April means spring is here and trees are blooming and the weather is warming up, which makes it a perfect month for guided walking tours all over north Alabama. Check out the list of walking tours and go explore and learn more about the history of several towns in north Alabama. Tours are free to the public.
Athens Saturday Walks
Athens tour options are unique - offering a choice from multiple tours each Saturday plus tours of local attraction partners. All tours will begin at the Athens Limestone Visitors Center at 9:45am on April 6, 13, 20, and 27. (photo courtesy of Athens Limestone Tourism)
- Beaty Historic District
- Downtown Athens Historic District
- Athens City Cemetery
- Athens State University
- Houston Historic District
- The Robert Donnell House & Museum
Courtland Walking Tour
The Historic Courtland April Walking tour will begin at Downtown Courtland Park on Saturday, April 20 from 10am-12pm.
Decatur Walking Tours
Scheduled for April 6, 13, 20, and 27, each tour begins at 10am and lasts approximately one hour. Knowledgeable guides will escort participants through historic neighborhoods and landmarks, where they will share the city’s history and entertaining accounts of the city’s storied past.
April 6: A Walk Through History in Old Town, led by Daylan Woodall
Meeting Place: First Missionary Baptist Church, 233 Vine St NW
April 13: Hospitality Around the Depot, led by David Breland
Meeting Place: Historic Decatur Union Depot, 701 Railroad St NW
April 20: R. G. Ross, the builder led by Mary Morgan
Meeting Place: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 801 Jackson St SE
April 27: Old Decatur Architecture led by Caroline Swope
Meeting Place: Frazier Park, 309 Cherry St NE
All tours are free, family-friendly and involve easy walking. Reservations are not required, and tours are held rain or shine.
Florence Walking Tours
Free guided tours are offered each Saturday in April at 10:00 a.m. Self guided tour brochures are available from the Florence/Lauderdale Visitor Center. For more information, call 256-740-4141.
April 6: Walnut Street Historic District
Tour begins at corner of Hermitage Drive and Walnut Street at 10:00 a.m. This tour is led by Billy Warren. The Walnut Street Historic District boasts tree lined sidewalks, diverse architecture and elegant homes. The Tour will begin in the UNA Tennis Courts parking lot on Hermitage Drive. Walk by 29 beautifully restored houses that originally comprised the Walnut Street Historic District and were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Parking available at tennis courts on Hermitage Drive.
April 13: Florence City Cemetery
Tour begins at 705 E. College Street, Florence, AL 35630 or entrances on Tennessee Street. This tour is led by Harry Wallace. The tour of the Florence City Cemetery, established in 1818, features many unique headstones and famous grave sites among the rolling hills and towering trees. Florence City Cemetery contains graves belonging to early settlers, two former governors in the O'Neal family, along with other prominent community leaders and families. Tour begins at 10:00 a.m.
April 20: UNA Campus
Tour begins at the Harrison-Plaza Fountain near the lion habitat at 10:00 am. This tour is led by Billy Warren. The Historic University of North Alabama campus tour will feature iconic buildings such as Wesleyan Hall which pre-dates the Civil War and the Memorial Amphitheater which is a memorial to UNA students who served in the military during war. A tour of UNA's campus would not be complete without stopping by to see the impressive habitat of the university's lion mascot.
April 27: North Court & Seminary Streets
Tour begins at Rogers Hall, 1 Harrison Plaza, Florence, AL at 10:00 a.m. This tour is led by Billy Warren. The North Court Street and Seminary street Tour will feature Rogers Hall, Coby Hall, the Governor O'Neal Home, Connor Place, Wakefield, the Robert Dean Martin Home, the Medical Arts Building Pope's Tavern, two Sears & Roebuck houses and many other homes.
May 4: Forks of Cypress Walking Tour
Directions to the site are as follows: take Cox Creek Pkwy. to Jackson Road and turn right. ( no traffic signal at intersection) Go approximately 2 miles and you will see a historic marker which identifies the Forks of Cypress. Enter through the farm gate. Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. This tour is led by Harry Wallace.
The Forks of Cypress Plantation was one of the oldest antebellum mansions in Alabama. It was built in 1822 by James Jackson, one of the first settlers in Lauderdale County and a friend of Andrew Jackson. Bring your lawn chairs for the beginning portion of the tour. Park along the road or enter the gate to park in the field leading to the columns.
(photo: Forks of Cypress by Vanessa Bowser)
Downtown Gadsden Walking Tours
April 6 - Forrest Hinton of Gadsden Public Library; April 13 - Michael Rodgers of City of Gadsden; April 20 - Pudden McArthur of A Walk Through Time and April 27 - Craig Scott with Gadsden Public Library.
Interested patrons should arrive at the back of the Visitors Information Center, located in the Downtown Civic Center at 623 Broad St. Gadsden, AL 35901 by 9:45am. Park and meet at the rear of the building, which is accessible via North 6th St. Walking tours will head East down Broad Street promptly at 10am. Please dress in casual, weather-appropriate clothing with comfortable shoes and feel free to bring your own water. Restroom stops will be available during the walking tour. Tours will continue in a light drizzle but will be cancelled if there is a downpour. Any weather cancellations will be published via Greater Gadsden Area Tourism’s facebook page by 9am on the day of the scheduled tour. Free to attend. For more information, please contact Greater Gadsden Area Tourism at (256) 549-0351.
Huntsville Walking Tours
The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is sponsoring free, guided walking tours to explore the stories behind two of the area’s many historic districts this spring. The spring walking tours take place the first four Saturdays in April and explore the Twickenham Historic District (April 6 and April 13) and the Madison Historic District (April 20 and April 27. The tours are free, and no reservations are required.
All walking tours depart at 10 a.m. the first four Saturdays in April. The Twickenham walking tours will leave from Piper & Leaf at Alabama Constitution Hall Park in downtown Huntsville on Gates Ave., and the Madison walking tours will depart from the Little Roundhouse (gazebo) in downtown Madison.
Tour guides for the April walking tours include Katie Stamps, Denise Swain, Cindy Sanderson and Larry Anderson.
Among the city’s several historic districts, the downtown Huntsville historic districts, Twickenham, Old Town and Five Points, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This official list contains places considered worthy of preservation for their significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture.
Madison Walking Tours
April 20 - Historic Downtown Madison. 10am departure from the Roundhouse Gazebo on Front Street.
April 27 - Historic Downtown Madison. 10am departure from the Roundhouse Gazebo on Front Street.
Mooresville Walking Tours
Mooresville will be on display during Saturday mornings in April as part of the Alabama Tourism Department's April Walking Tours initiative. The entire town of Mooresville, Alabama is on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Alabama's most important and intact villages. Historic homes and buildings, gracious gardens and tree-shaded streets make a visit to Mooresville seem like a step back in time. Meet at 9:45am at the Mooresville Post Office. These walking tours are free. (Please note: this is a walking tour only - no vendors, exhibitors, events, home tours.)
Sheffield and Tuscumbia Walking Tours
Each Saturday in April, free guided walking tours of historic districts take place in Sheffield and Tuscumbia. Led by knowledgeable guides, the historic tours travel past structures that date prior to the Civil War. Tuscumbia boasts one of the state’s best collections of antebellum structures and Sheffield offers Victorian and Craftsman-style homes and structures.
Admission is free. For more information call (256) 383-0783.
