Demopolis will join 25 other Alabama cities next month to put the city on display as part of the Alabama Tourism Department’s April Walking Tours.

A variety of community leaders will lead the free tours through the historic districts or courthouse square areas of their hometowns. The hour-long tours will start at 10 a.m. on April 4, 11, 18 and 25.

Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ashley Coplin said she hopes the tours will bring visitors and residents to the downtown area.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of community participation and bring in people from out of town,” she said. “If you’re from here and go on a tour, there’s a chance you could learn something new about Demopolis. And it will be a great educational tool for children, as well.”

The Demopolis tours will begin at the town square and will make a loop through historic downtown Demopolis. Coplin said the Chamber is still working to find tour guides that have a lot of knowledge about the buildings and homes in the historic district.

“We’re looking for some people that have lived here a long time or grew up here to be tour guides,” Coplin said. “I think it would help make the tours more interesting if the guides were able to tell stories about what they remember about growing up here.”

She added that any business that is normally open during the time of the tours will remain open, and she also is encouraging other business and building owners to open their buildings if they’d like to.

“Several downtown businesses are open on Saturday mornings, and we encourage people to go in and shop with them, or just to stop in and say ‘hello,'” she said. “Also, if someone owns a building in the downtown area that they’d like to open up for the tour, they’re more than welcome. We want the visitors to Demopolis to be able to see all of us and shop around in our town.”

For more information about the Demopolis tours or to volunteer as a guide, contact the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce at (334) 289-0270.

Other towns and starting places for the April Walking Tours are: Athens, Athens Visitor Center; Atmore, Heritage Park; Birmingham, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; Brundidge, Studio 116; Columbia, Old Bank Building (April 4 and 18 only); Columbiana, M & F Bank; Decatur, Old State Bank Building; Dothan, Wiregrass Museum of Art; Elba, Chamber of Commerce; Fairhope, Fairhope Welcome Center; Florence, various locations; Foley, Welcome Center; Greensboro, Hale County Courthouse; Greenville, Historic Depot/Chamber of Commerce; Huntsville, Constitution Village (April 4 and 11 only); Madison, Madison Roundhouse (April 18 and 25 only); Mobile, Cathedral Basilica; Montgomery, Montgomery Area Visitor Center; Mooresville, Mooresville Post Office; Phenix City, Amphitheater; Prattville, Prattaugan Museum; Selma, Selma-Dallas County Library; Sheffield, Sheffield Municipal Building; Troy, Chamber of Commerce; Tuscumbia, ColdWater Bookstore.

The tours are being coordinated by Brian Jones with the Alabama Tourism Department.

“Alabama is the only state in the nation to hold statewide, simultaneous walking tours,” Jones said. “These walking tours are a great way to get out and enjoy the spring weather and find out about the history of our state. We have done more than 2,000 walking tours since the beginning of the program 12 years ago, and they keep increasing in popularity every year.”

More information about the April Walking Tours is available on the Alabama Tourism Department website at www.alabama.travel.