Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

 Birmingham Baptist minister, Fred Shuttlesworth, founded the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights after the NAACP was banned in Alabama. His decades of involvement in civil rights activities resulted in beatings, jail time, and bombs planted under his house and church. His tactics were more radical than those used by Martin Luther King and other leaders but they brought attention to the atrocities occurring in southern cities as the images of children being attacked by police dogs and rolled down the streets by high pressure water were broadcasted into suburban living rooms. This helped lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

The museum tells these stories with life-size dioramas. The Birmingham jail cell where Martin Luther King wrote his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and part of a armored police car that Bull Connor used to intimidate protesters are included in the exhibits. Common examples of racism that were considered acceptable and important events in the civil rights movement are highlighted. The human rights movement in countries around the world fills one of the galleries. 

The 16th Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed on September 15, 1963 by a bomb planted by members of the KKK under the church steps, is located across 6th Avenue. Kelly Ingram Park, across 16th Street, has paved paths and sculptures. 

 

The museum and park are accessible. We did not visit the church.

We parked in an accessible space in the lot located at the rear of the museum. The lot is wide so we could pull straight in without blocking anything. Large RVs can be parked across the spaces or on the street. Institute  33.51585, -86.81546

 

Monocacy National Battlefield

 In the summer of 1864, Confederate General Lee ordered his troops to march towards Washington DC which was lightly defended because the bulk of the Union forces were engaged in the siege of Petersburg and Richmond. However agents of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad noticed signs of General Early's movements and tipped off the Union commanders giving them time to assemble 6,000 Federal troops under General Lew Wallace at Frederick, Maryland. The armies met on July 9 and the ensuing battle which only lasted from 8:30 to 5:00 resulted in victory for the Confederate Army. The Union was forced to retreat but the battle delayed the Confederates long enough for Union troops to arrive in Washington and prevent the capture of the Union capitol.

 The visitor center has a short video, exhibits, and a fiber optic battle map which makes it easy to follow the movements of the troops. A brochure is available for a five stop self guided auto tour. Short trails branch out from the parking spaces at each stop. 

 

The visitor center is accessible. The interpretive signs at the first stop, the Best House, are accessible but the trails are not. The trails at stop 2 and 3 are not accessible. We did not stop at 4 or 5 however a short portion of the trail at stop 5 is designated as accessible. It's possible to see the battlefield and understand the action by reading the information on the brochure at each stop. 

The visitor center parking lot is large enough for RVs. The auto tour lots parking areas are large enough for short RVs. One section of the tour road is gravel in fairly good condition. Route 355 which cuts through the middle of the battlefield is busy making left turns onto it from the tour route difficult. Battlefield  39.37739, -77.39496

CNY Living History Center

The core of the center is a collection of Civil War, WWI, and WWII artifacts donated by the family of Ken Eaton, a local man, who started collecting as a teenager. His collection grew so large that he established a free museum in his home, which he operated for 30 years.

The center includes two more buildings with exhibits of  Brockway trucks which were made in Cortland, New York from 1912-1977, and a collection antique farm equipment. 

All of the buildings are accessible. The Brockway building has a lift to the second floor exhibits. The farm museum has a dangerously steep ramp to the second level.

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle. This is a Harvest Hosts site so it's a nice place to stop while traveling. Museum  42.62026, -76.18325

Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum

 

Although there is no record of the number of slaves the Hubbard family helped escape to Canada they were most likely in the hundreds. The house, which was built in 1841, was the last stop before the slaves boarded a boat to cross over Lake Erie. No large hiding spots have been discovered in the house but the abolitionist movement was very active in Ashtabula County, Ohio so many people were looking out for the safety of the people on their way to Canada and the ones who were helping them. 

Tours of the house are given on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 and 3:00. Registration is required however if you just stop by (like we did) and knock on the door, the friendly and knowledgeable guides will be happy to give a tour if they're not busy. The tour starts in the new entry addition where there are a few exhibits then moves onto the three furnished rooms on the first floor of the house. A wonderful depiction of Harriet Tubman is located on the second floor along with African artifacts and more information about the underground railroad. 

The museum is all accessible. A ramp accesses the entry addition which has been built onto the side of the house. A lift provides access to the second floor. 

The parking lot is large enough for short RVs.  Longer RVs can be parked on the side streets. Museum 41.89969, -80.80519

Perryville Battlefield

 During the Civil War Kentucky was considered a border state after the state legislature declared neutrality. Both sides wanted control because of the strategic importance of the Ohio River and the railroads. The Confederacy added a star for Kentucky on their flag even though Union forces occupied the state for the majority of the war.

The Confederate forces attempted to retake the state in 1862 and Perryville, with an excellent road network, was considered a strategic location. Fighting took place on October 8 with over seven hundred men killed. The Union lost more men than the Confederacy but they were outnumbered and retreated through the Cumberland Gap leaving the Union in control of the state for the remainder of the war.

The site has a small museum with battle artifacts, a video, and exhibits detailing the movements of both armies. The museum staff passes out driving tour leaflets and there are trails that wind through the battlefield with over 40 interpretive signs. 

The museum is accessible. The trails are mowed grass and not accessible. There are some signs along the driving tour but most are too far away to read.

RVs can be parked along the road across from the museum. The driving tour road is fine for most RVs. One half mile section is dirt; the rest is paved. Battlefield  37.67451, -84.97066