Dr. Cecelia Gross, chair of the History/Political Science Department at Springfield Technical Community College, will lead a walking tour to sites of significance in African-American history on Saturday, October 11, from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Dr. Gross will take the group to the site of the first black church in Springfield and to areas along Main Street that were part of the Underground Railroad. A descendant of a member of the 54th Regiment, an all black unit in the Civil War, will accompany Dr. Gross. The tour will include a visit to the Pan-African Heritage Museum of the USA (PAHMUSA) in Tower Square, where re-enactors will portray important figures in African-American history. The tour is part of the Second Saturday Walking Tour series, co-sponsored by the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association and the Springfield Museums. Walking tour tickets may be purchased in the museum Welcome Center at 21 Edwards Street on the day of the event. Tickets are free for members of the civic association or of the museums. Tickets for non-members are $5 per person. All proceeds will go toward improvements to the neighborhood. The walking tour ticket will also provide $2 off the price of an adult admission to the Springfield Museums on the day of the tour. For additional information, call the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association at 413.747.1830 or email aqca@kimballtowers.com.