From a 1909 railroad depot to the site of Baldwin County’s first hospital, Foley will open a window into its past this April with a series of guided walking tours through the city’s historic downtown district.

The free tours, scheduled for each Saturday in April, are part of a statewide program organized annually by the Alabama Department of Tourism. More than 30 communities across Alabama will participate, making it the only state to host simultaneous tours of historic sites on a statewide scale.

In Foley, tours will begin at 10 a.m. on April 4, April 11, April 18 and April 25. Each walk lasts about one hour and covers roughly five city blocks, led by local community members familiar with the area’s history.

Participants will gather at the Foley Welcome Center at the intersection of Alabama 59 and U.S. 98. The building itself reflects decades of local use. It served as the Foley Public Library from 1927 until 1984 and was expanded and remodeled in 1962. The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce later occupied the space before it became the city’s Welcome Center in 2013.

From there, the tour continues to the adjacent L&N Railroad Depot, built in 1909 after the original 1905 station was destroyed by fire in 1908. For more than 60 years, the depot stood as a hub of commerce and travel in South Baldwin County. Today, the restored structure operates as a city museum.

Additional stops highlight key landmarks that trace Foley’s development in the early 20th century, including Centennial Plaza, the Holk Building, Magnolia Hotel, Foley Hotel building and Foley Bakery building. The route also includes the Holmes Medical Museum, located in Baldwin County’s first hospital building, offering insight into the region’s early medical history.

The tours are designed to give residents and visitors an accessible look at the people, businesses and institutions that shaped Foley’s growth.

For more information, call (251) 943-1200.