The Aberdeen Inn’s hidden Trap Door to the Underground Railroad
It takes just 50 minutes to get from Downtown Chicago to the historic Aberdeen Inn in Valparaiso, but if you choose to take the winding back roads, your journey will take you through woods and dunes carved by prehistoric glaciers. But this scenic drive is just the beginning of a remarkable get-a-way.
For more and more people from Chicago and around the Midwest, their scenic drive ends in a destination steeped in history. While most people come to the Aberdeen Inn for the four-season attractions and remarkable restaurants, hidden below this resort lies the Underground Railroad.
Like Underground Railroad sites throughout the United States, many Underground Railroads (safe houses for people escaping slavery) and landmarks have disappeared or deteriorated. Unfortunately, records were not kept or were destroyed, making the opportunity to retrace the steps of these folks escaping slavery significantly important.