TUSCUMBIA– Tuscumbia and Sheffield will host walking tours, led by
knowledgeable guides, beginning at 10:00 a.m. each Saturday in April (April 6, 13, 20, 27). Tours will consist of easy walking lasting approximately one hour. These tours are being offered in Tuscumbia and Sheffield as part of a state-wide initiative of the Alabama Department of Tourism. Historical cities across the state will offer similar tours during the month. They are free and the public is invited.
Susann Hamlin
“April was selected for tours because spring is, perhaps, the most beautiful time of year to visit Alabama,” stated Susann Hamlin, executive director of Colbert County Tourism. “The weather should be nice for being outdoors. We hope you will join us for these tours.”
In Tuscumbia the tours will depart from Cold Water Books (corner of Sixth and Main 
Streets) and will end at The Palace (corner of Fifth and Main Streets). The route will encompass the downtown and nearby vicinity, in which some of the state’s oldest commercial buildings, homes and churches are located. Many of these buildings date to the town’s formative days in the early 1800’s.
Participants in Sheffield’s walking tours will gather and depart from Sheffield City Hall (Montgomery Ave.) to enjoy strolling along the tree-lined residential area of North Montgomery Avenue. Most of the homes and churches were built during the Victorian era of the late 1800’s and are some of the city’s grandest “painted ladies” (gingerbread-trimmed homes that often sport colorful paint schemes). Impressive Craftsmen Bungalows built in the early 1900’s are also part of the tour.
The walking tours are sponsored by Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Sheffield’s S.H.I.N.E committee and the Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau. For information: 256-383-0783 or colberttourism@comcast.net.
