Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area

Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area spreads across 41 counties along the Kansas-Missouri border. It preserves historical sites and landscapes from the frontier era through a network of partner organizations and museums.

Established in 2006, this heritage area focuses on the border conflicts of the 1850s between Kansas and Missouri. It documents how local communities were involved during the Civil War and the tensions that shaped the region.

The museums and historic sites here tell the stories of Native Americans, settlers, and the civil rights movement through exhibits and preserved locations. Visitors can walk through spaces that show how different groups shaped the region's past.

Visitors can access multiple historical sites through a network of partner organizations spread across the region. Detailed information about each location and visiting hours is available on the official website.

The region contains documented locations from the Underground Railroad where local residents helped enslaved people seek freedom. These secret networks operated despite federal laws that opposed such assistance.