Summer Historic Home Tour

Photo of a historic home porch looking out to antique trolley and American flag during the Albany Sumer Historic Home Tour

Note: For winners of the Scavenger Hunt, scroll down to the contest form download portion of this blog.

The 2020 Summer Historic Home Tour will look a lot different this year in order to respect the Covid-19 guidelines. To start with: no interiors. But those interested in our beautiful homes and historic buildings can still take a self-guided exterior tour on Saturday, July 25 (with a virtual peek inside a few of them!) and take part in a contest for prizes, including free tickets to the 2020 Christmas Parlour Tour. This 2020 Summer tour is free but if you would like to make a donation to help maintain the Monteith House Museum, please see the donation options at the bottom of this page.

The details

This year, rather than allow visitors physically inside five or six homes, the tour will consist of a self-guided event that will feature a walk-by of eight homes with the help of a map, the publication Seems Like Old Times and/or the use of our app, Explore Albany, which is sponsored by the Albany Visitors Association.

In addition, while taking the tour visitors can be on the lookout for architectural details that will be included in a scavenger hunt. Find the required items, such as beautiful woodwork detail or an interesting door, and mark it on the ballot. Return the completed ballot and place it in the mail slot at the AVA office, 110 3rd Ave. SE, at the end of the day and be entered in a drawing for prizes, including tickets to the Christmas Parlour Tour on Sunday, Dec. 13. Five pairs of tickets will be given away.

We ask that all visitors observe all social distancing guidelines, including the wearing of masks where 6-foot separation is not possible.

The date and hours

Photo of historic home.Here’s how it will work. The tour is still scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2020, and will run 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can download a map and scavenger hunt ballot from the AVA website the day of the event, or pick them up outside the front door of the AVA or Monteith House along with a copy of Seems Like Old Times, which provides guided tours, details about the homes and some fun and interesting information about Albany and its historic districts.

*Image of Ralston House by Stephanie Low.

For those of you who are tech savvy, download the Albany Explorer app at Apple Store for iPhone or iPad or Google Play for Android. It includes maps to three of Albany’s historic districts, where to dine, spend the night and other details about Albany and the surrounding area. And since visitors won’t be allowed inside the houses, a few homeowners have graciously agreed to let us to create short video tours of the inside of their homes for people to enjoy. They will be available the day of the tour on this page,

In addition, a few homeowners have agreed to allow visitors into their yards to take in their beautiful landscaping. When visiting these yards, please observe social distancing guidelines and wear a face covering over your nose and mouth.

If all of that exploring works up an appetite, take the time to enjoy a take-out lunch from one of the many fine restaurants Albany has to offer. Click here for dining details, inside or curbside.

Download Scavenger Hunt here(PDF)

Scavenger Hunt Winners: Part of the 2020 Summer Tour was a scavenger hunt. A Grand Prize gift basket and five pairs of tickets to the 2020 Christmas Parlour Tour were given away. The contest concluded July 31. Here are the winners: Grand prize Gift Basket: Dianne Bass. Christmas Parlour Tour tickets: Nancy Messman, Sue Roberts, Roxanne Winston, Cindy Fellows and Gail Gerdemann.

Image of Scavenger Hunt questions

 

 

 

Saturday, July 25 – Link to Home Photo Gallery here

2020 Historic Homes Tour Photo Gallery

See a few photos of the Keyhole House, which will be available the day of the tour.

See the inside of two homes on this year’s tour and a poster

Two homeowners have made videos showing off the interior of their homes. Click the Montanye House and the Rohrbough/Callister House to see them. Also take a look at a poster full of information about the Montanye House. MontayneHouseTourPoster (1)

Help preserve the tour and Monteith House Museum for the future:
Donate

The tour and scavenger hunt contest are all free of charge. Normally, tour tickets cost $15 each, with the money going to the restoration and upkeep of the Monteith House. Donations, though not required, will be greatly appreciated since Monteith House income has been seriously diminished due to the Covid shutdown.

Contact-free donations can be made with your credit or debit card using our online payment option here:
( Please note: you don’t have to have your own Paypal account to use this)

Enter the dollar amount you wish to donate:

Donation

$

Donate

if you prefer, checks can be made payable to the “Monteith Historical Society” and mailed to the AVA, PO Box 965, Albany, Oregon 97321, or other donation arrangements can be made by emailing us.

While this won’t be a traditional homes tour, we hope all who have enjoyed the event in the past will come and spend a lovely and safe afternoon with us in Albany’s beautiful neighborhoods. Thank you to our gracious homeowners who are willing to share their homes today and to all of you who have come to enjoy them.

 

2 Comments on “Summer Historic Home Tour

  1. I am so sorry to hear the interiors tours are cancelled. I will put it on our calendar for next year. I have been waiting for a year since I first heard about it in August of 2019. We have been to Albany and toured the Carousel a couple of times, really enjoyed that.

    • Hi Laurie,
      Be sure to keep an eye on our website for the Christmas Home Tour. We are hopeful that will include interiors as it has in the past.
      Thanks,
      Albany Visitors Association

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