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Shedd Aquarium

Jacksonville African American History Museum

859 Grove St, Jacksonville, IL 62650

Historic Sites

The Jacksonville African American History Museum is located in the historical Underground Railroad site, the Asa Talcott home.

The museum features both local and national African American history from slavery to the present in a chronological timeline. Highlights include the local and national Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights movement, and notable African American inventors.

One standout story is Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew, a pioneering Jacksonville physician who was the first African American in the U.S. to own and operate his hospital and served as personal physician to Booker T. Washington

Asa Talcott’s home in Jacksonville, built by 1833, was a brickmaker’s refuge and key Underground Railroad stop. Talcott, a Congregational Church founder and abolitionist, hid escaping slaves and hosted freedom-seekers

Open throughout the entire year by appointment only. Illinois 250

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More Information

  • Mon: Closed
  • Tue: Closed
  • Wed: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Thu: Closed
  • Fri: Closed
  • Sat: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
  • Sun: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Holiday Hours:
Closed for the season. Open by appointment only.

Open May-September: Wed., Sat. and Sun. 1-4p

How to find us?

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