Wilmington’s colorful history, from the Revolutionary War to present day, entertains and educates locals and visitors alike through a weekly 90-minute guided walking tour.
Walk and Talk Tours take place each Saturday morning. The historic Latimer House, a 19th-century Victorian home, is the start and end point, and the tour traverses 12 city blocks. Tour guides are members of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to studying and preserving the history of the region.
Bethany Guertin, the society’s manager, said the walking tour guides educate participants about the architectural and historical features of various structures without entering the buildings.
“They usually go down Orange Street, down to the river, and then they walk along Market Street,” she explained.
The guides are trained to read their audience and tailor the tours to their interests. A group of people with an interest in theater might be guided to Thalian Hall on Chestnut Steet, an arts venue that has been in continual use since 1858.
The tour includes the Hannah Block Historic United Service Organizations Building/Community Arts Center on the corner of South Second and Orange streets, which was a popular facility for dancing, live music, plays, lectures, wedding receptions and other forms of recreation for armed forces personnel during World War II. The arts center’s website states volunteers kept the center open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. During the height of the war, attendance reached 63,000 people per month.
Participants also learn about the Children’s Museum of Wilmington, also on Orange Street, along with historic churches and homes.
While walking along the Cape Fear River, participants are educated about Wilmington’s maritime history.
“We talk about the significance of the shipyard and the river,” Guertin said.
Tours depart from the front porch of the Latimer House on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and cost $10 per person, plus tax. Private tours can be scheduled on other days. For more information, call 910-762-0492.
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