Experience York’s rich history and vibrant present through this series of walking tours. Themes have been developed to highlight York’s distinct history, architecture, revitalization, and lore.

 General Tour Information
Tours step off at the time noted in each tour description. Information about starting and ending locations will be provided upon registration. Pre-registration is required. Tours are limited to 40 people, so register early to reserve your spot. The cost to participate is $12 for adults and $6 for children age 12 and under. All participants will receive a downtown gift bag filled with information, coupons, and gifts from downtown businesses and organizations. Tours last approximately two hours, unless otherwise noted. Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, and may bring personal items such as a flashlight or umbrella.

Registration
Email: info@downtownyorkpa.com.
Phone: (717) 849-2331
If E-mailing or leaving a message, please include your name, phone number, and the number of people who will be in your party. Payment will be collected at check-in prior to the tour.

Parking
There is metered, on-street parking in the vicinity, as well
as convenient access to the Market Street, King Street,
and Philadelphia Street parking garages. Parking meter
enforcement runs until 6:30 p.m. on weekdays.

2010 Walking Tour Schedule

Thursday, May 20 at 6:00pm
Photographic Walking Tour
Bring your camera and walk around downtown with Allison Bitzer and Philip Given, co-owners of The Susquehanna Photographic. They’ll take you to some of the area’s best spots for photography and give you a chance to shoot. They’ll even share some artistic techniques for capturing a great downtown area like York.

Thursday, June 10 at 6:00pm
Murals of York
The 18 large-scale Murals of York and the mini-murals in Cherry Lane were painted between 1996 and 2002 to promote tourism and economic development. Learn about these colorful paintings and their historical setting in a tour concentrating on those murals in and around downtown. Led by York Daily Record/Sunday News editor and historian James McClure.

Thursday, July 22 at 6:00pm
Downtown Architectural Features
Do you appreciate architecture but are not really sure what you are viewing during a tour? Do you want to learn about features on structures that are used to classify it? Have you marveled at the many different styles of buildings in the city and want to learn more about them? Then this is the tour for you! On this tour, you will learn the basic architectural elements found on homes and buildings in downtown York. These ele-ments will be used to teach you how to identify the various types of architecture found in York. Led by Karen Campbell.

Friday, August 6 at 6:00pm
Colonial/Revolutionary York
Did you know that a four-block area of downtown York contains the former residences of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a famous Revolutionary War colonel, the headquarters for two well-known American generals, and buildings that were visited (and occasionally lived in) by such well-known individuals as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington? Join the York County Heri-tage Trust and Downtown Inc for a Colonial and Revo-lutionary era walking tour that will highlight many of these sites and locations. Tours will feature the Trust's collection of historic drawings from Lewis Miller and William Wagner, providing a period glimpse at the City as well as the structures that no longer exist. Led by Daniel Roe of York County Heritage Trust.

Saturday, September 4 at 10:00am
York in the Gettysburg Campaign
In late June 1863, more than 5,500 Confederate sol-diers from Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia invaded York County and marched toward York. City fathers “surrendered” the town on Saturday, June 27, and the following morning a Confederate brigade marched through York toward Wrightsville while three others camped in or near the town. This walking tour will explore York during the Civil War with discussions of the Underground Railroad, the U.S. Army Hospital, the occupation of York, the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, and other topics. Led by Civil War author and miniature war gamer, Scott L. Mingus, Sr.

Friday, September 17 at 6:00pm
Historic Architecture in Downtown York
One of York City’s most pleasing characteristics is its vast and fascinating array of 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century residential, commercial, religious and public buildings. Join Historic York’s architectural historian for a walking tour of the City’s historical archi-tectural heritage. Explore the City from its beginnings as a tiny Colonial town on the banks of the Codorus Creek through its gradual transformation into a bustling late-Victorian city and into the modern day. This tour will highlight York’s diverse architectural styles and provide interesting tidbits of information about the City’s history as interpreted through its built environ-ment. Led by Barbara Raid.

Thursday, October 7 at 6:00pm
Artwork of Lorann Jacobs in Downtown York
Many York County residents know the work of Dallas-town artist Lorann Jacobs: Continental Square’s World War II memorial; Pal, the war dog, standing guard along the rail trail in York; and most recently, the Vietnam War memorial at the York Expo Center. This tour provides an opportunity to meet the artist and hear her discuss her works of art in and around York's downtown. York Daily Record/Sunday News editor and historian James McClure will join her to provide information about the historical setting for each monument.

Thursday, October 28 at 6:00pm
Spooky York
Scott Butcher originally developed a “Ghost Tour” in conjunction with a downtown special event, “Haunted Triple Feature.” The program included Civil War, Victo-rian, and local ghost stories. The tour was later ex-panded to provide new content for the annual York Haunted Historic Walking Tour, which had three sellout crowds in October 2006. In addition to things that go “bump” in the night, the stories focus on dark chapters in local history; Revolutionary War executions in Penn Park; alleged reports of cannibalism by P.T. Barnum’s “cannibal dwarfs;” and the famous Hex Murder. Led by Scott Butcher.

Saturday, November 13 10:00am to 1:00pm
Photographic Scavenger Hunt
Join The Susquehanna Photographic in a photo scavenger hunt. Bring your camera. The group will walk around for an hour and scout out locations, then be sent on a wild goose chase to get a photo of each item in the distributed list. Finally, everyone will regroup to share photos and see how many different perspectives emerge. Photos will also be posted online after the hunt. Led by Allison Bitzer and Philip Given.

Thursday, December 16 at 6:00pm
The Hidden Art of York
Discover things you never imagined behind the front doors of downtown buildings. Get a sneak peek at some of downtown York’s artistic treasures. This tour will take you behind the scenes at several historic properties as beautiful and unexpected masterpieces take center stage. You’ll have special access to places like the York Water Company where you’ll learn about the magnificently painted ceiling. You’ll also get the inside scoop on York’s Market District and inspiring hotspots. Led by JJ Sheffer and Kevin Schreiber.

For a printable version of this schedule, click here.