Historic Decatur's Christmas Tour of Homes
Dashing through Decatur is the Historic Christmas Tour of Homes! Visit the beautiful and historic buildings that help bring Decatur to life during the Christmas season.
Lights, garland, wreaths, and more is what you can expect from this Christmas décor Tour! The Historic Decatur Association's Christmas Tour of Homes showcases the style and architecture of both historic housing districts in Decatur. The tour includes stops in Albany and Old Decatur where you can tour the homes of residents while also learning tips on how to decorate your own home for the holidays! The tour will start at 3:00 PM on Saturday, December 12th and last until 8:00 PM. The tour itself includes thirteen locations, there will also be opportunities for carriage rides and carol singing by the Bank Street Players. Make sure to stop by the headquarters of the tour at the Old State Bank to try some food at the delicious food trucks. Also, the big man himself, Santa Claus will be in attendance as well between the hours of 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM.
Learn more about what is included on the tour below:
Albany Homes
There are three stops in the Albany Historic Housing District on the tour. Decatur's Albany District once known as New Decatur, is located on the Southeast side of the city. Before the two Decaturs merged together Albany was considered its own city. Once the two combined into the one city of Decatur, the city grew largely, but you can spot the differences between the two areas by the makeup of the housing districts. The Albany neighborhood is full of gorgeous Victorian homes, and quaint bungalows. The street names remain original to the area and are named after Civil War generals. Some streets you may pass will be: Sherman St., Jackson St., Grant St., Johnston St., Gordon Dr., and Moulton St. The three locations on the Christmas Tour of Homes are: The Crawford-Gill House (Circa 1913), the Gray- Wiley House (Circa 1927), and the Papenburg House (Circa 1920). Each home on the tour has an incredible history and is decorated beautifully. The Albany houses will be open for the tour from 3:00 PM- 8:00 PM.
Old Decatur Homes
There are three more stops in the Historic Old Decatur Housing District. The Old Decatur housing district was one of the original housing districts of the city of Decatur. This housing district is the location of many stunning homes dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The homes are filled with history and character like no other. The three locations on the Old Decatur portion of the tour are the Black House (Circa 1913), the Knight-Irwin House (Circa 1908), and the Lyons House (Circa 1915). Make sure to take a stroll around the neighborhood to see some incredible vintage homes.
Churches
A special part of the Christmas Tour of Homes is that it also includes some local historic churches in the area! There will be four churches on the located on the tour that will be open between the hours of 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM.
The four churches are:
- First Missionary Baptist Church will be open from 3:00-6:00 PM. This location will have a live presentation of the church's history named "Our First Baptist: Through the Years" (presentations will be at 3:15 PM, 4:15 PM, and 5:15 PM).
- Westminster Presbyterian Church will be open from 2:00-8:00 PM and include a Holiday Market and performance by the Bells Choir.
- Vintage Faith Church will be open from 3:00- 8:00 PM.
- St. Johns Episcopal Church will be open from 3:00- 8:00 PM.
Historical Sites
The Christmas Tour wouldn't be complete without stopping at some of Decatur's historic landmark sites! There are some amazing places to visit in Decatur and these places are at the top of the list!
The Old State Bank will be decorated for Christmas and will serve as the headquarters for the Christmas Tour of Homes. At this location, you can take a tour of the oldest standing bank in Alabama. You can also view the Enchanted Forest located just outside of the bank. This picturesque building is the perfect backdrop to any holiday photo and has many stories that it has collected within its walls over the years. The Old State Bank will also be the location for food trucks, caroling, and carriage rides.
The Carnegie Visual Arts Center will serve as the secondary headquarters for the Christmas Tour of Homes! "The Carnegie" was once the city of Decatur's library, which now has been reimagined as an arts center for the community. You can view a wonderful art exhibit along the tour. The current art exhibit in the gallery at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center is Sophie McVicar's "Symbols of Transformation."
Last but certainly not least is the Historic Train Depot and Railroad Museum! This beautiful building is home to a free museum that centers around the history of the Depot and the trains that would stop there. A very special part about the museum is that it includes model trains. These model trains are incredibly detailed and are truly spectacular to see in person. The Train Depot will be open for tours along with a holiday special viewing of the magnificent Christmas Model Train display!
How to get tickets?
Tickets will be for sale in advance at local businesses throughout the week: Bank Street Antiques, Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Decatur Morgan County Tourism, Jimmy Smith Jewelers, Miss Muldrew's, and Tammy Eddy Antiques & Interiors
Day Off Tickets can be found at headquarters, The Old State Bank, or at secondary headquarters, The Carnegie Visual Arts Center.
You can also buy tickets directly from the Historic Decatur Association below!
