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Eckstein Cultural Arts Center outlines ‘Freedom Journey’ Underground Railroad tour and phone app for 2026
Summary
Eckstein director Bill Parish described a multi-community Underground Railroad walking tour and a Freedom Journey phone app; pilot tours and partnerships with neighboring communities will support a larger 2026 launch and Juneteenth programming.
Bill Parish, executive director of the Eckstein Cultural Arts Center, told council the center is readying a regional Underground Railroad walking tour and a companion phone application called "Freedom Journey." Parish said pilot work included 21 tours from June 2023 to June 2024 and partnerships with neighboring communities and institutions to broaden participation in 2026.
"I'm Bill Parish. I'm the executive director of the Eckstein Cultural Arts Center," Parish told the council before describing the program’s development, community partners and outreach. He noted the Museum Center and Hamilton County committee involvement and said the program had worked with neighborhood schools for feedback. Parish said the Freedom Journey app will support self-guided walking and driving tours and that 17 locations are identified in the village, 15 of which will be part of the walking/ride tour.
Parish said the program will partner with Landmark Church as the tour starting point and with sponsor support (he noted Fifth Third Bank’s involvement for a free day at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center). He invited the village to be part of the official America250/Hamilton County celebrations and to adopt a simple resolution to register Glendale as an official community participating in the America250 calendar.
Council allowed Parish to finish beyond the usual five-minute public comment allocation so he could summarize partnerships with Woodlawn, Wyoming, Sharonville and Evendale and describe outreach to schools, Juneteenth booths, and plans for 2026. Parish asked that if the village adopts participation, a point of contact email be provided so he can coordinate with the Hamilton County chairs.
If council or staff pursues formal participation, Parish provided a basic template for a resolution and described the state registration workflow that typically takes about 25–30 days for approval once materials are submitted.
