Black History in St Catharines

Walk in the footsteps of Harriet Tubman.

Black History in St. Catharines is a self-guided audio walking tour of the downtown that Harriet Tubman called home from 1851 to 1862 — her base of operations on the Underground Railroad, and one of its most important northern terminals.

Created by Rochelle Bush — founder of Tubman Tours Canada, an Underground Railroad descendant, and the resident historian and a Trustee of Salem Chapel BME Church, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historic Site — this tour brings to life the churches, hotels, homes, and people of the Coloured Village and the freedom seekers who built it.

WHAT'S INCLUDED • 11 stops through historic downtown St. Catharines • Narrated audio at every stop and along each walk between them • Turn-by-turn walking navigation from stop to stop • Historical photographs and documents at each location • About 90 minutes at your own pace — roughly 3.3 km (2 miles)

THE STORIES From Salem Chapel, where Tubman worshipped, to the boarding house she kept for her parents and newly arrived freedom seekers, you'll hear the true history behind each site: the 1854 hotel boycott, the Coloured Village documented by Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown, the courthouse where Tubman appealed to town council, the churches built by and for the Black community, and the abolitionists — John Brown, Benjamin Drew, Reverend Anthony Burns, Richard Pierpoint, and William Hamilton Merritt — whose lives intersected here.

HOW IT WORKS Begin at the Salem Chapel National Historic Site and let the app guide you. As you arrive at each stop, its narration plays automatically; when you're ready, tap Continue and the next chapter begins as you walk. Go at your own speed, pause any time, and take in the plaques and present-day streets along the way. Please admire historic buildings from the sidewalk and respect private residences.

The full tour is unlocked with a single one-time purchase — no subscription and no account required.

Best experienced on-site in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario, though you're welcome to explore the stories from anywhere.

Presented by Tubman Tours Canada.