.”
The preservation of the Gant Homestead allows visitors to learn about a man who did not just escape oppression… he dismantled expectations and built something extraordinary in its place.
It’s essential context for understanding what former slaves could accomplish after gaining their freedom, thanks in large part to the Underground Railroad.
Why This History Still Hits Hard
The Underground Railroad wasn’t a single path. It was a web of courage, secrecy, sacrifice, and community. And Central Ohio was part of it.
Just as importantly, this region also tells the story of what freedom looked like when it was finally grasped… protected… and expanded.
These places aren’t tucked away in textbooks. They’re on regular streets. In towns you’ve driven through. In neighborhoods you already know.
History didn’t happen somewhere else.
It happened right here.
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