Mrs. Gracy Murray Stephenson, Juneteenth Celebration, June 19, 1900. Collection Austin History Center (PICA 05746). The Austin History Center records that the photograph was taken in "East Woods" on East 24th Street.

Juneteenth Driving Tour

Explore the African-American Histories Just Outside Our Door

June 16-20, 2021 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM CT

The Tour Lives On!

We can’t wait to share this experience with you!

This year marks the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865 Union General Gordon Granger read General Order #3 on a balcony in Galveston, TX. The order began: 

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."

Last year we debuted the Driving Tour of Black History in Central West Austin. This year we are bringing it back. This is a perfect time to get out and experience Black West Austin from the comfort of your own vehicle. This driving tour begins at the Neill-Cochran House Museum, and then takes you on a tour of Wheateville and Clarksville.

The tour begins at the Neill-Cochran House Museum and winds through historic sites of Wheatville and Clarksville, two of the original fifteen freedman communities established in Austin after the end of the Civil War. The tour includes access to videos for each stop that explore the history of the site and create connections between the past and present.

Sites on the tour include

• The Neill-Cochran House Museum

• The Jacob Fontaine Building

• Pease Plantation (Woodlawn)

• Pease Park

• Charles Clark Homestead

• Elias Mays Homestead

• Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church

• Mary Smith Homestead

• Haskell House

• Pease Plantation Wall

Before or after your tour, the grounds of the Neill-Cochran House Museum will be open to you. We encourage you to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy a lovely shaded afternoon lunch.

The tour is free with your museum admission (a $15 value), but donations are appreciated. You can purchase your tickets right here through our website. When you arrive be sure to mention you would like to take the driving tour to pick up your materials.

Parking available behind the museum, off of 23rd street. 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX 78705

For more information, please contact the museum office at 512.478.2335 or info@nchmuseum.org.