Visitors to Alliance can learn about the city’s history during tour events that are part of the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival.
Historical tours will be offered at Alliance City Cemetery, Glamorgan Castle, Haines House Underground Railroad Museum and the Mabel Hartzell Historical Home. The East Main Street Historic District Walking Tour also is available for visitors at any time.
The walking tour includes 32 sites located along the historic commercial corridor in downtown Alliance. It starts at the intersection of East Main Street and North Union Avenue, which in the late 1800s was the location of the residence of the Lamborn family. The tour then heads east along East Main Street, with stops at former retail establishments and other types of businesses. Signs will signify locations included in the tour.
Those interested in following the free tour, which is a collaboration of Alliance Area Preservation Society and Alliance Historical Society, with a grant from the Greater Alliance Foundation, can access step-by-step descriptions at theclio.com/tour/2585.
Historic tours of sites in the Carnation City
Guided tours will be offered at several historic locations in Alliance. Paid admission is required, unless otherwise stated.
Alliance City Cemetery: Meet at the chapel at the cemetery early for the free 2 p.m. tours on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10. A guide will highlight the geography and historic graves at the site, located at 541 W. Vine St.
Glamorgan Castle: Tours of the historic site at 200 Glamorgan St. will be noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 2-3. Tickets are $10 for those ages 11 and older.
Haines House Underground Railroad Museum: Guided tours are planned 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 3-8 at the site at 186 W. Market St. Tickets are required, at $5 apiece, for those ages 7 and older.
Mabel Hartzell Historical Home: Tours at 840 N. Park Ave. will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 2, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 3-8. Tickets, which are required, are $5 for those ages 13 and older.
Shuttles for some Carnation Festival events
The Alliance-based US Coach will have free shuttles available for attendees at two Greater Alliance Carnation Festival events.
Carnation Food Fest: Individuals can be picked up from Alliance Intermediate School, Alliance Elementary School and Alliance High School’s front parking lot at 30-minute intervals. The Food Fest will run 4 to 10 p.m. July 31; and noon to 10 p.m. Aug. 1-2. The festival is at University of Mount Union’s Campus Lakes.
Days in the Park: Individuals can be picked up at the Carnation Caboose lot on East Main Street and Alliance High School’s front parking lot, bound for Alliance Middle School’s parking lot at 30-minute intervals. A loop bus will be available in and out of the park from the Alliance Middle School. Days in the Park will run 4 to 9 p.m. Aug. 6-8; and 1 to 9 p.m. Aug. 9.
Find Levi Lamborn at points around Alliance area
The popular Levi Lamborn-based scavenger hunt event will be back for the 2025 Greater Alliance Carnation Festival.
Each day of the festival, which runs July 31 to Aug. 10, festival organizers will post a photo on the event’s Facebook page of Levi hiding in a different location around the Alliance area.
Once a player successfully names the spot where “Levi” is hiding, organizers will post a “You Found Levi!” sign with a QR code that the winner must scan to confirm their victory and be entered into a daily drawing and grand prize drawing.
Each day, a winner will score a gift card to a local restaurant or store. One grand prize drawing will take place at the end of the festival from the combined entries throughout the week.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Historic sites open for tours during Carnation Festival
Reporting by Alliance Review / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
