John W. Jones Museum — Attraction in City of Elmira

I visited this museum alone on Tuesday 6/17 due to a suggestion from someone in the cemetery. Cleveland makes the history of John Jones easier to follow because of his storytelling. I was the only one there which I’m not sure how often he has to give single tours, but he did great not making it awkward. You can tell he cares about the museum. He said they have plans of an extension off the back; that with a new walk way to the new statue will make the museum stand out ! I am ashamed to admit I didn’t know most of the history prior to my visit nor did I wish Cleveland a happy Juneteenth. Nor did I realize I visited the museum 2 days before the Juneteenth holiday. This is why interactive community education and history preservation are so important !! Sorry Cleveland !! Also Mr jones birthday is today happy birthday !!!! Please donate...

Highly recommended! I enjoyed learning about this great hero of US history. The docent Cleveland was very knowledgeable and engaging. I didn’t know that the last stage of one of the Underground Railroad routes was a 4 am freight train! The train ran through Elmira to St. Catherine’s across the Canadian border, which marked freedom from the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. It was remarkable to learn about Mr. Jones’ humanity toward the Confederate army prisoners, who represented what Jones had escaped when he fled Virginia in 1844. It was also fascinating to learn about how the house was constructed and the challenge of moving the building to its...

My wife and I visited Elmira for the first time last week (7/20/24). Didn’t know much about who John W. Jones was, but we kept seeing his name mentioned on signs throughout Woodlawn Cemetery. After our visit to the cemetery, we chose to visit the John W. Jones museum to get a better understanding of who he was. We had no idea what the museum would be like or what to expect. Cleveland was our guide, he was very friendly, knowledgeable, and a real gentleman. He was happy to answer any questions we had, and even encouraged it. We learned a lot about Mr. Jones and the incredible life he lived. Very happy we visited. Cleveland is...