Farmington’s Freedom Trail Tours 🗓 🗺

Event Date : 2025 Jun Sat

Our 2025 Freedom Trail Tours will resume in June! Order tickets here.

Join us on a tour which shows the actual places where the Amistad captives lived during their time in Farmington. Go back with us to 1841 and follow their footsteps!

The Farmington Historical Society offers an introductory lecture by Andre LePelle Keitt, followed by a guided walking tour to the various sites throughout the village which were part of the Mende stay in Farmington, as well as several sites which were part of Connecticut’s Freedom Trail.

From March through November 1841, Farmington, Connecticut was home to the African Mende captives who had rebelled and overtaken the slave-ship, La Amistad. The 53 captives, mostly Mende from what is now Sierra Leone, had been captured and shipped to Cuba. In 1839, they were sold to work plantations on the other side of Cuba. They were shipped aboard La Amistad . While at sea, they rebelled and the 44 survivors sailed the ship to Long Island, New York. They were taken into custody aboard the USS Washington under the command of Lt. Gedney. They were jailed in New Haven, Connecticut and taken to trials in Hartford, Connecticut and Washington, DC. The trials lasted 18 months. In February 1841 their case was argued by former President John Quincy Adams before the Supreme Court. On March 9, 1841 the decision came down, declaring the Africans to be free people with permission to return to their homeland. Nine days later, they arrived in Farmington, Connecticut, where abolitionists provided housing, schooling, and the fundraising necessary for the Mende passage back to their homeland. The Mende provided loyalty, gratitude and a willingness to learn about new cultures and assistance in earning their own way back home.

This story became a love story between two groups of people that were forced together by slavery. They grew to love respect and trust each other by the end of their adventure…together!

Tours are on most Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. beginning at the First Church of Christ, Congregational, 1652 located at  75 Main Street, Farmington. Please see below for specific dates.

Please note that the presentation will take place rain or shine. If the walking portion of the tour is not possible due to heavy rain, we will continue in the church with a special presentation.

For more info, please contact us at akeitt@fhs-ct.org or info@fhs-ct.org or (860)678-1645.

Church presentation and village tour tickets:

• Adults ages 19 and up – $20.00 per person
• Seniors – $15.00
• Under 18 – $10.00
• 5 years old and under – free

Groups of 10 or more: please contact us.

2025 Tour Dates:

June 7, 14, 21

July 12, 19, 26

August 2, 9, 16, 23

September 6, 13, 27

• Total length of tour is 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours.
• Special accommodations can be made for corporate groups with DEI agenda.
• The tour is ADA compliant.
• Accommodation for the hearing impaired can be made.
• Please note that the presentation will take place rain or shine. If the walking portion of the tour is not possible due to heavy rain, we will continue in the church with a special presentation.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS HERE!

“Andre, I wanted to thank you for a wonderful field trip today. I really appreciate the effort you and your team put into making the Amistad & Underground Railroad Walking Tour informative and engaging for 5th graders. I have been on some version of this field trip about 20 times in my career, and I will say that the current version of the trip is the best one!” – Judy Muirhead, Grade 5 Teacher, West Woods Upper Elementary School

“Although I have lived and worked on Main Street since 2008, I was amazed at how much Farmington history I did not know. The FHS Farmington Freedom Trail tour was well organized, insightful and left me thinking more deeply about our town. The re-enactors brought authentic enthusiasm to the sharing and re-telling of Farmington history and made it feel real. I will highly recommend this tour going forward.” – Michael Bergin, CFO/COO, Miss Porter’s School

                           Portrait of Cinque by Nathaniel Jocelyn

Deming made space available over his store for sleeping quarters when the Mende Africans first arrived. Throughout their stay that space also served as their classroom.