McLean County Museum of History highlights the Underground Railroad

Written by Camden Swanson on September 17, 2026

NORMAL, Ill. – The McLean County Museum of History and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area are partnering with a local library to display a traveling exhibit.

The Bloomington Public Library is hosting Journey to Freedom: Illinois’ Underground Railroad Exhibit, which is on display from early September to late November. The exhibit, which is available for viewing during all the library’s open hours, also includes companion program meetings involving stories of freedom seekers and multi-racial conductors.

The most recent companion program was held on Thursday, September 3, titled The Underground Railroad in McLean County. Bill Kemp of the McLean County Museum presented the companion program, noting the local legends and real documented stories of freedom seekers that passed through McLean County on the Underground Railroad.

“We were really excited about the turnout of people we had come to the meeting. I think it ended up being a total of 95 people that attended this program at the BPL. To have close to 100 people is just a really positive takeaway on night one,” Senior Director of Educators of McLean County Museum of History Candace Summers said.

The next companion program meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, at the Bloomington Public Library. There will be a costumed portrayal of Lucy Pettengill, a resident of Peoria, Illinois, during 1857.

“There is so much valuable information that can be learned from attending these companion programs and so much more to the Underground Railroad that people may not know. A big thing we want to touch on in our programs is the so-called myth-making that can long be associated with U.S. history,” Summers said.