Leeds Historic Downtown Walking Tour Celebrates 100 Years of the Library
Walk the Story of Our Past
Explore the First 100 Years of the Library
Leeds Jane Culbreth Library in partnership with Leeds Historical Society and Leeds Area chamber of Commerce has planned a historic downtown walking tour to celebrate the 100th birthday of the library on Saturday, April 15 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to walk the story of our past and explore the first 100 years of the library.
This self-guided walking tour will begin in the parking lot at the corner of Parkway Drive and 8th Street across from Regions Bank and Leeds Jane Culbreth Library in conjunction with cities all across Alabama who are conducting downtown walking tours during the month of April.
Once you arrive, you will receive a tour map and have an opportunity to visit each site and different stations around town where historical tour guides will share information along the way. Some of the tour guides will be dressed in costume depicting the era of that portion of history. You will learn about the different locations of the library, the history of Leeds Jane Culbreth Library and other significant historical downtown buildings, businesses and people who have made an impact on the City of Leeds over the last 100 years.
Each location where the library has been located will be referred to as a “station” on the walking tour. This is a reference to the first library location which was a stop or “station” on the route of the Jefferson County Free Library book wagon. The book wagon, later called the bookmobile, brought hundreds of books to Leeds twice a week from 3:00-5:00 in the afternoon.
Leeds Arts Council will have a display of how the library and arts work together. Tour guides, supporting participants and sponsors include Leeds Historical Society, Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce, Casey Parsons and Megan Graham of Guild Mortgage, Friends of the Library, Ken & Susan Nelms, Dona Bonnett, Leeds High School volunteers, the Woman’s Literary Club of Leeds, City of Leeds, Alabama Tourism, Leeds Outreach, Leeds Arts Council and Stratford Real Estate.
You are encouraged to plan about an hour to participate in the tour which entails an approximate 1.02 mile walk through Leeds historic downtown with five tour guide stations strategically placed along the trail. Downtown retailers will be open during the hours of the walk for your shopping convenience.
Leeds looks forward to telling the historical significance and an interesting story of how each location helped build and establish our Library’s 100th year legacy as well as celebrate Leeds, Alabama.
For more information about this event, please call 205.699.5962.
Other Events to Participate In:
At the completion of your tour, plan to visit the annual Art Walk at The Outlet Shops of Grand River located at 6200 Grand River Boulevard East, I-20 Exit 140.
Travel Directions:
From Birmingham traveling I-20 East, take Exit 140, travel 3 miles to the concrete parking lot at corner of Parkway Drive and 8th Street to begin the walking tour.
Download Tour Map PDF
Click Here to View Our History of the First 100 Years of the Leeds Jane Culbreth Library!