To get in touch about booking a tour, please fill out the form on the right hand side of this page. All tours are guided by OHA staff members and last 60-75 minutes.
Note: Times and availability may vary. Please submit the form at least two weeks before to help ensure a guide is available at your preferred time. For more information, please contact OHA staff at 315-428-1864 x312.
Guided Indoor Tours
Tour Fee:
Free for Teachers/Chaperones/Support Staff
$8.00 per person for K-12/Seniors/Veterans/Non-Profits
$15.00 per person for General Public/College
Minimum $80 per tour
A Peek at the Past: A guided tour of OHA’s special and permanent exhibits depicting aspects of New York History. You may also choose to add on a half-hour Underground Railroad presentation with a costumed abolitionist character Reverend Samuel May for $50 for one performance, and $25 for each additional performance.
Freedom Bound: Syracuse & the Underground Railroad: This award-winning exhibit focuses on the history of Anti-Slavery and Underground Railroad Activity in Onondaga County. The installation features three of the seven carved faces recovered from the basement of Syracuse’s 1846 Wesleyan Methodist Church and personalizes the story of the Underground Railroad while educating visitors about slavery, abolitionism, tolerance, and the meaning of freedom. The Program may be presented by costumed abolitionist character Reverend Samuel May for an additional $50.00 per presentation.
What’s A Museum?: An introduction to the different aspects of OHA including exhibits, archives, documents, artifacts and the jobs in involved in its operation.
Guided Outdoor Tours
Tour Fee:
Free for Teachers/Chaperones/Support Staff
$15.00 per person for K-12/Seniors/Veterans/Non-Profits
$20.00 per person for General Public/College
Minimum $80 per tour
Downtown Walking Tour: A guided tour of Downtown Syracuse that lets you learn some local history as you enjoy a walk around town. The tour covers a wide array of topics, including abolition, architecture, general historical happenings, and some of the city’s lost historical treasures.
Outdoor tours are weather permitting.