NATIONAL ABOLITION HALL of Fame & Museum
Join us for the 4th Annual
Abolition Walk
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Walk with us and trace a portion of the footsteps of 104 abolitionists who escaped an angry pro-slavery mob in Utica in October, 1835, embarked on an Erie Canal barge to Canastota, and climbed the hills to Peterboro where they formed the New York State Antislavery Society. Learn more...
The Walk is from Canastota to Clockville and back (5.4 miles - 2 hrs). Map & schedule...
Register to Walk or Ride
A bus will be available for those who prefer to ride. Seating is limited. Ride reservations must be made by September 15.
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First 104 students register for free.
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Scroll as needed to complete checkout.
Why we walk
When a group convened in Utica to form the New York State Antislavery Society in 1835, they were disrupted by an angry mob of anti-abolitionists. Gerrit Smith stepped forward and invited the delegates to "Come to Peterboro" to resume the meeting.
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This historic event motivated Gerrit Smith to devote himself to the abolitionist cause, making Central New York the heart of the abolitionist movement in America, a safe haven for persons escaping slavery, and a respite for influential reformers in our region during the decades leading up to the civil war.
Route & Schedule ~ 2025
Walk or ride the bus from Canastota to Clockville and back (5.4 miles - 2 hrs).
Check back here for the latest news and updates to the schedule.
Transportation
A bus will be available for those who prefer to ride all the way - and back. The bus registrations must be made by September 15.
The bus is also available for folks who need a short rest from walking.
ABOLITION ALE
custom brewed by
ERIE CANAL BREWING COMPANY
135 S. Peterboro Street
Canastota NY 13032
315.875.3030
Mission
Our goal is to celebrate unity in Central New York and shine a light on a largely unrecognized, pivotal moment in the history of the abolitionist movement. We seek broad participation to make this dramatic local history a source of pride and inspiration for freedom-loving people everywhere.
Proceeds from the Abolition Walk will benefit