More than a century of local history will be showcased this April as Foley hosts walking tours of its downtown historic district.

Foley is among over 20 Alabama communities set to conduct these tours every Saturday throughout the month.

In Foley, these complimentary tours will spotlight historic areas dating back to the early 20th century. They will begin at the Foley Welcome Center located at the junction of Alabama 59 and U.S. 98.

Originally serving as the Foley Public Library from 1927 to 1984, the Welcome Center building underwent expansion and remodeling in 1962. It later housed the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce offices before becoming the city Welcome Center in 2013.

Adjacent to the Welcome Center lies the L&N Railroad Depot, erected in 1909 after the destruction of its predecessor in a 1908 fire. The depot, a focal point of South Baldwin commerce and travel for over 60 years, now stands as a meticulously restored city museum.

Highlights of the tours also include Centennial Plaza, the Holk Building, Magnolia Hotel, the Holmes Medical Museum (the site of Baldwin County’s first hospital), Foley Hotel building and other downtown historic sites.

The tours, beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting approximately one hour, cover roughly five city blocks and are led by local community members.

The first tour on April 6 will be helmed by retired Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell, who served as Foley mayor from 1996 to 2006, alongside his wife Sandy, a veteran educator at Foley High School.

LaDonna Hinesley, Foley's marketing director, will lead the April 13 tour, while the April 20 tour will be conducted by Randy LeDrew, a longtime Riviera Utilities employee, and his wife, Cathay. Guy Busby, Foley's marketing communications manager, will lead the concluding tour on April 27.

Organized by the Alabama Department of Tourism, these tours coincide with similar initiatives across the state, making Alabama the sole state to host statewide tours simultaneously.

For further details about the Foley walking tours, contact (251) 943-1200.