DECATUR-Decatur has a rich and colorful history dating back to the early 1800s. To learn more about the city’s heritage, locals and visitors are invited to take part in a casual stroll winding through the historic Old Decatur area. Organized by Decatur Morgan County Tourism and the Morgan County Historical Society, the free guided walking tours are held each Saturday in the month of April with a bonus tour in May and each one features a different route, theme and tour guide.
Scheduled for April 4, 11, 18 and 25 and May 9, each walking tour begins at 10 a.m. and lasts approximately two hours. Knowledgeable guides will escort participants through historic neighborhoods and landmarks where they will share the history of the city and entertaining accounts of the city’s storied past. The tour on May 9 is an added bonus in celebration of the Decatur 200 bicentennial in 2020.
April 4 – led by David Breland, City of Decatur director of historic resources and events, and members of the local chapter of the National Model Railroad Association
Learn about Decatur’s railroad history spanning 186 years and see both large and model trains running with guided tours of the 1905 Southern Railway Depot.
Tour begins at the Depot (701 Railroad Street)
April 11 – led by Phil Wirey, vice president of the Morgan County Historical Society
Tour stops include Founders Park and Old State Bank and continues through the city’s oldest commercial district followed by outside views of the city’s two oldest antebellum homes.
Tour begins at the Old State Bank (925 Bank Street)
April 18 – led byShannon Keith Smith, president of the Alabama Trail of Tears Association
Tour focuses on Native American culture, history and the Trail of Tears and includes the four historical panels of the trailhead itself and an easy walk to view the Trail of Tears landing and the sites of witness structures to the Trail of Tears.
Tour begins at the National Parks Service Cherokee Trail of Tears Trailhead in Rhodes Ferry Park (100 Market Street)
April 25 – led byBarbara Kelly, Delano Park Conservancy and member of the Historic Preservation Commission of Decatur
Tour features portions of the 1887 Delano Park including the magnificent formal Rose Garden, Riverwild Garden and its native plants and animal sculptures, the All-Children’s Playground, the nearly 100-year old splash pad and other sandstone structures designed and built by Alabama’s first female architect.
Tour begins at the Rose Garden (Gordon Drive SE at 8th Street SE)
May 9 – led by Dr. Mary McDonald, executive director of the Princess Theatre
Enjoy a rare interior showing of the Princess Theatre and celebrate the 100th birthday of this icon while touring the 677-seat beauty as numerous Hollywood stars who performed here would have seen it. Built as the Casa Grande Livery Stable in 1887, this gem was converted to a fine arts theatre in 1919-1920 and remains Alabama’s oldest theatre in its original location. Both the theatre and its iconic art deco marquee have separate listings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tour takes place at the Princess Theatre (112 Second Avenue NE)
All tours are free, family friendly and involve easy walking. All tours begin at 10 am and last until about noon. Reservations are not required and tours are held rain or shine.
The Historic Decatur Railroad Depot will also be open each of these Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. until noon.
Decatur’s guided walking tours are part of the April Walking Tours coordinated by the Alabama Tourism Department. Decatur is one of 35 towns across the state participating in the annual event.
For more information, call David Breland at 256-565-3788.
Media Release/Karen Beasley/Decatur Morgan County Tourism
