Underground Railroad Depot
Experience the “Grand Central Station” of the Underground Railroad where Quaker couple Levi and Catharine Coffin helped nearly 1,000 freedom-seekers find safety on their journey north. Lay your head in a mock false-bottom wagon to hear what it might have been like hiding in one of these escape tools, try to lift a cotton bale and learn how long slaves would have worked to pick enough hay for one bale. Get hands-on with other activities and educational videos in the interpretive center.
Early Childhood-Grade 12 Education Program Guide
Abolitionism
Underground Railroad
Slavery
201 US Highway 27, Fountain City, IN, USA
Take a trip to see us
School Group Tours
K-Grade 12
Fee: Admission is FREE for pre-registered, accredited schools of 10 or more K-12 students. Free admission includes teachers and bus drivers, plus one additional adult chaperone for every five students. Additional chaperones pay the group admission rate. Admission is FREE for pre-registered homeschool groups of 10 or more K-12 students, including one free adult for every five students. Additional adults pay the group admission rate.
Contact site for non-Indiana student rate. Pre-registration required at least two weeks in advance.
The school group tour includes a self-guided tour of the Levi and Catharine Coffin Interpretive Center, which includes an orientation theater and the “Souls Seeking Safety” exhibit. A guided tour of the Coffin’s 1839 home, once known as the Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad, will provide students with information about the Coffins’ contributions during the Abolitionist movement, free Black communities, the many dangers facing freedom-seekers and those who helped them.
Indiana Academic Standards: Social Studies: K.1.2, K.4.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.3, 1.1.8, 1.2.1, 1.3.8, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.7, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.6, 3.2.2, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.3.5, 3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.4.4, 3.4.7, 3.4.8, 4.1.4, 4.1.6, 4.1.7, 4.1.8, 4.1.15, 4.1.16, 4.2.7, 4.3.9, 4.3.10, 4.3.14, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.4.7, 5.2.9, 5.2.10, 5.3.12, 5.4.7, 5.4.8, 6.1.7, 6.1.22, 6.1.24, 6.2.6, 6.2.8, 6.4.2, 7.1.6, 8.1.11, 8.1.21, 8.1.22, 8.1.23, 8.1.24, 8.1.27, 8.1.30, 8.2.6, 8.2.7, 8.3.6, 8.3.8, 8.4.3, 8.4.4, 8.4.8, E.1.2, E.1.3, E.1.4, E.1.5, E.1.8, E.2.1, E.2.2, E.2.4, E.4.1, GHW.3.1, GHW.3.2, GHW.3.4, GHW.3.5, GHW.7.1, GHW.7.4, GE-1.2, GE-1.3, GE-3.2, GE-3.7, S.6.7, S.7.3, S.7.4, S.8.2, S.8.3, S.8.7, S.8.8, S.9.1, S.9.2, S.9.4, S.9.5, S.9.6, S.10.2, S.10.6, S.10.8, S.10.9, USG.1.1, USG.2.8, USG.3.10, USG.5.1, USG.5.1, USG.5.2, USG.5.3, USG.5.4, USG.5.6, USH.1.3, USH.1.4, USH.10.2, USH.10.3, USH.10.4, USH.10.5
DISCOVER PROGRAMS
These programs offer educators resources to supplement the classroom curriculum and e-learning, or to enhance a fieldtrip experience for K-12 students with free, downloadable resources, including exhibit guides, historic site correlations, learning guides, literature connections, community resources and website links.
Teaching Freedom & Unfreedom: Teaching the Coffins and the Underground Railroad
Educator Workshop (grades 3-8)
June 24, 2025
9a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fee: Free
Learn how Levi and Catharine Coffin were instrumental in creating one of the most successful Indiana Underground Railroad safehouses. Enjoy a tour of the Coffin home, receive helpful curriculum, and hear from writer Randall Wisehart who will guide educators through his young adult novel Luke’s Summer Secret for classroom use, which features the Coffins and their Underground Railroad experiences.
RegisterThis program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN INDIANA CURRICULUM
A curriculum designed to complement both a virtual and in-person visit to the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site can be downloaded below. Activities will focus on Indiana’s role with the Underground Railroad as well as introduce students to primary and secondary resources to aid in the understanding of why the Underground Railroad was needed.
Download curriculum
INDIANA WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL EDUCATOR WORKSHOP
K-Grade 12
Incorporate curriculum highlighting Indiana’s suffrage history into your classroom by gaining insight into the work done by Hoosiers who fought to win a woman’s right to vote. See the curriculum and watch a recording of our workshop to learn how to explore this important milestone with your students and also how to connect this content with the continued fight for voting rights today.
Download curriculumExplore Programs
Whether it’s at the site, outreach or virtual, we offer hands-on, exploratory and interactive programs on a variety of topics that provide your students a fun way to learn about Indiana’s people, places and things. All programs fulfill select Indiana Academic Standards.
UNDERSTANDING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN INDIANA
Grades 3-12
2024 date: Dec. 3, 9:30 a.m.
2025 dates: Feb. 4 & 18, 9:30 a.m.
Length: 30 minutes
Virtual (pre-registration is required at least one week in advance.)
Fee: Free
Students will learn the reasons why an Underground Railroad movement developed in the Hoosier state. Afterwards, they will have a chance to see parts of the Coffin house and hear Levi and Catharine’s story and their connections to aiding freedom-seekers.
Indiana Academic Standards: Social Studies: 3.1.3, 3.1.41, 3.1.6, 3.1.7, 3.2.2, 3.2.5, 3.3.3, 4.1.6, 4.1.7, 4.2.6, 4.2.7, 4.3.2, 4.3.10, 8.1.22, 8.1.23, 8.1.25, 8.1.30, 8.2.3, 8.2.7, 8.3.1, USG.5.6, USH.1.3, IS.1.5
VIRTUAL TOUR OF LEVI and CATHARINE COFFIN HOME
Grades 3-12
Available Mondays year-round
Length: 90 minutes
Virtual (pre-registration is required at least one month in advance.)
Fee: $150 per booking
Can’t visit our location with your students for a guided tour? Book a virtual tour! View an introductory film about the Coffins and then see the actual home where nearly 1,000 freedom-seekers attained shelter, food, clothing and more. After students get a chance to see the house, there is time at the end of the session for questions.
The following will need to be provided by the school: internet access, ZOOM application, camera and projection screen.
Indiana Academic Standards: Social Studies: K.1.2, K.4.1, 1.1.3, 1.1.8, 1.2.1, 1.2.4, 1.3.8, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.7, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.6, 3.2.2, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.3.5, 3.4.2, 3.4.3, 3.4.4, 3.4.7, 3.4.8, 4.1.4, 4.1.6, 4.1.7, 4.1.8, 4.1.15, 4.1.16, 4.2.7, 4.3.9, 4.3.10, 4.3.14, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.4.7, 4.4.8, 5.2.9, 5.2.10, 5.3.12, 5.4.7, 5.4.8, 6.1.17, 6.1.22, 6.1.24, 6.2.6, 6.2.8, 6.4.2, 7.1.6, 8.1.11, 8.1.21, 8.1.22, 8.1.23, 8.1.24, 8.1.27, 8.1.30, 8.2.6, 8.2.7, 8.3.6, 8.3.8, 8.4.3, 8.4.4, 8.4.8, E.1.2, E.1.3, E.1.4, E.1.5, E.1.8, E.2.1, E.2.2, E.2.4, E.4.1, E.8.5, GHW.3.1, GHW.3.2, GHW.3.4, GHW.3.5, GHW.7.1, GHW.7.4, GE-1.2, GE-1.3, GE-3.2, GE-3.7, S.6.7, S.7.3, S.7.4, S.8.2, S.8.3, S.8.7, S.8.8, S.9.1, S.9.2, S.9.4, S.9.5, S.9.6, S.10.2, S.10.6, S.10.8, S.10.9, USG.1.1, USG.2.8, USG.3.10, USG.5.1, USG.5.2, USG.5.3, USG.5.4, USG.5.6, USH.1.3, USH. 1.4, USH.10.2, USH.10.3, USH.10.4, USH.10.5
