Due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour will be self-guided this year, according to a news release on the City of Marietta website.

The event will be held December 4-18, 2020.

The news release describes the event as follows:

The Marietta Pilgrimage is an annual home tour typically attended by 2,500-3,000 people over a two-day period each December. The tour usually features six private homes and a variety of local historic sites and museums.

The walking tour will guide you on a tour of homes in the Church-Cherokee Historic District.

If you want to participate in the walking tour, purchase an official Marietta Pilgrimage Walking Tour booklet for $25 at the Marietta Welcome Center or the William Root House.

The booklets include a “walking tour map, photos and information about the participating homes, and a scavenger hunt for younger tour-goers.”

The booklet also contains discounts and coupons from Marietta restaurants and other businesses.  

 The money raised by the sale of the booklets benefits the Marietta Visitors Bureau and Cobb Landmarks. 

“This was a difficult decision, but we feel the self-guided walking tour is the best option for the safety of the homeowners, our volunteers, and the community,” said Trevor Beemon, Executive Director of Cobb Landmarks in the news release.

“The pandemic has created a hardship for non-profits whose budgets rely on donations and fundraising events. This year’s Pilgrimage fundraiser is more critical now than ever before to help Cobb Landmarks and the Marietta Welcome Center,” said Amanda Sutter, Executive Director of the Marietta Visitors Bureau in the news release.

About the Marietta Visitors Bureau

The news release for the walking tour describes the Marietta Visitors Bureau as follows:

The Marietta Visitors Bureau and Welcome Center was established in 1984 as part of the City of Marietta’s Sesquicentennial Celebration. As a private, non-profit organization, the Visitors Bureau strives to promote Marietta as a tourism destination for a wide range of visitors from cultural/heritage enthusiasts, families and fans traveling for sports & recreational fun, to business travelers seeking close proximity to Atlanta. The Marietta Welcome Center is located just off the Marietta Square in the 1898 Western & Atlantic Railroad Passenger Depot.  

About Cobb Landmarks

The news release for the walking tour describes the Marietta Visitors Bureau as follows:

Since its founding in 1974, Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society has succeeded in preserving and protecting some of Cobb’s most historically relevant buildings. Each year, Cobb Landmarks provides engaging programs and activities that reach thousands of preservationists, tourists, educators, and students. Many of these programs are centered on the organization’s two historic properties, the William Root House and the Power Family Cabin.