Alton Area Landmarks Association Hosts 54th Historic Home Tour to Promote Preservation
Preserving Alton’s historic homes is a driving purpose behind the 54th annual Historic Home Tour. Read why Ann Davidson and Terry Sharp hope the event inspires visitors to restore and protect local architecture.
Alton Area Landmarks Association previews its 54th annual Historic Home Tour
ALTON - Community members can tour historic homes in Alton through the Alton Area Landmarks Association’s 54th annual Historic Home Tour.
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From 12–5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, you can drive yourself to 10 historic homes in Alton and enjoy self-guided tours. The Alton Area Landmarks Association hosts this annual event as a way to celebrate Alton’s history and architecture. Spokespeople Ann Davidson and Terry Sharp expressed their excitement for another weekend of historic home fun.
“The best way to restore Alton is to get new people to come in and buy houses, and this is our way of promoting Alton for people to come and move,” Sharp said. “If you’re interested in architecture, we’ve got buildings from the 1830s up until the mid century. You can see the whole history of architecture just by coming to Alton.”
Admission costs $15 per person or $10 for members of the Alton Area Landmarks Association. You can purchase tickets online or come to Haskell Park on Oct. 3 to buy tickets in person. All attendees will stop by Haskell Park that day to receive their booklets, which include information about each of the houses on the tour.
From there, people are invited to drive themselves to the homes and explore. These homes are currently occupied by Alton residents who agreed to feature their houses on the tour.
Davidson noted these people are “so generous” and always happy to talk about their homes’ restoration with guests who are interested in learning more. The homeowners enjoy connecting and learning more about their houses, but the visitors also appreciate the chance to engage with Alton’s history and architecture.
“They get a lot of positive feedback, and it’s a fun atmosphere,” Davidson said. “It’s very casual. You go at your own pace, and it’s really a good time. They get that feedback from the people that come to their home, and then we write the history for them. They get more information about their house. I think everybody likes the experience.”
This year’s tour includes the McPike Mansion, the Guertler House, and many other locations throughout the historic Alton area. A tattoo shop and a home for 500 children are also included, though Davidson and Sharp noted that you will have to buy your tickets to learn more about these locations.
Main Street United Methodist Church is another stop this year. The congregation will sell food throughout the tour for people to enjoy.
The Historic Home Tour is planned rain or shine on Oct. 3, and most of the houses include stairs. If you would prefer an accessible non-walking tour, you can visit the Hayner Genealogy and Local History Library at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, for a presentation on all of the featured homes and their history.
Davidson highlighted “the character, the beauty, the quality” of the homes on the tour. She and Sharp agree that these homes are important to preserve. They hope the tour fosters respect for the architecture and history of these structures, while also encouraging people to preserve or restore their own homes.
“You just get interested in it, and you want to save as many as you possibly can,” Sharp added. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”
For more information about the Alton Area Landmarks Association and the 54th annual Historic Home Tour, including how to purchase tickets, visit their official website or click here.
This featured article is sponsored by the Alton Area Landmarks Association. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
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