African-American Tours

Day 1
After arriving in West Virginia's Eastern Gateway, start the afternoon by visiting various sites in Charles Town outlined in the Black History Tour publication. Sites include Martin Delaney marker, first black schools, site of John Brown hanging, the Charles Town Courthouse where the Brown trial and two of the three treason trials in the US were held, and much more. Stop at the Jefferson County Museum to see historical artifacts relating to Martin Delaney and the John Brown Raid. Allow 60 minutes to tour the museum and the entry fee is just $3 per person.

After indulging yourself in the many history offerings of the area, you may want to unwind and relax at one of our quaint restaurants or taverns, or does the sound of thundering hooves, ringing bells, and large Jackpots keep you awake. If gaming is part of your adventure, the place to be is the new Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Now offering 85 new table games with a spectacular 27 table poker room, the new facilities coupled with the traditional horse racing and 5000+ slot machines, makes for an exciting night on the town.

Day 2
Day Two of your African-American Tour leads you to the beautiful Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. The park is the site of the first Niagara Civil Rights Movement meeting held on US soil in 1906, when W.E.B. Du Bois led forty-six men in the establishment of a program to demand more rights for African-Americans. Visit several key museums including Storer College/Niagara Display and the Harpers Ferry bookstore. Be sure to visit the "Allies of Freedom" room on the second floor of the John Brown Museum for a display of the 5 black men who were with John Brown during the raid. Hardy travelers may want to walk across the railroad bridge or climb the steps to Jefferson Rock to see the view Thomas Jefferson described as "worth the trip across the Atlantic". In the afternoon of Day Two, stop at the Storer College room at Mather Training Center. Storer College was established right after the Civil War to train former slaves as teachers and thus is one of America's oldest schools for African-Americans.

While in Harpers Ferry, be sure to stop by the Historic Hilltop House to see the hotel built in 1888 by an African-American family, the Lovetts, to provide accommodations for persons visiting Storer College. While the Hilltop House is currently under a multi-million dollar renovation, the splendor of this unique place will soon return, and the view from the site is one of the best views in Harpers Ferry.