Houses and Heritage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Starting in May many historic sites that were closed for the winter and spring start opening for tours once more and I start looking for places of interest. Next weekend, May 3-6, is Heritage Week in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and the town is celebrating its heritage big time. Its European ties date back to the 1500s when DeSoto showed up. Before that, the Native Americans flourished, although they didn’t get pushed out until later since taking over the area here didn’t start hopping until the 1800s. Tuscaloosa is named for Chief Tuscaloosa, in case you’re wondering.

From the looks of the events listing at AmericanHeritage.com, if you love historic house tours, look no more. There are houses that are now museums and houses that people still live in. There are also events that were designed for the younger crowd, like ages 5-6.

For anyone looking for some information about this part of the U.S., the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Web site is a good place to get started. I found essays, photos, information about each historic house on the tour, and even lesson plans for those of you who are looking for classroom materials. If you click on the link “area,” you’ll find a mix of other things to do-mostly history related.

We took a trip to Alabama two years ago and I loved it, although we didn’t make it to Tuscaloosa-next trip. Just remember, when ordering drinks, “sweet tea” has sugar and you’ll find it by the pitchers full.