FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Karen Beasley, Director of Marketing & Communications
Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 | 800.648.5381
EMAIL: karen@northalabama.org
Holiday Tour of Decatur’s Historic Homes Lights Up the Town Dec. 9
Decatur, Ala. (November 10, 2023) – The Albany and Old Decatur Historic Districts will present their annual Historic Decatur Christmas Tour on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, inviting the public to a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience the enchanting beauty of beautifully decorated historic homes, each adorned with festive lights, ornaments and seasonal decorations. Fourteen tour sites consisting of homes, churches and historic places will be open for viewing as part of the self-guided tour from 3 to 8 p.m. Along with seeing some of Decatur’s most historic and architecturally significant dwellings, the festive event offers shopping, carriage rides and live holiday music.
This year’s tour features four homes in the Old Decatur Historic District and three homes in the Albany Historic District, each beautifully decorated with luminaries, fruit, greenery and thousands of lights, four historic churches, the Old State Bank Building, the Historic Decatur Union Train Depot and the Carnegie Visual Arts Center. Residences in the Albany and Old Decatur Historic Districts are not normally open for public viewing except when a select number of homes open their doors during the annual holiday tour.
A 150-year-old home will make its debut on the Christmas Tour of Homes this year. The home is located at 504 Line Street in the Old Decatur Historic District and has been given the name Shadowlawn due to the towering oak trees that surround the stately home.
Participating properties include:
Albany District
Brueggeman House, 614 Sherman Street SE
Henkel-Naumann House, 632 Jackson Street SE
The Stone House, 619 Jackson Street SE
Old Decatur District
Shadowlawn, 504 Line Street NE
Hunt-Vaugh-Perrin House, 406 Canal Street NE
Lampkin-Guy-Conkle House, 601 Oak Street SE
L.R. Nash House, 415 Walnut Street NE
Other Sites
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 801 Jackson Street SE
Vintage Faith Church, 411 Sherman Street SE
First Baptist Church, 123 Church Street NE
Central United Methodist Church, 616 Jackson Street SE
Historic Depot and Railroad Museum, 701 Railroad Street NW
Old State Bank, 925 Bank Street (headquarters)
Carnegie Visual Arts Center, 207 Church Street (secondary headquarters)
Along with the self-guided tour, this year’s schedule includes a holiday market at Westminster Presbyterian Church from 2 to 8 p.m. and Decatur Methodist Church will host a live nativity, music, refreshments and the historic sanctuary will be open from 7 to 9 p.m. Entertainment at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center includes an appearance by Santa Claus from 4 to 8 p.m. and carriage rides ($20 per person and weather permitting) from 4 to 8 p.m. Adding to the festive and enchanting experience, costumed Christmas carolers will be performing at the Old State Bank and various tour sites, food trucks will be available during the tour in front of the Old State Bank and downtown merchants and restaurants will be open for dining and holiday shopping before and during the tour.
Tickets for the Historic Decatur Christmas Tour are $30 each and can be purchased in advance online at https://decaturchristmastour.com/. Admission is free for children under the age of 12 years old. Tickets also may be purchased in advance at 810 Antiques, Bank Street Antiques, Decatur Morgan County Tourism, Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Miss Muldrew’s, Tammy Eddy Antiques and Interiors, Carnegie Visual Arts Center and Hartlex Antique Gallery (Huntsville) and on the day of the tour at Carnegie Visual Arts Center and Old State Bank. Proceeds from the tour are used to preserve, protect and enhance the character and legacy of the historic neighborhoods.
For a schedule of events and more information on each property, visit www.decaturchristmastour.com or contact Historic Decatur Association (HDA) President Michael Rogers at 256.758.3405 or michael@historicdecatur.org.
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About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)
AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the $4.3 billion North Alabama travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, golf courses, restaurants, accommodations and vendors. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations and special events is available by calling 800.648.5381, by visiting www.NorthAlabama.org and by following us on social media @VisitNorthAL.
