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Events

Walk the streets Ona Judge knew, and join the Coalition for programs that bring her story — and Philadelphia’s complex history of liberty and slavery — to life.

Current Events

Walking Tour

Ona Judge’s Philadelphia: A Journey to Freedom

This walking tour traces Ona Judge’s escape from bondage in the President’s House to her self-emancipation, set against Philadelphia’s complex history as both birthplace of liberty and site of slavery — weaving together the stories of enslaved and free Black Philadelphians, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, the Underground Railroad, and the city’s emergence as home to the largest free Black population in the early U.S.

Pricing: $35 Adults · $25 Seniors & Students · $20 Children

Remaining dates — 10:00 a.m.

Sat, Aug 29
Sat, Sep 5

8 Historic Sites

President's House · Liberty Bell · Independence Hall · Congress Hall · Congo Square · Mother Bethel AME Church · Old London Coffee House · Potter's Field

Get Tickets on Eventbrite

The Ona Judge Exhibit — open Juneteenth to Labor Day at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street.

Immersive Video Exhibition

Who Is Ona Judge? Immersive Video Exhibition – AAMP Partnership

TOJC curated the exhibition Who Is Ona Judge? on display in Founders Gallery through Labor Day, 2026. The exhibition was installed in partnership with the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP).

Where: African American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch Street
Gallery: Founders Gallery
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm
Run: Through Labor Day, 2026

The exhibition features three screens that bring Ona’s experience to life and connect her journey to the social challenges that persist today.

Screen One introduces you to Ona Judge and her story of bravery and determination.

Screen Two helps you explore Ona’s flight and the ongoing quest to secure freedom.

Screen Three will ask you to consider what Ona’s legacy means for us today.

Plan Your Visit

Program

Philadelphia School District and Free Library Partnership

Through grant funding, TOJC is distributing several thousand copies of Never Caught to students across Philadelphia’s public, private, and parochial schools, as well as Girard College. The Never Caught Residency - Featuring Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar, the preeminent scholar on Ona Judge and author of Never Caught The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge includes lectures and book signings hosted at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and The Free Library of Philadelphia. Following the distribution of The Young Readers Edition of Never Caught, students can participate in workshops and engage directly with the author. TOJC and the School District of Philadelphia are planning a public dialogue featuring Dr. Dunbar and the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Anthony B. Watlington, Sr.

Coming in 2027

2027

Ona Judge Mural

TOJC will invite community members and supporters to participate in the Ona Judge Mural project at AAMP, helping to commemorate her story and inspire future generations.

2027

The Mapping of Ona Judge Concert

Internationally recognized composer and musician Ruth Naomi Floyd will create a commissioned suite of original songs inspired by Ona Judge’s journey. The performance will integrate historical storytelling, period instrumentation, and readings drawn from Ona’s first-person accounts, creating a powerful interpretive experience through narrative and music

Past Events

July 5, 2026

Ona Judge's Philadelphia: A Journey to Freedom

Inaugural Walking Tour · Free

The free inaugural walk of the Journey to Freedom tour, tracing Ona Judge’s escape from the President’s House through the streets of historic Philadelphia.

July 2, 2026

Red, White, & Blue To-Do

Found Poetry Workshop & Drumline · at AAMP

In partnership with the African American Museum in Philadelphia, TOJC hosted a drop-in Found Poetry workshop and open mic inspired by the “Who Is Ona Judge?” exhibit, plus a drumline performance by Mad Beatz Philly on the museum plaza.