The Group Travel Leader March 2020

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FOOD & SPIRITS

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MEETS

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TRAI L 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE MARCH 2020

THINK

BIGGER

Plan your adventure at ArkEncounter.com (South of Cincinnati)

THE DIFFERENCE IS

SCENIC Truly All-Inclusive Luxury River Cruising

Scenic River Cruising, Rhine River Group dining

Scenic Enrich, Palais Liechtenstein

Scenic e-bikes

FREE AIR OR

$1,200 PER PERSON

SAVINGS!

SCENIC GROUP VALUE POINTS

Reserve your 2020 or 2021 group on our popular 8 Day Sailings - Gems of the Danube and Rhine Highlights by March 31, 2020 and receive: 1 Free Trip for every 9 paying guests FREE Economy Airfare or a savings of $1,200 per person Scenic Group Value Points ($100 - $150 per person additional discount) Dedicated Group Sales Manager ready to assist your group

Contact your Professional Travel Advisor, call our groups department at 844.425.6076 or visit scenicusa.com Offer valid for new 2020 and 2021 Gems of the Danube and Rhine Highlights Group bookings only. Available on groups of 10 guests or more. We offer 1 tour conductor for every 9 paying guests (10th guest earns free trip). Air offer is only for departures at least 61 days out, if within that time, a $1,200 per person savings will be giving in lieu of free airfare. Offers are based on number of cruise days, and exclude the land portion of the trip. All offers are subject to availability and may sell out. Scenic reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares and promotions at any time. Availability is correct at the time of publishing but cannot be guaranteed. A nonrefundable initial deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of booking, with full payment required 90 days prior to departure. If air offer is selected, flights must be booked through Scenic, on our choice of airlines and are non-refundable once ticketed. A secondary deposit will be required at the time of air ticketing. Offer expires March 31, 2020. This offer is not combinable with any other offer. Taxes & port charges are included in the price. Offer available to residents of the 50 United States only. Offer may be extended, canceled, or withdrawn at any time without notice. 20_SC0204

CONTENTS

GROUP TH E

TRAVEL LEADER

CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF GROUP TR AVEL

COLU M NS

N EWS

6 Editor’s Marks 10 Group Travel

8 Family Matters

O N T H E COV E R

The sun sets over a cypress grove in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin.

Photo by Chris Moore.

Essentials

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Louisiana Spotlight

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Microbreweries & More

VOL 30 | ISSUE 3

ISSUE

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U.S. C I VI L RI G HT S T R AIL GUIDE

KENTUCKY ICONS

Trace the remarkable history of social justice in America with the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

Discover signature traveler experiences throughout the Bluegrass State.

K E LLY T Y N E R 888.253.0455 MAC T. LACY CHARLES A. PRESLEY BRIAN JEWELL HERBERT SPARROW DONIA SIMMONS KELLY TYNER

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Sports Halls of Fame

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Founder and Publisher Partner VP & Executive Editor Senior Writer Creative Director VP, Sales & Marketing

KYLE ANDERSON ASHLEY RICKS CAROLINE DAVIS

ELIZA MYERS CHRISTINE CLOUGH

kelly@grouptravelleader.com

Director of Advertising Sales Graphic Design & Circulation Executive Assistant, Sales & Marketing Associate Editor Copy Editor

The GROUP TRAVEL LEADER is published ten times a year by THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc., 301 East High St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507, and is distributed free of charge to qualified group leaders who plan travel for groups of all ages and sizes. THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER serves as the official magazine of GROUP TRAVEL FAMILY, the organization for traveling groups. All other travel suppliers, including tour operators, destinations, attractions, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants and other travel-related companies may subscribe to THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER by sending a check for $59 for one year to: THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Circulation Department, 301 East High St., Lexington, KY 40507. Phone (859) 2530455 or (859) 253-0503. Copyright THE GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

TAKE A BITE out OF OKLAHOMA Hungry for a delicious new food tour? Take your group to the Sooner State — sooner rather than later. Whet their appetites at Lucille’s Roadhouse, a retro-themed diner just off Route 66. Savor an Okie favorite — the chicken fried steak — and don’t skimp on the gravy. Then, wet their whistles with a wide variety of Oklahoma craft beer at Prairie Brewpub in Tulsa. While you’re here, don’t miss the chance to try the famous fried chicken at Eischen’s, Oklahoma’s oldest bar.

Wrap things up at Cattleman’s Steakhouse, an Oklahoma City legend since 1910.

Discover attractions, itineraries and more at TravelOK.com/Group.

EDITOR’S MARKS

T

BY BRIAN JEWELL

he things you’re selling may not be the same things your customers are buying.

On its face, the group tour business is pretty simple. You sell trips — packages of hotel accommodations, meals, activities and transportation — to people who want to travel with others. If they have a good time on your trip, they’re more likely to take another one.

But humans are complex creatures, and their motivations, thought processes and buying decisions are often much less rational than we’d like them to be. To reach customers effectively, it helps to identify what they’re really looking for when they choose to take a trip with you.

You may think you’re in the business of selling packaged travel. But your customers aren’t buying hotel rooms or attraction tickets from you — they can get those on their own.

Instead, here are five things your customers might really be shopping for:

The Thrill of Anticipation Psychological research has consistently found that the pleasure people derive from anticipating a special event is equal to — or even greater than — the pleasure they derive from the event itself. The thrill of anticipation is often what makes special occasions so special. If you’re booking trips six months or more in advance, you can help travelers enjoy that sense of anticipation by sending photos, itineraries and other trip details in the weeks leading up to departure.

A Dream Fulf illed Some people spend their whole lives dreaming of a certain travel experience but never take steps to realize those dreams. Your potential customers aren’t dreaming about the logistics of motorcoach tours, so you shouldn’t focus your marketing mes-

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sage on mundane details. Instead, inspire people with opportunities to see their dreams come true, and they’ll be much more likely to act.

Peace of Mind Some people would love to travel, but fear and anxiety hold them back.

Perhaps they’re afraid of missing a flight, getting lost in an unfamiliar city or spending a lot of money on a trip that turns out to be unsatisfying.

That’s why many people like the idea of traveling with groups. They’re trusting you to guide their vacation, provide a quality product and escort them through the difficult parts of travel. Don’t underestimate the value of that trust, and make sure you never violate it.

Surprise and Delight Recent psychological research has confirmed that decision fatigue is real: Making decisions about even fun things like travel is taxing on the brain. And many of your travelers come on your trips so they can enjoy destinations without having to make a bunch of decisions about what to do. Instead, they want you to make the decisions for them, and they want to be surprised and delighted by the experiences you deliver.

A Sense of Belonging One aspect of group travel that we often take for granted is its power to create community. Some people take group trips because it gives them a chance to be with others. They get to feel like part of the in-crowd.

They share in an exclusive experience and become part of a travel family, if only for a few days. The sense of belonging is a powerful motivator.

And if you make each of your travelers feel like they belong to something special, they’ll want to do it again.

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TOGETHER

REACH WE

PRINT ADVERTISING + DIGITAL ADVERTISING ONSITE DESTINATION FAMS + CUSTOM PUBLISHING CUSTOM CONTENT

TOGETHER GTL-ADVERTISING.COM

K Y L E @ G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M

888.253.0455

K E L LY @ G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M

FAMILY M AT T E R S

Globus representatives at Select Traveler Conference

GLO B U S HAS B UI LT A

WO R L DW I D E F O L L OW I N G SALEM, Ohio — A widely known tour company began more than 90 years ago when a young man purchased a boat to transport visitors across Lake Lugano, Switzerland. This single boat would launch one of the world’s leading travel organization. Today, the Globus family of brands is a global company that reaches every corner of the world yet remains family-owned, continuing to enlighten groups by showing them the best destinations.

Today, Globus has buying power that individual travelers don’t.

This fact saves groups up to 30% when compared with purchasing every component of a dream vacation on their own. And by eliminating time spent waiting in lines at must-see sites, Globus also gives groups more free time to relax and explore the world.

Touring with Globus provides group leaders an inclusive package, freedom to explore, hotels in the heart of the destination, VIP access to must-see-sites and top tour directors and guides.

Groups traveling with Globus have come to expect sightseeing and experiences, as well as free time to explore, relax and enjoy, included in the package price. Hotel selection has always been a Globus priority, with many located directly in the heart of the group’s destination.

Globus also knows the ropes of travel. The company works hard behind the scenes to get groups front and center at the world’s greatest sites.

There’s scenery, and then there’s the scene. No one is more immersed in local culture than Globus tour directors and guides.

These experts bring destinations to life with firsthand, in-depth knowledge of their cities, towns and neighborhoods. They speak the language. They know the history. They know where to find the legendary pastries.

Traveling and vacationing should not be mutually exclusive for your group. The world’s most inspiring and extraordinary places are meant to be enjoyed, and today’s savvy group leaders understand that touring with specialists like Globus allows them to do just that — enjoy the amazing world around them and show it to their groups.

Globus offers groups the chance to enjoy every moment of their vacation. Without the hassles of transportation and navigating each destination, not to mention waiting in countless lines, groups have more time to take pleasure in and benefit from their getaway.

Groups that travel with Globus also give back. Globus is committed to sustainable travel and minimizing its impact on the environment, as well as reducing its dependence on nonrenewable resources.

In this endeavor, Globus has implemented policies to carefully enhance tour products, with this mission and values combined.

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SELECT TRAVELER CONFERENCE AND MTA FORGE ALLIANCE SALEM, Ohio — The Missouri Travel Alliance (MTA) and Select Traveler Conference are working together to build a better group travel industry. A recent relationship agreement will have each organization promote the other to both travel industry members and group travel buyers.

MTA is a statewide association of destination marketing organizations, hotels, tour operators, receptive operators, restaurants, museums and attractions with the mutual cause of enhancing the group travel market in Missouri. MTA also has a strong following of group travel planners, including bank travel program directors located in numerous states.

Under the agreement, MTA will encourage its members to expand their outreach and marketing by attending the Select Traveler Conference, where they will meet representatives of 100 bank travel clubs. The Select Traveler Conference will extend its membership registration discount to all attending MTA members. In return, the Select Traveler Conference will promote MTA to its membership of bank travel program directors.

As a bonus, MTA will offer a full Select Traveler Conference scholarship registration to its travel planner membership.

“MTA is a great organization, and we are excited to be working in partnership with them,” said Joe Cappuzzello, president of the Select Traveler Conference.

“The leadership of Chuck Martin, executive director of MTA, is greatly recognized in the relationship.”

The scholarship registration to MTA members includes hotel, meals, sightseeing, entertainment and airport transfers.

In short, MTA travel planners will be the guest of the Select Traveler Conference, compliments of MTA. To apply for an MTA scholarship, please call Kacie Honeywell at 800-628-0993.

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The Meeting for Bank, Alumni, & Chamber Travel Directors

Cheyenne, Wyoming March 22-24, 2020

selecttravelerconf.com

Call to Register Today:

800.628.0993

G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M

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Group Travel

P R O M O T I N G YO U R T R I P S

essentials

BY BRIAN JEWELL

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Group travel only works if people join your trips. For your travel program or tour business to succeed, you need effective ways of promoting your products to those most likely to buy them.

If you have a magnetic personality, selling trips may be easy for you. But if you’re not a born salesperson, figuring out how to fill your trips might be the most difficult part of your work in tourism.

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of tools and techniques available to help you effectively market and promote your travel opportunities. Taking advantage of them will help you spread the word about your trips in a way that is easy for you and helpful to the people you want to serve. So consider employing some of these strategies to get bigger groups, make more money or advance the mission of your organization.

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Best Practice: SEND A NEWSLETTER Research has found that most people have to hear about a product or opportunity numerous times before they decide to buy it.

If you operate more than one trip each year, you should start sending a scheduled, regular newsletter to your customers or members to remind them about travel opportunities. This can be a printed newsletter you send in the mail or a digital newsletter you send through a bulk email service. Either way, make sure to include details about upcoming trips, as well as photos and guest testimonials from past adventures.

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Business Basic: EXTEND PERSONAL INVITATIONS The business of travel is fundamentally personal, and your relationships may be your most valuable trip promotion asset. No matter what other marketing strategies you use, always start with inviting people to join you on a tour. This can happen in face-to-face conversations, phone calls, personalized text messages or individual emails.

If your organization is small or young, your personal relationships will help you get things off the ground. So be intentional about reaching out to friends and group members to invite them on trips, and find ways to work your travel opportunities into other conversations as well.

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Innovative Idea: OFFER CUSTOMER INCENTIVES One of the best ways to fill your next trip is to convert guests from past tours into repeat customers.

To do that, consider creating an incentive program that rewards people to taking multiple trips with you. This could be something simple, such as offering a $50 discount to someone who takes two trips in the same year, or a more elaborate loyalty program with a high-profile gift or event for your best customers. You could also offer similar incentives for people who bring friends or refer new customers.

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Pro Tip: AUTOMATE YOUR MARKETING

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Sending regular emails and newsletters is an important part of a travel promotion strategy, but you can take things to the next level by automating your marketing. Email services like Mailchimp and Constant Contact give you the ability to set up automated emails — or even a series of emails — that trigger whenever you add someone to your mailing list. You can also set follow-up emails based on user actions. So if a customer opens or clicks on an email about one specific trip, you can have the system automatically send them a follow-up reminder about that trip a couple of weeks later.

Growth Opportunity: TRY ONLINE ADVERTISING If you run a for-profit professional tour company and want to grow your business, you need to look into online advertising. There are abundant options for online marketing, each with its own powerful features. If you already have a well-established mailing list, you can use Facebook ads to reinforce your marketing message for people already in your audience.

Or try using Google or YouTube ads to target others in your community that are searching for travel topics.

These services allow you to focus your marketing on the people most likely to respond to it.

MARKETING

support & guidance Collette offers a range of free, personalized marketing materials, including personalized flyers, group mailers, postcards and social media support. Partner with your local business development manager to effectively use these marketing resources to generate more success.

THE WORLD AWAITS WITH TOURS TO ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS. Call 844.445.5663 or your local travel professional now to learn about our booking offers.

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CST# 2006766-20 UBN# 601220855 Nevada Seller of Travel Registration No. 2003-0279

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DISTILLERIES

BREWERIES

New Belgium Brewing Co. COURTESY NEW BELGIUM BREWING CO.

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Watershed Distillery

WINERIES COURTESY CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE

COURTESY WATERSHED DISTILLERY

g n i c i t c a r P THEIR

CRAFT

Groups can enjoy refreshing drinks and behind-the-scenes tours at microdistilleries such as Corsair Distillery in Nashville.

Corsair Distillery COURTESY CORSAIR DISTILLERY

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FOOD & SPIRITS

ISSUE

YOUR GROUP CAN VISIT THESE SMALL SPIRITS LANDMARKS

S

BY BRIAN JEWELL

ometimes good things come from small producers.

During the past decade, the beverage industry has seen a surge in innovative, entrepreneurial startups as new microbreweries, microdistilleries and estate wineries have opened in cities and states across the country.

For travelers who enjoy tasting these products and learning about how they’re made, these small producers offer great opportunities to visit.

If your group includes, beer, wine or spirits enthusiasts, consider incorporating a tour of one of these sites on your next trip.

Firef ly Distillery

WAD M A L AW I S L A N D, S O UTH C A RO LI N A

On an island off the coast of South Carolina, a group of friends who previously worked together in the wine business decided to launch a new venture, blending their passion for distilling with the signature flavor of the South. The result was Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, a spirit that has won acclaim for its innovative flavor and become a favorite for cocktail aficionados throughout the region.

Groups can hear all about the Firefly story during a tour of the South Carolina distillery. Tours showcase the entire distillation process and feature samples of several varieties of Firefly products. After the tour, travelers can order cocktails in the tasting room or relax on the front porch to enjoy the live music, food trucks and other fun often on-site during popular seasons. The distillery is scheduled to move to a larger venue near Charleston with more amenities this spring.

COURTESY CORSAIR DISTILLERY

F I R E F LY D I S T I L L E RY.C O M

New Belgium Brewing Company

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local beer. The experience inspired them to try their hands at brewing Belgian-style beer at their home in Fort Collins, Colorado, and they named their first product Fat Tire after the bikes they used during their European adventure. In the three decades since, Fat Tire has become a signature Colorado craft beer, and New Belgium has grown to produce numerous other varieties at three breweries.

Groups interested in learning more about the New Belgium story and sampling its products, can tour the brewery at the company’s Fort Collins headquarters; tours are also available at the company’s location in Asheville, North Carolina. Basic tours last 90 minutes and give an overview of the brewing.

Interested groups can also arrange more in-depth tour experiences.

N E W B E LG I U M .C O M

Chateau Ste. Michelle WO O D I N V I LLE , WA S H I N GTO N

Like other West Coast states, Washington enjoys an abundance of great wineries, many of which produce their products on a limited scale and offer tour and tasting opportunities for visitors. In Woodinville, just outside Seattle, a winery called Chateau Ste. Michelle offers visitors a sense of grandeur and the best traditions of European winemaking.

The Woodinville winery is one of two locations owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle and produces white wines exclusively. Guests can explore the Frenchstyle chateau for which the winery is named and choose from a variety of tour and tasting experiences. Basic tours give an overview of the winery and offer opportunities for tasting flights. Other options include programs called Wine 101, Winemaker for a Day and Sensory Sojourn. Several other options pair Chateau Ste. Michelle wines with gourmet food.

S T E - M I C H E L L E .C O M

Back in 1988, Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch took a bike trip through Belgium and fell in love with the

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Watershed Distillery CO LU M B U S, O H I O

Columbus, Ohio’s Watershed Distillery was started in 2010 by two friends who were passionate about spirits and left their stable jobs to open a distillery where they could experiment with classic liquors and new concepts alike. The distillery makes a gin that includes four different kinds of citrus peels, in addition to straightforward vodka and bourbon with ingredients sourced from local farms. They also have more inventive options, such as a bourbon barrel gin; an Old Fashioned, which blends bourbon with bitters, raw sugar and Ohio cherry juice; and nocino, a sweet Italian liquor made from walnuts.

When groups visit Watershed, they get private tours that showcase the stills, as well as the bourbon aging area and other parts of the production. Then, they get to sample the lineup of products, learning how classic techniques and new innovations are used to create distinctive flavors. Many groups also include a meal in the on-site restaurant, Watershed Kitchen and Bar. WAT E R S H E D D I S T I L L E RY.C O M

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery HA M M O N DS PO RT, N E W YO R K

In 1957, a scientist named Konstantin Frank planted some vinifera vines on a hilly plot of land

on the southwestern side of Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. He hoped the area’s cool climate would prove ideal for growing grape varieties such as riesling, pinot noir and rkatsiteli. His experiment proved successful. Today, Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery is one of more than 100 wineries around the Finger Lakes.

When groups visit the winery, they can learn about Frank’s winemaking experiments and choose from a variety of tasting experiences. The 1962 Reserve Tasting gives guests access to the winery’s 30 products. The Terrace at 1886 offers wine and cheese pairings with beautiful views of the lake below. The full Food and Wine Experience features an in-depth wine education session and a gourmet meal.

D R F R A N K W I N E S .C O M

Sprecher Brewing Company M I LWAU K E E

Milwaukee has a long and illustrious brewing history. But before 1985, there were no microbreweries in the city. That changed when Randy Sprecher, then a third-shift employee at the Pabst Brewing Company, decided to start making beers like those he had discovered during his military service in Germany. Soon, the Sprecher Brewing Company was born. Today, Milwaukee’s original craft brewery offers numerous experiences for visitors.

Basic tours showcase the brewhouse, where guides demonstrate how Sprecher fire-brews craft beers and sodas. The tour also includes stops at the fermentation cellar, the bottling line and the indoor beer garden and taproom for tastings. Other tour options include the Drinking Age Only Tour, which includes a commemorative beer-tasting glass for visitors to take home, and the Reserve Tasting Tour, which features tastings of 10 Sprecher beers paired with artisanal cheeses.

S P R E C H E R B R E W E RY.C O M

Corsair Distillery N A S H V I LLE , TE N N ES S E E

Friends Darek Bell and Andrew Webber began their journey together as hobbyists making beer and wine in their homes. But after they decided that distilling whiskey would be more satisfying, they focused all 325C Howard St reet • Greenwood, Mississippi 662.451.6750 • thealluvian.com

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Four Peaks Brewing Co. in Tempe

COURTESY FOUR PEAKS BREWING CO.

COURTESY DR. KONSTANTIN FRANK WINERY

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

their attention on creating craft spirits. In 2010, their Corsair Distillery opened its first location in Nashville, Tennessee; a second Nashville location opened in 2016. In addition to its signature Triple Smoke Whiskey, Corsair produces a gin and a pumpkin spice moonshine.

At the original Nashville location, visiting groups can choose from a variety of tour experiences. The basic public tour lasts 30 minutes and offers a behindthe-scenes look at the stills, the fermentation vessels and the blending tanks used in the distillation process, as well as a tasting of five spirits. Other options include a master distiller’s tour and a cocktail creation course.

C O R S A I R D I S T I L L E RY.C O M

Four Peaks Brewing Company TE M PE , A R IZO N A

The building that houses the Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe, Arizona, was never designed to be a brewery. When it was constructed in 1892, before Arizona’s statehood, it served as the F.A. Hough Ice Factory. Throughout the coming decades, the Mission Revival structure went on to house a dairy creamery and, later, a recording studio used by artists such as Stevie Nicks and the Gin Blossoms.

Then in the mid-1990s, a group of friends opened the Four Peaks Brewing Company in the historic facility.

Guests learn all about this history when they take a tour at Four Peaks. Tours also highlight the brewing process and all the science that goes into it. Visitors learn about the company’s laboratory testing, the water treatment process and the barrel-aging program before sampling its signature beers. Groups can finish the experience with classic and innovative bar fare in the on-site restaurant.

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S TAT E S P O T L I G H T

LOUISIANA

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n all the United States, there’s no place quite like Louisiana.

Distinguished by a wet, wild landscape of flat lowlands filled with rich, biodiverse bayous fed by rivers and lakes, this sultry Gulf Coast state also dishes up bustling urban centers like the universally beloved New Orleans. A city bursting nightly with the sensuous sounds of live jazz and blues, it offers groups the chance to experience not only world-class food, drink and lodging, but also renowned historical attractions, both established and brand new.

A short drive north of New Orleans is Baton Rouge, the state capital. Perched astride the mighty Mississippi River, it’s an ever-evolving metropolis home to classic hotels and a just-opened entertainment center for group fun. A little more than two hours west, Lafayette is an energetic university burg known for its Cajun culture. And strung like pearls between them all is a vibrant tapestry of small towns and singular attractions, all combining to make Louisiana a great place for a group getaway.

FOOD & SPIRITS

ISSUE

The Tabasco factory and accompanying farm on Avery Island have been producing hot sauce since 1868.

COURTESY TABASCO

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ARTWORK BY DONIA SIMMONS

By Jill Gleeson

National WWII Museum COURTESY NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM

POPULAR DEMAND NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM

In a city filled with crowd-pleasing attractions, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans is the most popular. Sitting on six acres, the massive museum offers five pavilions filled with historical artifacts, interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and more. New doings include the Bollinger Canopy of Peace, which will showcase a state-of-the-art light display come sunset.

Tabasco factory on Avery Island COURTESY TABASCO

VERMILIONVILLE LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM AND FOLKLIFE PARK

PHOTOS BY DENNY CULBERT, COURTESY VERMILIONVILLE

A Vermilionville historic structure

Some 60,000 people visit Vermilionville annually for a look at Louisiana’s unique heritage, an intoxicating melange of Native American, Arcadian, Creole and African American cultures. The 23-acre campus includes seven restored historic homes, costumed artisans demonstrating their crafts and a traditional dance with live music every Sunday.

TABASCO FACTORY

Tucked away on Avery Island, the Tabasco Factory has been producing the country’s most famous hot sauce since 1868. Still family owned and operated, Tabasco offers groups a factory tour, with stops in the barrel warehouse, the bottling area and the pepper greenhouse, as well as a museum and restaurant.

MELROSE PLANTATION

Heritage crafts at Vermilionville

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A National Historic Landmark in the legendarily charming Natchitoches Parish, the two-centuries-old Melrose Plantation is home to nine historic buildings, including the stunning Big House. They tell the story not only of Civil War and Reconstruction and the area’s Creole heritage but also Clementine Hunter, one of the South’s best-known folk artists.

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UP AND COMING This interactive museum dedicated to NOLA’s cocktail culture opened in October of last year in a gorgeous, 48,000-square-foot Italianate-style structure that dates back to the 1860s. With a microdistillery on-site, high-tech exhibits like virtual bartenders, and chances to make and sample Sazeracs and other adult beverages, Sazerac House promises to be a group pleaser.

MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM

Shreveport’s iconic Municipal Auditorium was completed in 1929, but the Art Deco palace where musical history was made is serving up something new: special private backstage group tours. From 1948 to 1960, the auditorium was home to the radio show “Louisiana Hayride,” where Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Elvis Presley launched their careers.

The tour gives groups the chance to walk in the footsteps of performers who would go on to become legends.

COURTESY VISIT NEW ORLEANS

SAZERAC HOUSE

Sazerac House

Baton Rouge’s Electric Depot COURTESY ELECTRIC DEPOT

BAYOU TERREBONNE DISTILLERS

Downtown Houma’s Bayou Terrebonne Distillers, which debuted on Mardi Gras this year, is already accepting groups for behind-the-scenes tour of its facilities, located in a century-old building that was once a dried-shrimp plant. Groups can learn about the whiskey-making process, sample product and take Moonshine 101, a Cajunthemed cocktail-making class.

ELECTRIC DEPOT/ RED STICK SOCIAL

The big news in Baton Rouge is Electric Depot, a smart, new mixed-use development in the city’s former electric warehouse and depot. Red Stick Social, which offers bowling, live entertainment, a restaurant and more, is a great stop for groups, as is the City Roots Coffee Bar, open late on weekends for drinks.

Look for other businesses, like a ramen and poke bar, to open shortly.

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O V E R N I G H T S E N S AT I O N S WATERMARK BATON ROUGE

Built nearly a century ago to house the Louisiana Trust and Savings Bank headquarters, the Watermark Baton Rouge’s stunning Art Deco digs makes staying at the hotel a special treat. So too does the posh interior, including guest rooms so elegant that group travelers won’t want to leave.

HOTEL MONTELEONE

A landmark in New Orleans, the sophisticated Hotel Monteleone is famed not just for its incredible literary heritage — the hotel has hosted William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway, among others — but also the historic Carousel Bar, which revolves within a sleek, stylish lounge.

L’AUBERGE LAKE CHARLES CASINO HOTEL

This spectacular property in Lake Charles gives groups everything they could want, from a casino with 80 table games and 1,600 slots to top-notch live entertainment. L’Auberge also boasts pampering amenities like a spa, luxurious accommodations and renowned cuisine from restaurants, including the contemporary steakhouse Ember Grille and Wine Bar.

Watermark Baton Rouge COURTESY WATERMARK BATON ROUGE

PLAY AND GET AWAY ON THE

NORTHSHORE #LANorthshore

Visit St. Tammany Parish and bring your appetite for great Louisiana cooking, and for living.

Come paddle the bayou, pedal the Tammany Trace, tour Honey Island Swamp, do the Dew Drop, toast the town at Abita Brewery or Pontchartrain Vineyards, and celebrate with culinary and cultural festivals.

Less than an hour from New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Baton Rouge.

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MEMORABLE MEALS MIDDENDORF’S

Long a favorite of group travelers, Middendorf’s has added a new Slidell restaurant to its Manchac location, established in 1934. Dishes include the “world-famous original thin fried catfish,” housemade turtle soup, gumbo, po’ boys, and fried shrimp and oysters. Middendorf’s offers private dining rooms for groups.

RANDOL’S

Lafayette legend Randol’s has been giving groups a great time for more than 35 years, thanks to a menu filled with authentic Cajun cuisine like crawfish, shrimp and catfish etouffee, boudin balls and plenty of boiled and fried seafood. There’s dancing to live bands nightly, too.

A shrimp po’ boy on the North Shore COURTESY LOUISIANANORTHSHORE.COM

ANTOINE’S

One of the oldest family-run restaurants in the United States, Antoine’s opened in New Orleans’ French Quarter in 1840. The French-Creole fare is justifiably famous — oysters Rockefeller was invented at Antoine’s — as are the lavish private group dining rooms, many of which boast spectacular displays of Mardi Gras costumes and memorabilia.

Middendorf’s in Slidell

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ROCK WAS BORN ON THE RHYTHM OF THE BLUES. And the blues? For many legendary artists, the blues found their roots in Baton Rouge. From one of the country’s oldest blues festivals to weekly lineups of headliners and songwriters, Baton Rouge lives for live music.

Listen for yourself at VisitBatonRouge.com/music

VISIT BATON ROUGE IS PROUD TO HOST THE 2020 TRAVEL SOUTH DOMESTIC SHOWCASE

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ansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas are home to some of the most iconic and historic attractions in the United States, touching on the country’s Wild West roots, western expansion and deep faith. Here are a few signature attractions in America’s Crossroads.

BOOT HILL MUSEUM Dodge City, Ka nsas

Dodge City, Kansas, has a rich Western history, from gunfighters and buffalo hunters to railroad workers, soldiers and law men.

The Boot Hill Museum tells the stories of the Wickedest Little City in the West through exhibitions, performances and gunfight reenactments.

The museum features a re-created street showing how Dodge City looked in its late-1800s beginning. Visitors walk into the storefronts to see more than 45 permanent exhibits featuring 28,000 artifacts and more than 50,000 photos. The museum is in the middle of an expansion. In May, it opens a new 13,000-square-foot building that will feature nine new permanent exhibits.

“Basically, we’ve run out of room with the space we had, so we had to build on,” said Laura Tawater, donor relations and marketing manager for the Boot Hill Museum. “Some of the artifacts we have in storage, we’ve been unable to show and tell. With this new

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Extensive renovations have made the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis easier for groups to visit.

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expansion we’ll be able to do that.”

The new addition will also feature 3,000 square feet of exhibit and event space. In honor of Hollywood’s portrayal of Dodge City, the Boot Hill Museum also shows off an extensive “Gunsmoke” collection. Big names like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson feature prominently in the exhibits, as does George Hoover, the first person in Dodge City to open a business. He sold liquor to the town’s inhabitants. Groups are welcome year-round. They can tour the museum on their own or work with a staff historian who can give them a private tour.

Meals and entertainment are also available.

BOOTHILL.ORG

PONY EXPRESS MUSEUM St. Joseph, Missou ri

An icon of the American West, the Pony Express made its mark on history even though it was only operational for 18 months, from April 1860 to October 1861. Riders for the Pony Express traveled 2,000 miles by horse, carrying the nation’s letters in saddlebags between the Pony Express Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California.

The Pony Express was the only way to deliver messages west of St. Joseph until the expansion of the railroad.

Extensive records of the Pony Express riders’ missions weren’t kept, but historians have pieced the narrative together from the families of riders who passed that history down to their descendants through letters, artifacts and stories, said Cindy Daffron, executive director of the museum.

“They were the first ones to get communication across the country,” she said. “That was the first time information could be transmitted that way. Before that time, the military couldn’t talk back and forth with their forts.”

Visitors to the museum can tour the many exhibits, visit some of the original stables, tour a one-room schoolhouse and walk along a 60-foot diorama depicting the diverse terrain a rider would have ridden through. One of the exhibits examines what 22 Pony Express riders did after they left the service.

Groups can take a guided tour of the museum and schedule a box lunch or meal while there.

PONYEXPRESS.ORG

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A gunfight at Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City

COURTESY BOOT HILL MUSEUM

The new entrance to the Gateway Arch COURTESY NPS

GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK St. Lou is

Many people don’t realize that St. Louis’ famous Gateway Arch is part of a national park. Completed in 1965, the arch and surrounding area recently underwent a $380 million renovation.

As part of the renovation, 46,000 square feet of new space was added to the base of the arch, including a new entrance with improved security, additional museum space and an education center for meetings and workshops.

Before the renovation, the Gateway Arch museum covered about 100 years of history.

Now, it details 201 years of history from the perspective of settlers and the Native American and Mexican people who lived in the area.

It touches on St. Louis as a fur trading post, the Louisiana Territory, the Lewis and Clark expedition, Manifest Destiny and how the Gateway Arch was conceived and built.

One goal of the renovation was to connect the national park to the city.

“Before, we were disconnected,” said Erin

Hilligoss-Volkmann, director of education for Gateway Arch National Park. “Basically, there was a highway that ran between the city side of the park and the park.” Now, there is a lid over the highway, allowing people to walk to the arch from downtown.

Museum entrance is free, but groups can get a discount on tram tours to the top of the arch. They also can set up ranger-led tours of the arch or have a ranger speak to the group about any of the topics detailed in the Arch museum’s exhibitions.

NPS.GOV/JEFF

NATIONAL COWBOY AND WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM Ok la homa City

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum was initially intended as a tribute to the working American cowboy when it opened to the public in 1965. But it became one of the biggest depositories of rodeo history and artifacts, particularly the role of women in early rodeo, in the country, said Michael Grauer, curator of cowboy collections and Western art for the museum.

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Mount Mora Cemetery

Take your Group On an adventure to remember

Pony Express Statue

St. Joseph offers a unique variety of group entertainment from fine dining to internationally and domestically awarded museums. Centrally located and only 45 minutes north of Kansas City.

Enjoy Events Downtown

St. Joseph is definitely worth the visit.

Personalized Itineraries | History and Architecture Arts and Culture | Home-Town Hospitality

Historic Missouri Theater

Wyeth-Tootle Mansion

Gpinzino@stjomo.com

StJoMo.com | 800-785-0360

Oklahoma City was chosen as the location of the museum because of its prime location on the famous Route 66. Its collections tell the story of the American cowboy, the rodeo, Wild West shows and trick riders. It also touches on the frontier army, hunting in the West, Native American history and Hollywood’s love affair with the Wild West. Its extensive Western art collection includes pieces by famous Western artists Frederic Remington and Charlie Russell.

The museum’s signature sculpture, “End of the Trail,” is a 16-foottall plaster statue sculpted by James Earle Fraser that depicts a weary Native American man slumped over his tired horse. The sculpture was rescued from a park in San Francisco, where it sat deteriorating for 50 years.

Groups receive discounted admission to the museum and are offered guided tours upon request.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

NATIONALCOWBOYMUSEUM.ORG

GREAT PASSION PLAY Eu reka Spri ngs, A rka nsas

Since 1968, 8 million visitors have traveled to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, to see the last days of Jesus Christ depicted “in epic fashion,” said Kent Butler, director of operations for the Great Passion Play. The drama is performed with live animals and more than 150 costumed actors. The nonprofit that runs the passion play has

COURTESY NCWHM

The Great Passion Play COURTESY GREAT PASSION PLAY

An exhibit at the Pony Express Museum

made many improvements to the performance over the years, including adding pyrotechnic effects when the angel appears and Christ is resurrected.

“People are able to get into the story and feel the impact of it,” Butler said. “We make it a miraculous experience.”

Church groups, mission trips, bus tours, youth and family groups love to come see the play and visit the area’s other attractions, including the Holy Land Tour that allows guests to immerse themselves in biblical times.

“You can see Jesus walk on water and 30 replicas of different biblical sites,” Butler said.

These include a life-sized replica of the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem and Moses’ Tabernacle in the Wilderness. The Bible Museum on-site displays one of the rarest bibles in the world, a 1611 King James Bible, and 6,000 manuscripts ranging from a Masoretic text from the eighth century to the first Cherokee Bible.

Christ of the Ozarks, a seven-story-tall statue of Christ, is a huge draw for visitors and is free to visit. Groups can stay after the play and enjoy a dinner buffet. Guides are available to familiarize groups with the various attractions. Groups can even participate in the passion play as extras.

“Instead of sitting, they are part of the action,” Butler said. “Not many theaters offer that in-depth experience.”

GREATPASSIONPLAY.ORG

COURTESY ST. JOSEPH VB

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DESTINATION DEBUTS DON’T MISS THESE NEW STOPS IN AMERICA’S CROSSROADS B y P a u l a Av e n Gl a d y c h

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nmerica’s Crossroads states have a vast history, from western expansion and the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Native American tribes that predated European expansion. And today, the area continues to grow and expand.

Check out these noteworthy new attractions next time your group travels in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. .

ST. LOUIS AQUARIUM AT UNION STATION St. Lou is

The developers of the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station didn’t set out to open an aquarium in the space when they purchased the property in 2011. The owner, Lodging Hospitality Management, wanted to turn the property into a hotel, restaurants and commercial properties.

“It was very much a new concept to think about bringing a family attraction destination to St. Louis Union Station,” said Cameron Schoeffel, sales and entertainment director for the aquarium, which opened on Christmas Day 2019.

The aquarium is home to 13,000 animals and incorporates train history into its storytelling. When visitors enter the building, they step into a room decorated to look like a train. The interactive benches shake as guests take a virtual train ride from 1894 St. Louis to modern times.

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The St. Louis Aquarium opened at historic Union Station in December.

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STLOUISAQUARIUM.COM

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY, MUSEUM AND BOYHOOD HOME Abi lene, Ka nsas

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home just underwent a $9 million renovation to its library and museum spaces, the facility’s first complete overhaul since the 1970s. The 25,000-squarefoot permanent exhibition space added new lighting, more high-tech exhibits, and audio and visual presentations. It also added a 4,500-square-foot temporary exhibition space.

“The team thought it was time to meet the needs of a younger generation that didn’t have that connection to the Eisenhowers and needed to meet the needs of different types of learners and deliver the information in a fresh fashion,” said Dawn Hammatt, director of the facility.

Most of the museum’s visitors are too young to have lived during World War II or Eisenhower’s presidency, so the goal was to find ways to encourage visitors to explore and discover. Each section of the museum presents a big idea that helps move Eisenhower’s story along — from his early years in Abilene, to his storied military career, marriage and presidency — and into relatable experiences and concepts that are still relevant to the world today, she said.

Three new films were developed. One

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EISENHOWER PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

Once the show is over, they can see the aquarium at their own pace, from the native fish that live in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to the sea creatures that call the Gulf of Mexico home.

Visitors can see sharks and rays up close in the aquarium’s 250,000-gallon shark tank, watch the antics of the aquarium’s mischievous North American river otters or touch stingrays, sea stars and invertebrates in the facility’s touch pools. Besides the new aquarium, Union Station has hotel and convention space, a 200-foot-tall Ferris wheel, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a carousel, a ropes course and a mirror maze like the fun houses of old. Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission, and the aquarium is working on customized programming that will allow groups to combine activities and lunch at one of Union Station’s six restaurants.

Eisenhower Presidential Library

Oklahoma City’s First Americans Museum COURTESY FIRST AMERICANS MUSEUM

explores the entire time span of World War II; another discusses the D-Day invasion, incorporating never-before-seen footage from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The third film explains Eisenhower’s point of view on global peace and how to attain it.

“We really do use Ike and Mamie’s own words to tell this story,” said Samantha Kenner, communications director for the library. “You get to know them as people, not just president and first lady.”

EISENHOWERLIBRARY.GOV

MIDWEST DREAM CAR COLLECTION Ma n hatta n, Ka nsas

The Midwest Dream Car Collection opened its doors in April 2019. Ward and Brenda Morgan came up with the idea for a car museum in the area. Ward is a native of Manhattan, Kansas, and Ward wanted something else for the community. He had a love of cars and wanted to “keep that appreciation alive,” said Jill Mason, executive director of the Midwest Dream Car Collection.

He and Brenda bought a huge portion of

Photos courtesy Thee Abbey Tavern

the 70 automobiles on display at the museum and donated them to the nonprofit that runs Midwest Dream Car Collection. The collection spans many eras and includes a wide variety of models, from a 1907 Model R Ford and a 2020 Porsche to Sonny and Cher’s customized 1966 Barris Mustang convertibles, one in hot pink and the other in Murano Gold Pearl and brown.

The museum is housed in a 50,000-squarefoot former grocery store and includes a large mechanics’ bay. All of the cars are drivable, and the museum plans to rotate vehicles on and off display every 90 days. Twenty-five percent of the existing show floor will be dedicated to community member vehicles.

Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on museum admission. The museum is working on adding special events and tours to its mix.

Visitors are welcome to visit and take a selfguided tour or rent out the museum.

More than 800 people have signed up as members so far.

“Word is getting out, even internationally,” said Mason. “I love that we are becoming a destination.”

MIDWESTDREAMCARCOLLECTION.ORG

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part of the original building, will span over 24,000 square feet. The north side of the building features three dedicated artist-in-residence studios and two performing-arts spaces: the Rode House, a multidisciplinary space that can hold 350 people, and Fermentation Hall, a black-box theater that can seat 100 people. The Tower, a 70-foot-tall space, contains many mezzanine levels that can be used for visual, performance and social events.

THEMOMENTARY.ORG

Midwest Dream Car Collection COURTESY MIDWEST DREAM CAR COLLECTION

THE MOMENTARY

Bentonv i l le, A rka nsas

The Momentary is a contemporary art space that opened last month in a decommissioned 63,000-square-foot cheese factory. The facility is a satellite campus to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, also in Bentonville.

The Momentary is a multidisciplinary space for visual and performing arts, festivals, local artists and culinary experiences. Originally a cheese processing factory built by Kraft Foods in 1947, the factory closed in 2013. The Momentary’s architects looked for the best way to adapt and reuse the building for its new purpose. That meant only adding elements to the building that would support the building’s new mission.

“Flexibility and adaptability for artists was a high priority for us with the design of the Momentary,” said Lieven Bertels, director of The Momentary. “Wheeler Kearns Architects has done a great job ensuring we will be able to take full advantage of the size of the space, allowing us to show large-scale works and performances in a different light while preserving an important building in the Bentonville landscape.”

The galleries, to be situated in the oldest

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FIRST AMERICANS MUSEUM

Ok la homa City, Ok la homa

The First Americans Museum has been in the works since the 1980s but is only now coming to fruition. The museum, which will open in May 2021, will tell the stories of 39 Native American tribes that are indigenous to the area or were forced to move there from all over North America.

Oklahoma has more cultures in one geographic area than most places in the world, each with different languages, people and cultures, said Shoshana Wasserman, deputy director of the First Americans Museum. “Our cultures are as diverse as European cultures.”

Wasserman said that “during the forced period of removal, we were located to Indian territory, Oklahoma. So, while this seems to be a very regional story, it is America’s story.

It is our shared national history.”

When it opens, the First Americans Museum hopes to provide wonderful and engaging exhibitions and programming, demonstrations and culinary experiences.

It will have both indoor and outdoor interpretive areas. One of the highlights of the new museum is the mound it incorporated into its design, which pays homage to America’s mound builder cultures.

The Tribal Nations Gallery will share the collective story of all 39 tribal nations that call Oklahoma home. The Smithsonian Gallery will feature 140 items originally collected from the tribes in Oklahoma that are part of the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. FAMOK.ORG

Relive history at the gateway to The West. Explore the Ozarks by train. Discover world-renowned outdoor art...Tour Tour Fort Smith!

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A CUSTOM CONTENT SERIES FROM EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS

In Columbus, a world of culinary adventures awaits

I

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

COLUMBUS BREWING CO.

t takes a world map to size up Columbus’ culinary scene. Sure, the city has its share of Thai, Chinese and Mexican restaurants, and the lines are always long at Schmidt’s, a well-loved German restaurant. But Columbus also digs the foods of Nepal, Yemen, Somalia, Senegal and tiny El Salvador. These newer arrivals not only add global spice, they upend the Midwestern meat-and-potatoes stereotype. As Sebastian Modak said when he profiled Columbus in the New York Times’ “52 Places to Go” series last year, “Columbus feels like a city on the move.”

At the same time, Columbus certainly hasn’t tossed out the old as it welcomes the new. It relishes its agricultural roots at places like Glass Rooster Cannery, where not only food, but agrarian traditions are preserved. Columbus turns grains into great spirits at dozens of craft breweries and a growing list of distilleries. And it remains faithful to tried and true treats, made locally and beloved for decades, like AnthonyThomas Buckeye candies and Krema peanut butter.

This mix of tried and true plus experimental and entrepreneurial gives culinary tours of Columbus a flavor that groups can long savor.

Fresh air, food and fun Glass Rooster Cannery is a breath of fresh air, a family-run farm with flower-filled meadows, a pond, swings, a teaching kitchen, a gift shop, an art-filled barn and brandCONTINUED ON PAGE 34

HIGH BANK DISTILLERY

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Courtesy of High Bank Distillery

ITINERARY

CA PITA L CIT Y CU ISI N E See for yourself why Columbus’ culinary scene has foodies around the nation talking, with the Washington Post calling Columbus “A Certified Food Lovers’ Town.” Ideal for groups of 25+

HIGH BANK DISTILLERY

DAY ONE MORNING | Go inside restored homes and private gardens in German Village, one of the city’s most charming districts. A step-on guide shares the neighborhood’s fascinating history.

LUNCH | Located in a historic brick livery stable, Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus has offered award-winning, hand-crafted food by five generations of the Schmidt family since 1886. Save room for dessert! The cream puffs are worth the trip itself!

AFTERNOON | After lunch, head to Grandview Heights and stop into the many stores located on Grandview Avenue. Then, discover the intricacies of vodka, gin, run and whiskey making at High Bank Distillery. Next, head to Columbus Brewing Co. where they have 20 brews on tap for post-tour sipping.

Courtesy of High Bank Distillery

COLUMBUS FOOD ADVENTURES

EVENING | Explore the vast collection of art galleries and boutiques in the Short North Arts District, known as the “Art & Soul” of Columbus. Then, a variety of dining options await during a memorable dinner on your own. Choose from upscale traditional tavern fare at The Pearl, Asian cuisine at Lemongrass Fusion Bistro and much more. Top off your evening with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

DAY TWO MORNING | After breakfast at your hotel, explore Ohio’s herb capital, Gahanna.

At the Ohio Herb Education Center learn easy ways to enhance everyday recipes and craft your own culinary creations of herb-infused vinegars, oils, syrups or teas.

LUNCH | Grab lunch at a sustainable farm and licensed cannery. Visit Glass Rooster Cannery & Art Barns for a farm-to-fork buffet.

Courtesy UA Creative Studios

SCHMIDT’S RESTAURANT AND SAUSAGE HAUS

AFTERNOON | Stay for a tour of the working farm, or taste your way through an array of Cannery-made fresh bread and artisan jams while enjoying a demonstration.

Everyone selects a jam or jelly to take home.

EVENING | Indulge with handcrafted wine at Wyandotte Winery. Or, bask in the Columbus craft brew scene at Elevator or Land-Grant Brewing. Then, relax over a meal at one of the many group-friendly spots such as Mozarts, Hubbard Grille or Barcelona.

DAY THREE MORNING | Explore Krema Nut Company, the oldest peanut butter manufacturer operating in the United States today. Then, indulge your sweet tooth during a tour of family-owned confectionary Anthony-Thomas Candy Company. Everyone receives a freshly made chocolate.

LUNCH | Nibble your way around Columbus’ celebrated North Market. Enjoy lunch at the 130-plus-year-old public market with dozens of merchants. Or, Get a taste of the city on one of Columbus Food Adventures’ guided tours. Stops include independently owned businesses, with samples and behind-the-scenes access.

Photo by Laura Watilo Blake

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new restrooms. Learn to make jam and can green beans or taste half a dozen varieties of basil on a leisurely walking tour. Meet a beekeeper who gathers honey from around the world, then sit down to a meal where everything from the chicken to the salad dressing has been enhanced by honey. Head to a field, clippers in hand and snip snapdragons, cosmos and bachelor buttons to carry home. Even those who don’t have time for a canning class can go home with a jar or two of jam or jelly chosen from among dozens of flavors sold in the farm’s shop.

GLASS ROOSTER CANNERY & ART BARNS

Get a bigger taste with a food tour Giving visitors a bigger taste of Columbus is Columbus Food Adventures’ aim. Every group tour it designs is customized, based on that group’s interests, schedule and mobility. Because the company has connections throughout the city, it can easily handle the logistics involved for a progressive tour of restaurants in the artsy Short North, a driving tour with stops at the small, international cafes that pepper the city, a focus on coffee and desserts or a guided walking tour through German Village with stops for sustenance at longtime favorites. And, Columbus Food Adventures’ recent merger with Columbus Brew Adventures makes tours that combine food and drink easy to arrange.

Photo by Laura Watilo Blake

A perfect pairing: Chocolates and peanut butter Depending on the season, chocolates take different forms at Anthony-Thomas Candy Company. Springtime brings bunnies; fall brings even more Buckeyes, the double-roasted peanut butter-stuffed chocolates it makes by the million. A tour of the candy manufacturer SAHARA CAMELS costs $2 but every visitor gets a $2 gift shop voucher in return. To stick with the peanut theme, make a stop at Krema Nut Company, which sells mixed nuts, candies and fresh ground peanut butter.

Instead of a tour, visitors peer through windows to watch peanut butter in the making; a super snack bar slathers fresh bread with nut spreads and add-ins like bananas, chocolate, strawberry jam and marshmallow cream for scrumptious sandwiches.

A German immersion Groups buzz right past the always-present line at Schmidt’s and head up to the Banquet Haus, where a buffet bursts with Bahama Mamas--a spicy sausage that spawned its own festival -- bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut and the meal topper -- mini cream puffs packed with vanilla cream. Dining at this German Village icon can be even more of a cultural immersion with add-ons like an accordionist who can play anything from polkas to the Star Wars theme or a step-on guide to direct a driving tour through picturesque German Village before or after a meal. For treats to take back home and a sweet ending to a tour, there’s Schmidt’s Fudge Haus where chocolate, sugar and nuts meld in copper pots.

Burgeoning brews and spirits Crafty and spirited sum up Columbus’ liquid assets. Craft brews are booming, with more than 40 breweries and more on the way.

Distilleries are the next wave. It’s fun to get a taste of each by visiting Columbus Brewing and High Bank Distillery. Columbus Brewing, the city’s oldest craft brewer, has a new taproom with 20 brews on tap for post-tour sipping. There’s seating indoors and out, food trucks most nights and walls covered with the fantastical art used on the brand’s labels. Meanwhile High Bank is fairly new but already churns out gins, vodkas and soon will pour its first bourbon. After tours here, settle in at its roomy restaurant and enjoy a mushroom grilled cheese or tuna bowl and sample a Blackberry Collins or other cocktail crafted from High Banks’ spirits.

F O OD & W I N E named Columbus one of its “32 Places To Go (And Eat) in 2019.”

KREMA NUT CO. SPICY PEANUT BUTTER

Courtesy Krema Nut Co.

For more information contact: ROGER DUDLEY EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS www.experiencecolumbus.com RDudley@ExperienceColumbus.com

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CIVIL RIGHTS

TRAIL 2 0 2 0 T R AV E L G U I D E

CONTINUE THE JOURNEY.

FOLLOW THE TRAIL.

Start your journey where history

•

SCOTTSBORO

BIRMINGHAM • • ANNISTON •

TUSCALOOSA

TUSKEGEE

• SELMA • • MONTGOMERY •

MONROEVILLE

Alabama was a crucial battleground in the events that would shape our nation’s civil rights story. From the Edmund Pettus Bridge, to bombing sites in Birmingham, to the steps of the State Capitol, discover the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement.

Learn from the leaders of our past and build on their hopes for a better future.

Start planning a powerful travel experience in heritage-rich Alabama. Travelers of all ages can embrace this opportunity to grow in empathy and understanding as

changed its course.

A N N I STO N BI RM I N G H A M MONROEVILLE M O N TG O M E RY SCOT TS B O R O SELMA T U S CA LO OSA TU S K EG E E

they explore the museums, monuments and historic sites that commemorate the Civil Rights Movement. Visit Alabama and walk in the footsteps of those who changed the world.

To plan your group tour, contact Rosemary Judkins. rosemary.judkins@tourism.alabama.gov • 334-242-4493

CONTENTS 6

A Civil Rights Timeline

U N ITE D STATE S

CIVI L RI G HTS

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Social Justice Sites

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Time to Shine THESE L ANDMARKS HONOR THE LIVES OF CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEERS.

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Knowledge and Power

T H E P O P U L A R I T Y O F T H E U. S . C I V I L R I G H T S TRAIL IS BRINGING INCREASED INTEREST TO H A L L OW E D S I T E S .

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Civil Rights Museums S C H O O L S A N D U N I V E R S I T I E S M A D E G R E AT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS M OV E M E N T.

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Law on Our Side

THESE INSTITUTIONS TELL THE STORIES OF A M OV E M E N T.

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Community Action D I S COV E R CO U R TH O U S E S W H E R E L E G A L DECISIONS ADVANCED THE CAUSE OF EQUALIT Y.

PUBLISH E D F O R

L O CA L C H U R C H E S P L AY E D A P I VO TA L R O L E I N THE STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

ON THE COVER: 4

CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM

3500 PIEDMONT RD. NE, STE. 210 ATLANTA, GA 30305 404-231-1790 WWW.TRAVELSOUTHUSA.COM

A portrait at the Muhammad Ali Center depicts the boxing legend and civil rights activist.

Artwork by Jack Magurany, J. Magurany Fine Art. See more at jackmagurany.com.

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NICHE TRAVEL PUBLISHERS 301 EAST HIGH STREET LEXINGTON, KY 40507 888-253-0455 WWW.GROUPTRAVELLEADER.COM

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A C i v i l Wa r b at t l e g r o u n d.

N o w a p e a c e f u l r e t r e at.

Stroll Harpers Ferry and hear the echoes of a town with a fascinating living history. This quaint retreat in eastern West Virginia is an official destination along the Civil Rights Trail. Feel free to explore every part of its small-town charm.

WVtourism.com

Harpers Ferry

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Sometimes Actions Speak Louder Than Words Kentucky’s history is filled with periods of discovery, exploration and change and the Civil Rights Movement was no exception.

In Kentucky, the seeds were sown by countless individuals.

We invite you to explore the story of civil rights, and the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in Kentucky from Whitney Young’s birthplace, to Lincoln Hall at Berea College, and Louisville’s downtown Civil Rights Trail. And new to the trail this year, visit the West Kentucky African American Heritage Museum and the Muhammad Ali Center.

kentuckytourism.com

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U.S. Civil Rights Trail is achieving destination status Courtesy Muhammad Ali Center

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BY BR I A N JEW ELL

he civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s shaped America and the world in powerful ways. Today, the places and people involved in those events are memorialized on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail (USCRT), a collection of more than 120 historic sites that is gaining both widespread attention and a growing list of members.

The trail is organized by the USCRT Marketing Alliance, which consists of 14 state tourism departments, as well as Destination D.C. leaders from the National Park Service and respected historians. The alliance was formed and the trail launched in 2018.

As a result of the organization’s work, civil rights sites throughout the South are enjoying a surge in interest and visitation.

“The biggest impact has been that the topic of civil rights tourism is much stronger than ever before,” said Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department and chairman of the USCRT Marketing Alliance. “Quite literally, the launch of the trail two years ago marked the beginning of it as a separate category in the industry.

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THE MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER IN LOUISVILLE IS ONE OF SEVERAL NEW SITES TO JOIN THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL THIS YEAR.

“We’ve been promoting civil rights sites for 15 years, and it was always thought of as a niche market,” Sentell said. “But now, because so many other Southern states have embraced it, I think it’s becoming a legitimate, regular category. People in our office have told us that they’re hearing from a lot more tour operators and planners than ever before. It had been a uniquely Alabama product for the most part, but now it is much broader across the rest of the South.”

Accolades and Accomplishments

Since its launch two years ago, the USCRT has been covered by a number of high-profile media outlets. It has also garnered several tourism industry awards.

The trail was recognized with a gold award for Best Destination in a Region from the International Travel and Tourism Awards in

A movement started

SIXTY YEARS AGO IS STILL MOVING PEOPLE TODAY.

The stories of the Civil Rights Movement that are found at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are at once both solemn and celebratory. From the lessons of our past to the hopes for tomorrow, we’re serving up one meaningful experience to groups from all over. Right here at The Dinner Table of the South. inbirmingham.com/GTL2 | 800 - 458 - 8085

GREATER BIRMINGHAM CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

November 2019. In August, it was also awarded the Mercury Marketing Award for its marketing excellence. In the trail’s second year, its website achieved more than 1 million page views.

Traffic to that website — civilrightstrail.com — has led to a quantifiable increase in consumer interest.

“Our ad agency’s research shows that about 35% of people participating in a survey have indicated that they are interested in civil rights as a travel product,” Sentell said. “In years past, that would have been in the single digits.”

CIVIL RIGHTS ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

New Members

The USCRT Marketing Alliance recently announced the addition of four new sites to the trail, which has continued to grow over the two years since its founding.

The additions include two attractions in Kentucky: the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville and the SEEK Museum in Russellville. The trail also added the Beal Street Historic District and the WDIA Radio station, both in Memphis, Tennessee.

“We are delighted about the additions,” Sentell said. “We know they will make incredible additions to the trail as a whole, which continues to showcase how what happened here changed the world.”

The Muhammad Ali Center is a multicultural center and museum that captures the inspiration of Muhammad Ali’s life.

In addition to learning about the boxing career and personal motivations of the legendary figure, visitors discover his work as an outspoken proponent of civil rights causes.

The SEEK Museum recognizes the work of journalist Alice Allison Dunnigan with a life-size bronze statue and exhibits about her achievements. This civil rights pioneer was the first African American woman admitted to the White House, Congress and Supreme Court press corps.

In Memphis, historic Beale Street was a thriving area for black commerce and culture during the time of the Civil War and later became a hub of community organization and demonstration during the civil rights movement. And WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community starting in 1947. Its signal reached through the Mississippi Delta to the Gulf Coast.

Travelers planning a trip on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail can find all the latest news about civil rights sites and events at:

WWW.CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM

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By Alan Karchmer, courtesy SNMAAHC

Pursuing World Heritage Designation

In addition to compiling and publicizing the trail, members of the USCRT Marketing Alliance have also been involved in a parallel effort to nominate significant places on the trail for inscription as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

“There aren’t many World Heritage Sites — less than 1,400 throughout the world,” said Ed Hall, a consultant who is helping guide the marketing alliance’s UNESCO efforts. “So it’s kind of like the Good Housekeeping Seal; it says this is something worthwhile that will add value to your visit.”

The process has been underway for several years and will take at least two years more. But Hall said the plan is on track and on time.

Along with researchers from Georgia State University, Hall has worked with the National Park Service’s office of international affairs to send a list of significant civil rights sites to UNESCO’s International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). If ICOMOS approves the list, a formal application will be sent to the World Heritage Committee, a group of 21 nations.

“Our preliminary document has gone to ICOMOS for evaluation,” Hall said. “Once we get that back, we’ll submit the formal application through the National Park Service to the World Heritage Committee.

Our hope is we can get that done and be before the committee when it meets in July of 2021.”

The application process involves a fair amount of paperwork and red tape, and each site nominated will have to submit detailed documentation describing its historical significance and future viability.

Sites that are inscribed on the World Heritage list should see significant increases in visitation, especially from international markets.

“At the end of the day, it will be worth all the time and effort we’re putting into it because these are significant sites that need to be preserved for the future,” Hall said. “The things that happened here had a dramatic influence in places like South Africa, Poland and even Tiananmen Square. So all the effort and bureaucracy is going to be worthwhile.”

“THE GREATEST” STOP ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL

Muhammad Ali Center

Civil Rights history is woven throughout the fabric of Louisville. World-class museums, cultural centers and significant historical landmarks, like the Muhammad Ali Center, allow visitors to celebrate this history while experiencing Louisville’s modern attractions and award-winning restaurants.

Learn more at GoToLouisville.com/Travel-Professionals Photo by:

@stevegrider | #louisvillelove

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OPENED IN 2016, THE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE IN WASHINGTON FEATURES CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. 14

Museums illustrate the struggle for civil rights

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BY R ACHEL C A RTER

hough they collect, curate and classify historic artifacts, museums aren’t actually about the past; they’re about the future.

Museums serve as a nation’s collective memory. They preserve history so current and future generations can see it, know it and understand it.

One could argue that the American civil rights movement began after the American Civil War during the Reconstruction era, but the modern movement began in the mid-1950s in response to widespread racial segregation of and legal discrimination toward black U.S. citizens. That may all seem like distant, dusty history to the children of today.

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By Alan Karchmer, courtesy SNMAAHC

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On the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, museums embody efforts to preserve all of that past — from slavery through the civil rights movement to current struggles for equal rights — and retell it for the betterment of our future.

Gleamns Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA

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It has been said that no person in America has done more to elevate B E NJAM I N MAYS the black man than Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. He was one of the most influential leaders of the early civil rights movement, but “still so few people know him,” said Chris Thomas, executive director of the Gleamns PRESERVATION SITE Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historical Preservation Site in Greenwood, Courtesy Glemns Benjamin Mays HPS South Carolina.

In a September 2004 Ebony article, Lerone Bennett Jr. wrote that Mays led a “ministry of manhood” that spanned 60-some years, 27 of which he spent as president of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he educated, mentored and raised up civil rights At the site, visitors can tour Mays’ birth home and a one-room leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. schoolhouse, both of which were moved to the property. What looks like

HISTORIC

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an old barn is a modern museum built in 2009 where exhibits feature artifacts like Mays’ Ph.D. robe, the dining room set from his home at Morehouse and the trunk he used while traveling abroad, helping to internationalize the cause of equal rights.

When Mays traveled to India in 1936, he met Mahatma Gandhi, and their conversation about pacifism laid the foundation for the civil rights movement.

The museum also has a 60-person auditorium where, at the end of a guided tour, groups can watch a movie about Mays’ friendship with author Margaret Mitchell. At the site, groups will also find a garden, a cotton field and a life-size statue of Mays.

MAYSHOUSEMUSEUM.ORG

Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

Courtesy Troy University

A REPLICA OF A 1950S MONTGOMERY BUS AT THE ROSA PARKS MUSEUM

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Many people don’t realize that Rosa Parks was seated legally in the “colored section” on the Montgomery city bus when she was told to give up her seat for a white man.

Visitors to the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama, will see a 1955 bus from the city’s fleet. Though it’s not the one Parks was riding December 1, 1955, when she was arrested, it’s where people today can watch a re-enactment film of what happened play through the bus windows.

The immersive exhibit is designed to evoke Parks’ experience; visitors even hear sirens when the police come, said museum director Felicia Bell.

The museum is designed to tell not only the story of Parks’ arrest but also how her act of resistance helped spark the Montgomery bus boycott.

Guests will see a 1955 “rolling church” station wagon — one of the

REV. ARTHUR PRICE JR.: A LOVE THAT FORGIVES

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ighteen days after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; 18 days after Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have a dream”; 18 days after King implored the world to judge his children on the content of their character not the color of their skin, “[t]he response to the ‘I Have a Dream Speech’ in Birmingham was to bomb this church,” said the Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Local Ku Klux Klan members planted the bomb, which detonated at 10:22 a.m., Sunday, September 15, 1963. It was Youth Sunday. That day’s Sunday School lesson was “A Love That Forgives.”

Five girls were in the ladies room when the explosion ripped open the building.

Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley were all killed, and Sarah Collins was blinded in one eye. More than 20 others were injured.

“We believe that the events that happened here in 1963 galvanized a generation, motivated a movement and made the bitter days of Birmingham better,” Price said.

FOR MORE CIVIL RIGHTS STORIES, VISIT VIMEO.COM/CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL

E X P LO R E

MUHAMMAD ALI’S

PLACE IN HISTORY The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky is proud to join the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, a collection of noteable landmarks in the Southern states that played a pivotal role in advancing social justice during the Civil Rights Movement.

2½ levels of award-winning exhibits!

For more information go to: alicenter.org or civilrightstrail.com

502.584.9254 | 144 N. 6th St. | Louisville, KY #AliCenter

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actual vehicles churches used to transport black passengers during the boycott — and learn about the strategies organizers used. Throughout the museum, visitors can watch first-person oral history interviews from people who participated in the boycott.

The temporary exhibit space is always changing. This summer, an exhibit will bring together items from slavery through the civil rights movement contributed by private collectors. In the fall, the space will feature an exhibit about Parks herself and the broader civil rights movement in Alabama. Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more.

TROY.EDU/ROSAPARKS

ALBANY

Muhammad Ali Center

CIVIL RIGHTS

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY Courtesy USCRT

INSTITUTE

Muhammad Ali lived by six core principles: dedication, confidence, spirituality, conviction, respect and giving. At the Muhammad Ali Center in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, after visitors exit the orientation theater, they enter exhibit pavilions dedicated to each of The Conviction pavilion is where guests learn most about Ali’s those six core principles. contribution to the civil rights movement. It demonstrates both the turbulence of the 1960s and how Ali’s beliefs “led him to take action in ways that were personally risky and publicly controversial,” said Jeanie Kahnke, senior director of public relations and external affairs. “He used boxing as a platform to speak out about what he cared about.”

At the pavilion’s entrance, guests walk through a cafe and hear “Get out of here; we don’t serve your kind.” That happened to Ali in 1960 after he won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

The center’s award-winning interactive exhibits explore Ali’s expansive life, including his humanitarian legacy and his sports legacy, his religious convictions and his legal fight as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. In September, the center will open an exhibit to commemorate the 60-year anniversary of Ali’s winning his gold medal.

Guided tours can be arranged and will lead groups through the pavilions. Visitors learn about Ali’s “Red Bike Moment” — the pivotal moment that steered him to boxing — and guests can even try shadow boxing with the Champ himself in Ali’s re-created training camp exhibit.

ALICENTER.ORG

MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER

Albany Civil Rights Institute ALBANY, GEORGIA

Courtesy Muhammad Ali Center

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During the Jim Crow era, the town of Albany, Georgia, “was totally segregated,” said W. Frank Wilson, executive director of the Albany Civil Rights Institute.

The Albany Movement began when student activists and a coalition of black-improvement associations launched a desegregation campaign in November 1961. The movement led to a series of marches and demonstrations, and local leaders eventually turned to King to bring national attention to their efforts.

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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK BIRTH HOME Atlanta Photo Credit: @capturedbymel

See the birthplace of a dream.

A humble testament to a mighty presence in American history, the childhood home of Martin Luther King Jr. sits at 501 Auburn Ave. in Atlanta, Georgia. As the northernmost location of Georgia’s contribution to the Civil Rights Trail, it also serves as a great starting point for a hike through history.

The Civil Rights Trail spans over 100 locations across 15 states and was officially recognized as a national landmark by the National Parks Service in 2018. With Georgia arguably at the epicenter of the Civil Rights movement, heroic moments that defined a state and a nation are memorialized here. From The King Center in Atlanta, to the Albany Civil Rights Institute down south, to Midway, Georgia where thousands of Civil Rights leaders were trained, there is no shortage of enriching tributes that preserve the past and inspire the future.

Visit ExploreGeorgia.org/history-heritage today to chart your course along the Civil Rights Trail and walk in the footsteps of giants.

“[King] came here not to lead a movement; he came here to make a speech … but he ended up making three speeches in one night,” Wilson said; the first at Shiloh, the second at Old Mount Zion Church across the street and the third back at Shiloh. The next day, King was arrested during a march to downtown, which led to daily arrests of students and activists.

When the Mount Zion congregation relocated in the late 1990s, the 1906 building was converted into the Albany Civil Rights Institute, and a museum addition was built. Guided 45-minute tours begin with an orientation film, and exhibits showcase documents, photographs and oral histories from people who participated in the movement. The church’s stained-glass windows and pews have been restored, so it “looks very much like it did when Dr. King spoke here,” Wilson said.

Visitors will also learn about Albany’s Freedom Singers. With advance notice, the institute can arrange for a private group performance or have Rutha Harris, one of only two surviving original Freedom Singers, meet with a group.

ALBANYCIVILRIGHTSINSTITUTE.ORG

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE Courtesy SNMAAHC

National Museum of African American History and Culture WASHINGTON Since opening in September 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has become a fixture on Washington’s National Mall.

The building’s exterior is covered in a gleaming, bronze-colored architectural scrim. Inside, the Smithsonian Institution museum features nearly 37,000 artifacts, documents and photos that embody moments of African American life, history and culture. Some of the most striking pieces include Harriet Tubman’s personal hymnal, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and a dress sewn by Rosa Parks.

One exhibit allows guests to sit behind the wheel of a 1940s Buick sedan to learn about the Green Book, which provided black travelers with a list of gas stations, restaurants and motels that were accommodating to black people during the Jim Crow era. Video plays on the inside of the windshield while an interactive touch-screen board allows people to “travel” from Chicago to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1949. Museum visitors must either choose stops listed as “friendly” in the Green Book or try their luck at other establishments.

The Musical Crossroads exhibit explores how African American music provided a voice for liberty, justice and social change. There, among 350plus artifacts, visitors will see Chuck Berry’s Cadillac, Thomas Dorsey’s piano from Pilgrim Baptist Church and the clothing that opera singer Marian Anderson wore during her 1939 performance at the Lincoln Memorial. The Neighborhood Record Store features hundreds of album covers and an interactive exhibit where music fans can research music and music history.

NMAAHC.SI.EDU

ROSA PARKS’ DRESS ON DISPLAY AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE Courtesy SNMAAHC

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Shine Light on the Power of Courage.

Explore the movement that changed the nation — and the people behind it.

Stand with Mississippians like Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer and many others through interactive experiences that bring their stories to life.

222 North Street, Jackson mscivilrightsmuseum.com

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A MONUMENT AT BROWN CHAPEL AME CHURCH IN SELMA COMMEMORATES THE CHURCH’S ROLE AS A CATALYST IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

Churches were pillars in the struggle for civil rights

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BY R ACHEL C A RTER

hurches were at the very heart of the black community in the segregated South, and they became a mainstay of the civil rights movement. It was in churches that people met to discuss desegregation, to strategize and plan. It was where they gathered before marches, protests and sit-ins. It was where religious and community leaders, speaking from pulpits, inspired their congregants to act.

Churches organized and provided a network of station wagons, or “rolling churches,� as alternative transportation during the Montgomery bus boycott. Church leaders formed CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM

By Art Meripol, courtesy AL Tourism Dept.

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the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Activists gathered to begin their march for voting rights in a church.

And even when those churches and their congregations were targets of hate and unspeakable violence, the community remained a source of strength for the civil rights movement. Here are some of the pivotal places of worship recognized on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

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New Zion Baptist Church NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA In January 1957 in Atlanta, a group of Baptist pastors and activists founded what would become the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the group was officially incorporated a month Courtesy Ebenezer Baptist Church later in New Orleans. On Valentine’s Day, religious and community leaders gathered at New Zion Baptist Church on the corner of Third and Lasalle streets to sign the forms that made the organization official and established an executive board of directors, which included Grover Mouton, head of the Tulane Regional Urban Design Center, Martin Luther King Jr. as president. wanted to change that, so the center partnered with Felicity several years Now, visitors to New Zion Baptist Church ago to design and develop the pavilion as part memorial, part educational have more to explore than the plaque mounted site, part public gathering area. The covered, open-air pavilion includes on the side of the church. In January 2019, the a walkway that features cutouts of nine of the original SCLC founders SCLC Memorial Walkway Pavilion opened to as well as a mural by a local artist. the public across the street from New Zion.

CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM/ATTRACTION/ “The average New Orleanian not from that NEW-ZION-BAPTIST-CHURCH neighborhood has no idea that the SCLC was formed at the church,” said Cole Halpern, president and interim executive director of Ebenezer Baptist Church Felicity Redevelopment, a nonprofit that works to combat blight and promote redevelopment ATLANTA in the Central City neighborhood.

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Courtesy New Zion Baptist Church

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King grew up in the pews of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where his father was pastor. He was baptized there as a baby, and his funeral was held there after his assassination in 1968. Between the bookends of King’s remarkable life, the church was the setting of some of his most significant sermons and personal milestones.

King delivered his first sermon at the church’s pulpit in 1947, and the congregation voted to license him as a minister shortly afterward.

He was ordained in February 1948.

King joined his father as co-pastor at Ebenezer in November 1959 in a move to be closer to the Atlanta headquarters of the SCLC. The church is part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, and in 2001, the National Park Service began a two-phase restoration of the 1922 brick church located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood.

Work included structural repairs and updated infrastructure. But the project also restored the appearance of the Heritage Sanctuary and fellowship hall to the years when King served as co-pastor with his father — from 1960 to 1968 — including preserving stained-glass windows and restoring the pipe organ. A new 1,700-seat church building called Horizon Sanctuary was completed on the site in 1999.

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n 1947, a new pastor arrived at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. The Rev. Vernon Johns “was this fireball, controversial, unafraid of anybody and would stand up against the segregation of this city,” said Wanda Howard Battle, the church’s tour director.

That didn’t sit well with the wealthy, socially elite church members, but Johns was a forerunner of civil rights. He helped prepare the congregation for the work that came later, work led by Martin Luther King Jr. Johns would tell them, “You may be the socially elite, but you’d better care about your brothers and sisters who are down the street being beat and jailed,” Battle said.

He resigned in 1952, and King became the pastor in 1954. Following Rosa Parks’ arrest, other pastors encouraged King to serve as spokesman for the Montgomery bus boycott, which started his journey to the forefront of the civil rights movement. King resigned as pastor of Dexter Baptist in 1960 “because the work was greater than Montgomery.”

FOR MORE CIVIL RIGHTS STORIES, VISIT VIMEO.COM/CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL

MISSISSIPPI CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM - JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

...ON MISSISSIPPI’S WORLD-CLASS MUSEUMS

Mississippi’s impressive collection of state-of-the-art museums including the acclaimed Mississippi Civil Rights Museum - teach, inspire and ignite the minds of generations young and old.

Don’t miss out on an excursion sure to educate and enthrall.

Plan your next Mississippi adventure at VISITMISSISSIPPI.ORG/DONTMISSOUT

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The congregation welcomes visitors every Sunday both in person and online through its virtual Ebenezer Everywhere, and Heritage Sanctuary is open for tours daily.

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Mason Temple Church of God in Christ MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE Much has been said about King’s final — some say prophetic — speech, which he delivered April 3, 1968, at Mason Temple Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. He delivered the speech, which he wasn’t even scheduled to give, the night before his assassination on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel.

During the address, King said, “Like anybody, I would like to live Courtesy Memphis Tourism a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, Brown Chapel AME Church as a people, will get to the promised land.”

Mason Temple was built between 1940 SELMA, ALABAMA and 1945 as the centerpiece of the six-building campus that serves as the denomination’s headquarters. The massive building acted as a hub Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, both the building of civil rights activities in the 1950s and 1960s. and its congregants, played integral roles in the marches that led to the King wasn’t scheduled to speak on the night of passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. April 3, 1968, but when the crowd demanded The 1908 brick building, with its two white-domed towers and to hear him, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, who was intricate facade, was the starting point for the Selma-to-Montgomery supposed to speak, called King at the motel marches. On the morning of March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday, and asked him to come address the crowd. about 600 protesters gathered at Brown Chapel in defiance of the goverMASONTEMPLE.COM nor’s ban on protest marches to walk to the state capital of Montgomery.

At the Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, troopers and deputies beat the nonviolent protesters with billy clubs, bullwhips and barbedwire-wrapped tubing.

Today, Brown Chapel welcomes visitors, especially the Sunday during the city’s annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee, held the first weekend of March. It’s standing-room only during the festival, so the church places large screens, speakers and chairs outside to allow people to hear the sermon. Throughout the rest of the year, groups can also arrange guided tours through the church’s tour coordinator.

The Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information bureau also works with two women who were students when they participated in the movement and now are licensed tour guides, said executive director Sheryl Smedley. Because protesters organized and marched from the church to the bridge, tours typically start at Brown Chapel and include the bridge and the Selma Interpretive Center.

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MASON TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD

IN CHRIST

A HISTORIC MARKER AT MEMPHIS’ MASON TEMPLE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST Courtesy Memphis Tourism

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This courthouse

CHANGED

A NATION. Make history meaningful with a visit to the Bay County Courthouse, site of a 1963 landmark case that changed our nation’s court system.

In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that states are required under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own lawyers.

After stopping at the courthouse, explore the history of the St. Andrews neighborhood and downtown Panama City with self-guided walking tours. Find out more at destinationpanamacity.com/walkingtour

PA N A M A C I T Y FLORIDA

Where Life Sets Sail

Historic Liberty Hill AME Church SUMMERTON, SOUTH CAROLINA Liberty Hill AME Church in Summerton, South Carolina, was founded in 1867, only four years after emancipation and two years after the end of the American Civil War. But it was what happened inside in the 1940s and 1950s that contributed to the American civil rights movement.

Meetings held at Liberty Hill church during those years led to local court cases that helped bring about the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 ruling that desegregated public schools.

People began meeting in the church in the late 1940s to discuss desegregation. As a result of those meetings, some 20 plaintiffs signed a petition asking Clarendon County School District No. 22 to provide schools for black students that were equal to white-only schools, equipped with heat, electricity, running water, proper furniture and books.

The superintendent denied the petition. In 1950, a case known as Briggs v. Elliott was filed in Clarendon County with the argument that as long as schools remained segregated, education for black students would remain inferior. When the three-judge panel ruled against the plaintiffs, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. Briggs v. Elliott became the first of five cases that together formed the Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional.

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HISTORIC

LIBERTY HILL AME CHURCH

Courtesy USCRT

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VIRGINIA KENTUCKY MISSOURI

Nashville

Clinton NORTH CAROLINA

ARKANSAS

Memphis SOUTH CAROLINA MISSISSIPPI

ALABAMA

GEORGIA

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a collection of churches, courthouses, schools, museums and landmarks that played a pivotal role in advancing social justice in the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Tennessee’s 12 stops tell the stories of the brave people who, through peaceful protests and legal actions, fought for their civil rights.

Tennessee sites Clayborn Temple MEMPHIS

Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library NASHVILLE

Historic Beale Street District MEMPHIS

Clark Memorial United Methodist Church NASHVILLE

Mason Temple Church of God in Christ MEMPHIS

Davidson County Courthouse and the Witness Walls NASHVILLE

National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel MEMPHIS

Fisk University NASHVILLE

WDIA Radio Station MEMPHIS

Griggs Hall at American Baptist College NASHVILLE

Clinton 12 Statue and Green McAdoo Cultural Center CLINTON

Woolworth on 5th NASHVILLE

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EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE IN SELMA WAS THE SITE OF A DRAMATIC CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH AND ATTACK IN 1965 THAT BECAME KNOWN AS BLOODY SUNDAY.

Landmarks large and small remember lives devoted to equality

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BY R ACHEL C A RTER

n one of his famed letters penned from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.�

The marches, sit-ins and protests of the civil rights era garner much of our modernday attention, but social justice activists can be found in every decade, in every city, in every capacity: the daughter of former slaves who became a teacher and community activist, two men who started out selling death and burial insurance but ended up creating an organization that served the black community.

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By Art Meripol, courtesy AL Tourism Dept.

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Social justice is demanded through coordinated campaigns and passionate protests, but it is also accomplished in small deeds and everyday goodness. Numerous sites on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail tell the stories of people who took a stand for justice in the face of opposition.

Edmund Pettus Bridge SELMA, ALABAMA

EDMUND

PETTUS BRIDGE

“This is Selma, Alabama. There are more Negroes in jail with me than there are on the voting rolls,” King wrote in the New York Times in February 1965.

After months of trying to register black voters in Dallas County, to no avail, activists took to the streets in early 1965. When King arrived to participate in the peaceful demonstrations, he and hundreds of other

By Art Meripol, courtesy AL Tourism Dept. protesters were arrested.

Activists decided to take their cause to the state capital during a 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery.

On the morning of March 7, 1965, hundreds of demonstrators reached the Edmund Pettus “They want to try to imagine what it was like that day in 1965 and Bridge only to be blocked by state troopers experience a part of that history,” said Sheryl Smedley, executive direcand sheriff’s deputies who knocked the protor of Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism testors down, released tear gas and beat them Information. with bullwhips, billy clubs and barbed-wireVisitors can learn about the marches at the Selma Interpretive Center, wrapped rubber tubing. a free museum at the bridge’s base. Efforts are also underway to turn The violent attack, which came to be the neighboring building into a 100-person theater. known as Bloody Sunday, was broadcast around Every year during the first weekend in March, about 30,000 people the nation, prompting thousands of supporters flock to Selma for the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee. On the Sunday to flock to Selma. Two weeks later, King led of the festival, throngs of visitors gather to walk across the bridge to the five-day march to Montgomery, helping to commemorate Bloody Sunday. spur the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. NPS.GOV/SEMO Today, people make their own pilgrimage to Selma to walk across the bridge.

Memphis Tennessee Garrison House HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA

MEMPHIS TENNESSEE

GARRISON HOUSE Courtesy Marshall University

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Memphis Tennessee Garrison was a teacher in Huntington, West Virginia, who took that role beyond the classroom and into the community.

“She was a teacher by trade but also a teacher in life,” said Lori Thompson, vice president of the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Foundation and head of special collections at Marshall University.

Garrison was born in 1890 in Virginia to former slaves, and her father’s work as a coal miner took them to the coalfields of West Virginia. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Garrison began teaching in 1908, a career she continued until retiring in the early 1950s.

Garrison established the local NAACP branch in 1921 and was the national vice president of the NAACP board of directors in the mid-1960s.

She also served as the community mediator for U.S. Steel Gary Mines, organized Girl Scout troops for African American girls, created a breakfast program for impoverished students during the Great Depression and created the Negro Artist Series.

Though Garrison died in 1988 at the age of 98, “people still talk

BERNARD LAFAYETTE JR.: WE SHALL OVERCOME

Find Your Rhythm Just

ten pat h o f f t he be a

O

n May 20, 1961, a group of black and white Freedom Riders rode a Greyhound bus into Montgomery, Alabama, to continue efforts to desegregate bus terminals. At the Greyhound station, they were met by a mob of over 200 members of the Ku Klux Klan and klan supporters.

“I said, ‘Well, let’s all join hands and sing ‘We Shall Overcome.’ That’s what you do when you don’t know what to do,” said Bernard LaFayette Jr., who was leading one of the Freedom Riders groups that day.

They were singing that song when the mob closed in. The horde knocked James Zwerg over a railing and gashed open John Lewis’ head with a crate. LaFayette ended up with three cracked ribs.

At the hospital, fellow rider William Barbee, who was badly beaten, looked at LaFayette and asked, “When are we going to Jackson?” — the next stop for the Freedom Riders.

“So if there was any question at all about whether we were going to Jackson, Mississippi, the question was answered right there. We going. Because that’s the whole idea of a movement. You keep moving, no matter what happens.”

FOR MORE CIVIL RIGHTS STORIES, VISIT VIMEO.COM/CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL

Visit the city where voices elevated a movement.

Albany, GA provides the perfect ensemble of Civil Rights history, natural beauty, outdoor adventure, and exciting family attractions. And if that’s not enough, we’ll jazz things up with an array of amazing southern food made from scratch. You’ll find all this and more just off I-75, when you take a detour from the expected in Albany, GA.

WHERE

history A N D nature flow

DiscoverAlbanyGA.com Visit AlbanyGACivilRights.com to learn why Albany, GA is an important stop on the Civil Rights Trail.

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about her around here,” Thompson said. “She had such a mentorship impact in this area.”

When members of the Woodson foundation board heard that Garrison’s home was available in a tax sale, the foundation bought it to create a museum for black history in Huntington. Woodson was the Huntington historian, author and journalist who is known as the Father of Black History.

The foundation received National Historic Landmark status for the two-story house in 2017, and the organization is working to raise funds for the future museum.

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HAYTI HERITAGE CENTER

Hayti Heritage Center DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA The building that houses the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, North Carolina, has had two lives: first, as the thriving St. Joseph’s AME Church, and now, as a cultural hub for the historically black community of Hayti (pronounced “hay-tie”).

Hayti began as a place for freed slaves to settle after emancipation. By the early 1900s, Parrish Street had been dubbed “Black Wall Street,” and Hayti had become so prosperous that it was considered a model for how black communities could thrive in the segregated South.

Courtesy Hayti Heritage Center

“This was the African American community of Durham,” said Angela Lee, executive director of the Hayti Heritage Center. “This was the only place where we could live and we could work and we could socialize.”

In 1970, the city built a freeway directly through the neighborhood, severing Hayti from downtown and displacing thousands of families and hundreds of businesses.

After the congregation relocated to a new building, the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation established the Hayti Heritage Center in 1975 with the mission to use the 1891 steepled church as a cultural hub to preserve Hayti’s history and promote its heritage.

The center’s core programs are anchored in visual and performing arts; they include a concert series, annual music and film festivals, and art exhibitions that focus on local artists of color.

The center also offers walking tours of Hayti that usually start inside the center, where groups will see the sanctuary’s intricate pressed-tin ceiling and 24 stained-glass windows. Groups can also arrange for Q&A sessions with a local who shares stories of growing up in Hayti.

HAYTI.ORG

Mississippi Freedom Trail

A GRADUATION PHOTO OF MEMPHIS TENNESSEE GARRISON

Courtesy Marshall University

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Created in 2011, the Mississippi Freedom Trail commemorates the people and places in the state that played pivotal roles in the U.S. civil rights movement.

Today, the trail features more than 25 markers, including several in the capital city of Jackson. At the Greyhound Bus Station, a marker recognizes the Freedom Riders and the 300-plus people who were arrested in Jackson in the summer of 1961 for integrating public transportation facilities.

A marker at the Mississippi State Capitol commemorates the 1966 three-week March Against Fear that began in Memphis, Tennessee, and ended with a rally at the Capitol, where some 15,000 people gathered to hear notable speakers, including King. Guided group tours of the Capitol

We have a history of making history

Human Pictures/Equal Justice Initiative

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Montgomery, AL As the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, Montgomery has witnessed some of the country’s most transformative moments and been the epicenter of countless world-changing events.

Discover Montgomery’s rich story and connect with its modern spirit through a variety of world-class experiences including the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace & Justice and The Legacy Museum, a sacred space for learning and reflection on racial terrorism in America. The Civil Rights Memorial Center, Rosa Parks Museum and Library, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage Museum, and Freedom Rides Museum, along with our world-famous Southern hospitality make Montgomery a must-visit Southern cultural destination.

“Undeniably Relevant” – New York Times “Ready For Its Closeup” – Fodors Travel “More Important To Visit Now Than Ever” - Matador @MontgomeryCapitalCool @MGMCapitalCool @mgmcapitalcool

MONTGOMERY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONVENTION & VISITOR BUREAU

www.visitingmontgomery.com

are available by reservation, and visitors can also take self-guided tours.

A marker at Medgar Evers’ home remembers the Mississippi NAACP’s first state field secretary, who was assassinated in his driveway in 1963.

Groups can tour the Evers’ house museum, which has been restored to look as it did when his family lived there, including his children’s mattresses placed directly on the floor to reduce the chance that they could be shot through the windows of their home.

In Ruleville, Mississippi, groups can visit the Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden, where they’ll find Hamer’s gravesite and a statue of the noted civil and voting rights activist.

VISITMISSISSIPPI.ORG/THINGS-TO-DO/HISTORY-CULTURE/ CIVIL-RIGHTS

“No man or woman who tries to

MISSISSIPPI

FREEDOM

TRAIL

Courtesy MS Freedom Trail

pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.”

— DA ISY BATES

ARKANSAS

CIVIL RIGHTS

HERITAGE TRAIL

Courtesy Little Rock CVB

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Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS The Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail launched in 2011 to honor the people who fought for racial justice in Arkansas. The trail of 75-some brass markers, one for each honoree, begins in front of the Old State House Museum, and new markers are installed in the sidewalk along West Markham Street each year. Eventually, the trail will stretch to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum.

The markers serve as “daily reminders of where we’ve been and where we’re headed,” said Kiki Mannear, tourism sales manager for the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Groups can explore the names on the markers beyond the trail. Each of the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to enroll in Little Rock Central High School in 1957, has a marker. The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is still an operating school, so guided tours are available on a limited basis, but groups will also find a visitor center and the preserved Mobil gas station.

During the desegregation, Daisy Bates, then-president of the Arkansas NAACP chapter, was a mentor and advocate for the Little Rock Nine. Tours of her preserved home can be arranged.

Also on the trail, visitors will find the names of John E. Bush and Chester W. Keatts, who in 1883 founded the Mosaic Templars of America, a black fraternal organization. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center opened in 2008 with exhibits that focus on the city’s thriving West Ninth Street business district and the area’s black culture, black community and black-owned businesses during the Jim Crow era.

ARKANSASCIVILRIGHTSHERITAGE.ORG

visitnopc.com

One cannot step foot into New Orleans Plantation Country without experiencing the impact of slave culture. Their art, language, folklore and, of course, food are woven deep into the fabric of this region. First brought to Louisiana through capture and oppression, slaves are the historical foundation of agricultural and economic success of the area and its plantations.

Out here, you will learn about how the intelligence and skill of the enslaved dictated the architecture of the plantation estates and structures. Tours, memorials and knowledgeable guides present the perspectives of the enslaved through first-person narratives and educational exhibits. Hear about the lives of freed slaves, living during segregation under Jim Crow laws.

Explore local African-American owned businesses and family owned restaurants to further experience how African heritage is rooted in all aspects of history, and continues to shape the current landscape. Taste your way through Creole kitchens for an authentic understanding of the famous flavors that originated out here and are enjoyed around the world.

The immersive experiences available in New Orleans Plantation Country educate visitors and honor the history and culture of the enslaved throughout the River Parishes of Louisiana.

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FISK MEMORIAL CHAPEL IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK AT FISK UNIVERSITY, A SCHOOL ESTABLISHED TO EDUCATE FREED SLAVES IN NASHVILLE.

Dynamic institutions rose to educate African Americans

T

BY R ACHEL C A RTER

he education of African American people, whether free or enslaved, was discouraged during the slave era in the U.S. — it was even illegal in many Southern states — because educated slaves were seen as a threat to slaveholders’ power.

But that didn’t stop enslaved people from seeking knowledge, which often became a communal effort on plantations.

After the Civil War ended, freed slaves were so starved for an education, they would often walk miles in each direction to missionary schools for freed slaves.

For decades, they had to battle the prevailing belief that black people couldn’t be educated, only “trained.” They were forced to attend segregated schools that were often just tar-

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Courtesy Fisk University

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paper-covered shacks with no heat, no books, no furniture.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 decision that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” marked the first step toward equality in education and was an important catalyst of the civil rights movement.

Today, the U.S. Civil Rights Trail commemorates numerous schools and universities that played roles in advancing the cause of equality in education.

SUNSET OVER BEREA COLLEGE IN KENTUCKY

Berea College BEREA, KENTUCKY When abolitionist and minister John Fee founded Berea College in 1855, his vision was to create a “Utopian Experiment” that welcomed “all peoples of the Earth.” As a result, Berea was the first college in the South to admit both black and white students, as well as women.

Courtesy Berea College Berea College and the town that grew up around it was essentially half black and half white and fully integrated for the next 50 years, but Jim Crow sentiments soon crept in. In 1904, Kentucky legislators targeted Berea with a law that banned educating black way to the U.S. Supreme Court. They also split the college’s endowment and white students in the same school — or and raised money to establish the Lincoln Institute for black students. even within 25 miles of each other.

In 1950, Berea College was again able to enroll black students, and Though the college was forced into a Berea students actively took up the civil rights cause in the 1960s. period of segregation, it never lost touch with Student guides lead groups on 50-minute historical walking tours that its founding principles, spokesman Timothy take guests into the Carter G. Woodson Center to learn about its namesake, Jordan said. Berea’s president and board paid known as the “Father of Black History,” who was a 1903 graduate of Berea. for Berea’s black students to attend other Visitors will also go inside the 1906 Phelps Stokes Chapel, which students schools while the college fought the law all the built, and see Lincoln Hall, the school’s second-oldest permanent structure.

BEREA.EDU

Dorchester Academy MIDWAY, GEORGIA

DORCHESTER

ACADEMY Courtesy DAIA

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Dorchester Academy was established in the 1870s as a missionary school to educate freed slaves. It opened its doors to students of every age and “was really the first school in the area where African Americans could get a high school education,” said Bill Austin, president of the Dorchester Academy Improvement Association. Hungry for knowledge, many students walked several miles each way to attend school; one made the 17-mile trek on foot twice a day.

But the school is best known for its role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The abandoned campus became the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC’s) primary site for its Citizen Education Program (CEP). The CEP was the foundation of the SCLC’s voter education project, which taught Southern blacks about their rights as citizens and prepared them to pass voter registration tests during each weeklong session. Students also learned the concepts and tactics of nonviolent direct action.

In less than two years, the SCLC trained nearly 2,000 teachers and leaders, who returned to their hometowns and, in turn, taught nearly

BEREA COLLEGE

11,000 others. Dorchester was also the planning center for “Project C,” the SCLC’s successful March 1963 campaign to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.

At the site today, groups can schedule guided tours of the 1934 Georgian Revival-style dormitory, including the room where Martin Luther King Jr. stayed during his frequent visits, as well as the museum housed in the former school director’s two-bedroom home. Visitors can also explore the campus walking trail or tour the nearby Midway Museum.

DORCHESTERACADEMYIA.ORG

William Frantz Elementary School NEW ORLEANS

Courtesy Berea College

Ruby Bridges was only 6 years old in 1960 when she became the first African American student to attend the previously all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Four federal marshals escorted Bridges and her mother to the school every day that year past furious crowds lobbing vicious slurs.

Though Bridges’ presence was meant to integrate the school, she and her teacher, Barbara Henry, spent most of the year alone while white students learned, ate and played without them and white teachers refused to talk to Bridges.

Today, a historical marker outside the school commemorates the integration, and a statue of Bridges stands in the school’s courtyard.

travel a trail that changed the path of our entire country.

North Carolina is filled with many paths but only one U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

Immerse your next group in the historical significance NC played in the fight for American civil rights.

Visit F.W. Woolworth’s lunch counter, the catalyst for the sit-in movement, and other historical locations in our state.

CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM Photo Credits: Keenan Hairston and Visit Raleigh

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Room 2306 serves as the “Ruby Bridges Room,” which has been restored with 1960 period furnishings and decor. The building now houses Akili Academy, a charter school, and is not open for public tours.

Though Bridges gets much of the attention, three other African American girls integrated McDonogh No. 19 school that same year. One of them, Leona Tate, founded the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, which is working to preserve and repurpose the school as a museum and education center.

Louisiana is also working to create its own state civil rights trail that will connect to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. State officials recently accepted site nominations for the trail, which could include physical markers at each site as well as “digital” markers online.

CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM/ATTRACTION/ WILLIAM-FRANTZ-ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL

JUBILEE HALL

AT FISK UNIVERSITY

Courtesy Fisk University

Fisk University NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Barely six months after the end of the American Civil War, three men founded the Fisk School in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, to educate freed slaves of all ages. The school was incorporated as Fisk University in 1867 to train teachers to go back out into the communities and educate the freed slaves.

In 1930, the university was the first African American college to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

From the Reconstruction era through present day, Fisk alumni form a roster of notable names, from Ida B. Wells, an African American journalist, abolitionist and suffragist who led an antilynching campaign in the 1890s, to current U.S. congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.

“If you go through each decade, you can see Fisk graduates playing important roles in the direction of this country and the direction of civil rights,” said Fisk University provost Vann Newkirk.

Guided campus tours are available for groups. Jubilee Hall, the crown jewel of the campus, was built with proceeds from the Jubilee Singers’ 1871 U.S. tour and 1873 tour of Great Britain and Europe, which included a performance for Queen Victoria. The Fisk Jubilee Singers still perform worldwide, and groups might be able to arrange a performance with enough advance scheduling.

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Visitors can also tour the 1892 Fisk Memorial Chapel and the main administration building, a Works Progress Administration-commissioned “architectural gem.” Guests can visit Fisk’s three on-campus art galleries and see the painting of the Jubilee Singers commissioned by Queen Victoria.

FISK.EDU

Tuskegee University TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA Tuskegee University was founded July 4, 1881, as the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers, and 25-year-old Booker T. Washington was hired as the school’s first principal.

The following year, Washington bought a former plantation with about 100 acres that became the core of the university campus, which today is also a designated national park, the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.

Renowned botanist, inventor and scientist George Washington Carver was a professor at the university from 1896 until his death in 1943.

In 1941, the U.S. Army Air Corps established a program at Tuskegee to train black aviators using Moton Field. The graduates became known as the Tuskegee Airmen, or Red Tails, the first African American military fighter and bomber pilots in the U.S. armed forces.

Guided group tours of the campus include Washington’s home, called the Oaks; the George Washington Carver Museum; the men’s gravesites in the campus cemetery; and the Legacy Museum, as well as other historic buildings. Groups can also visit the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field, about four miles from campus.

University archivist and associate professor Dana Chandler can also provide access and custom tours of the archives, which contain “lots of surprises.” Among the trove of artifacts are Carver’s notebooks, a 22-pound meteorite and singer Lionel Richie’s uniform. The Commodores all attended Tuskegee, but Richie was the only member to graduate, Chandler said.

NPS.GOV/TUIN

FISK MEMORIAL CHAPEL

Courtesy Courtesy Historic FiskDodgertown University

EXPLORE BATON ROUGE

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Down here, we celebrate with the masses, and throw a party for just about anything.

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“If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.”

— BOOK ER T. WASHINGTON

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY

By Chris Grainger, courtesy AL Tourism Dept.

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM AT TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY

By Chris Grainger, courtesy AL Tourism Dept.

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DOROTHY LOCKETT HOLCOMB: FIGHTING FOR EDUCATION

R

FOR MORE CIVIL RIGHTS STORIES, VISIT VIMEO.COM/CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL

ather than comply with a court order to desegregate, Prince Edward County in Virginia closed all public schools for five years.

“They decided if we have to integrate, we’re just not going to have public schools at all,” Dorothy Lockett Holcomb said. “So, in 1959, I was 10 years old, fourth grade and totally devastated without a school to go to.”

Her parents assured her she would get an education. Instead of walking one mile to her three-room school every day, she walked three miles each way to be tutored in a church basement.

“I did that for two years thinking that schools were going to open, but they never did.”

Eventually, her father rented a dilapidated house in Appomattox County, where schools were still open, and they pretended to live there. He dropped Holcomb and her brother off every morning, and they would wait behind the house until they heard the bus coming.

When Prince Edward County schools reopened in 1963, Holcomb’s family didn’t return.

“The only thing my father said to me was, ‘I’m not going to give them the chance to do that to you again.’”

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C I S U M E TH TS.

Logan Young

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P O T N I A T N THE MOU

CLAYBORN TEMPLE,

ONE OF FIVE MEMPHIS SITES ON THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS TRAIL

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THE FUTURE IS BUILT ON COURAGE

GREAT MOVEMENTS IN HISTORY BEGIN WITH A SINGLE ACT OF COURAGE. THE LITTLE ROCK NINE MONUMENT IN LITTLE ROCK COMMEMORATES THOSE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS WHO STOOD UP FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. LEARN MORE ABOUT ARKANSAS’S STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AT CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM. ARKANSAS.COM/GROUP-TRAVEL

Little Rock Central High School

CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

Little Rock Nine monument

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THE OLD COURTHOUSE IN ST. LOUIS WAS THE STARTING POINT OF DRED SCOTT’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IN 1847.

America’s courts ultimately shone for civil rights

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BY R ACHEL C A RTER

Courtesy NPS

he battle for civil rights was fought at lunch counters, on public buses and on city streets. But it was won in the courtroom.

In was in state and federal courts and, ultimately, in the U.S. Supreme Court that black Americans were finally recognized as equal citizens who were entitled to the same treatment under the law as whites.

The Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision began the unraveling of Jim Crow in the South. Over the next decade, case after case, ruling after ruling dismantled the segregation of public parks, public transportation and public facilities for black citizens.

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail includes numerous courthouses and other spots where legal victories helped to propel CIVILRIGHTSTRAIL.COM the civil rights movement forward.

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Old Courthouse ST. LOUIS

A SCULPTURE OF DRED SCOTT AND HIS WIFE HARRIET AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE IN ST. LOUIS

Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, began their fight for freedom at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis in 1847, when they filed their first suit to be freed from slavery. Eleven years later, the U.S. Supreme Court made its “heinous decision” in the case, which effectively ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue, said Bob Moore, a historian with Gateway Arch National Park.

In an ironic twist, the Scotts were permanently freed two months later at the Old Courthouse after their ownership was transferred to an abolitionist congressman.

St. Louis suffragette Virginia Minor also took her civil suit to the court in 1873 to argue for women’s right to vote, gaining significant attention for voting rights for all U.S. citizens.

Courtesy Memphis CVB The courthouse will close to the public June 1 to undergo a major renovation that is slated to take at least 18 months.

Though much of the work is infrastructurerelated, the project will add new exhibits, including one about the Scotts and a brandTallahatchie County Courthouse and Emmett Till new gallery called “Pathways to Freedom” that Interpretive Center will explore urban life for persons of color in St. Louis, both enslaved and free. The courtSUMNER, MISSISSIPPI room where the Minor case was heard will also be converted into an exhibit space exploring In a courtroom at the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, women’s voting rights.

Mississippi, an all-white, all-male jury acquitted two men of the 1955 When the courthouse reopens, groups can kidnapping, beating and lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till. The participate in mock-trial programs and take jury deliberated for 67 minutes; one juror reportedly said, “If we hadn’t guided tours of the ornate structure, which stopped to drink pop, it wouldn’t have taken that long.” was built between 1839 and 1862.

For the next 50 years, residents of Sumner and the surrounding area NPS.GOV/JEFF hoped the incident would fade into history. Instead, Till’s significance grew.

In 2006, Jerome Little, the first black president of the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors, formed the Emmett Till Memorial Commission. The following year, the commission delivered a formal apology to the Till family in a public ceremony in front of the courthouse.

Over the next several years, the group worked to restore the courtroom to its 1955 appearance and to create an Emmett Till museum. The restored courtroom and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center across the street opened in spring 2015.

At the center, groups will find community space along with some exhibits. At the courthouse, Benjamin Saulsberry, the center’s tour coordinator, leads visitors on guided tours or in facilitated conversations.

“We talk about the trauma that it took over 50 years to get to, as a county and as a community, to address that 50-year silence,” he said.

TALLAHATCHIE In August 2019, the center also launched the Emmett Till Memory Project, a mobile app for sites and historical interpretation related to the tragedy.

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COUNTY

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Courtesy Tallahatchie County Courthouse

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Courtesy NPS

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

OLD COURTHOUSE

IN ST. LOUIS

Courtesy NPS

“There is no noise as powerful as the sound of the marching feet of a determined people.”

— M A RTIN LU THER K ING JR .

TOPEKA, KANSAS Third grader Linda Brown had to walk six blocks to the bus stop and then ride a bus to Monroe Elementary School, a school for black children. Meanwhile, an all-white elementary school was only seven blocks from her home. Her father was one of 13 parents who filed a class-action lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education for operating segregated schools. The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 ruling in the case declared it was unconstitutional for states to establish separate public schools for black and white students.

Today, Monroe Elementary is the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Two galleries recount the barriers to education that African Americans had to overcome and the civil rights movement following the Supreme Court ruling.

The site recently completed a $500,000 refresh of its exhibits to make them more tactile, engaging and accessible. Evocative wall photos were added where visitors can write their thoughts anonymously on a sticky note “to leave it there for the next visitor to grapple with,” said program manager Enimini Ekong. “The sticky notes are the most jarring. People will come along and see this conversation and see this is where we’re at.”

An oral history booth will soon be added so visitors can record their thoughts about the site and their experience.

In the Hall of Courage, guests see and hear the vicious slurs that were yelled at the first black students at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, and visitors can also watch a 30-minute film in the auditorium.

Guided group tours are available for up to 90 people, and ranger presentations can be arranged.

NPS.GOV/BRVB

JUDGE FRANK JOHNSON JR.

Courtesy Judge Frank Johnson Institute

BAY COUNTY BROWN V. BOARD

FRANK JOHNSON JR.

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

BUILDING

OF EDUCATION

Courtesy NPS

FEDERAL Courtesy Judge Frank Johnson Institute

COURTHOUSE

Courtesy Bay County Courthouse

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Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse

DAVID JORDAN:

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

REFLECTING ON JUSTICE

While Rosa Parks’ case was bogged down in state courts, two attorneys strategically filed a separate case to challenge Montgomery, Alabama’s segregation of city buses.

When a three-judge panel that included Judge Frank M. Johnson struck down the city’s ordinance segregating buses in 1956, it marked the first time the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education rationale — that separate but equal is unconstitutional — was applied outside of public education.

“Judge Johnson ruled on numerous cases over the next decade that sort of dismantled Jim Crow,” said Thomas Rains, executive director of the Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. Institute, a new nonprofit whose mission is to promote understanding of the Constitution and the independent judiciary.

Johnson’s rulings ended segregation of city parks, interstate buses and terminals, the city airport, city libraries and the YMCA. Today, the 1933 Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Montgomery is still an active courthouse.

Judge Myron Thompson sits in what was Johnson’s courtroom, which has been restored.

With sufficient notice and advance scheduling, groups “can come in and see the courtroom, which is really ground zero for the civil rights movement,” Rains said. He or one of the court’s judges can also speak to groups before Rains takes them to the nearby library to see Johnson’s desk and his Presidential Medal of Freedom.

THEJOHNSONINSTITUTE.ORG

Bay County Courthouse PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA When Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with burglarizing the Bay Harbor Pool Room in 1961, he couldn’t afford an attorney. And when he appeared in the Bay County Courthouse in Panama City, Florida, the judge refused to appoint one for Gideon, forcing him to mount his own defense at trial. When the jury convicted Gideon, the court sentenced him to five years in state prison.

From his prison cell, Gideon appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, using the prison library for reference and writing on prison stationery.

The Supreme Court overturned his conviction in the renowned Gideon v. Wainwright case, unanimously ruling that states are required under the Sixth Amendment to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who cannot afford to hire their own.

Two years after his initial trial, Gideon was retried at the same courthouse — and was acquitted.

A historical marker about the Gideon case sits outside the 1915 yellowbrick courthouse in downtown. The building is still an operating county court, so it’s open to the public, but visitors must go through a security checkpoint. It’s also one of 14 sites on the historic downtown walking tour, and Destination Panama City can assist with requests for step-on guides.

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ississippi state Sen. David Jordan was a college student in September 1955 when his professor told the class to read newspapers about the Emmett Till murder trial.

When school let out that day, Jordan said, “Let’s go to Sumner.” His classmate drove Jordan and his brother to the town.

They walked into the packed courtroom while the funeral home director was testifying about the appearance of Till’s body.

Order was scarce in the court; people were doing pretty much whatever they wanted to do, Jordan said. During a recess, Till’s killers “were drinking cokes and laughing.”

“I could tell nobody was serious about it; kind of a mockery of a trial,” he said.

Jordan and his classmate shared their firsthand account of the trial for their class project. They got an “A.” “Looking back on it, I knew they were not serious,” Jordan said of the trial. He added, “It was just a mockery of justice. They didn’t intend to do anything because they were never serious.”

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YOU’VE HEARD OF DRED SCOTT.

See where his case—and the Civil Rights Movement—began.

Step into history at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis where Dred Scott famously fought for his freedom from slavery. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Scott was not considered a citizen and had no right to sue – but his bold move marked the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in America. Learn more about this landmark event in the historic courthouse where it all began at the newly renovated Gateway Arch National Park.

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The original Stanley Cup stands at the center of the Esso Great Hall in Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame.

BY ELIZA MYERS

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COURTESY HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

or sports fans, few activities bring as much frenzied excitement as watching a close game. The rush of adrenaline, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat make sports a nonstop emotional roller coaster for devotees.

To replicate these emotional experiences in a museum setting, sports halls of fame across the country have gone beyond typical exhibits. Guests can chat with talking busts of football players at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Or groups can snap a picture with the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Other halls of fame invite visitors to test their talents with interactive exhibits at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the World Golf Hall of Fame and the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Groups with raging fans or curious observers can experience all the highs of a sensational game at these sports halls of fame.

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National Baseball Hall of Fame

The Hall of Honor at Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame COURTESY WGHOF

COURTESY NMBHOF

P R O FO OT BA L L H A L L O F FA M E CANTON, OHIO Visitors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame can ask the image of John Madden what it was like to be carried off the field after winning the Super Bowl. Impressively, Madden will then answer.

In collaboration with an artificial intelligence company, StatMuse, the museum created its Interactive Bronzed Bust experience in early 2019. Using a mobile device in front of some of the bronzed busts in the Hall of Fame Gallery, guests can converse with some of their football heroes face to face. Many fans have long found the bronzed busts one of the emotional highlights of the tour with screen kiosks that include bios, photos and videos on the inductees.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame honors the sport. A time tunnel of football players, as well as interactive exhibits and personal artifacts, explain how football became an American phenomenon.

Another recent technological marvel of the museum features a holographic theater production of “A Game for Life.” Holographic images of Hall of Fame legends Joe Namath, George Halas and Vince Lombardi deliver advice on how the game of football teaches life lessons.

Other favorite exhibits include the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery, which follows the much-anticipated game from Super Bowl I to its current global significance. On the second floor of the museum, groups can find hands-on exhibits with chances to replay football moments, try on helmets and compare visitors’ hand sizes with those of Hall of Famers.

Groups that want to visit the museum’s vast collection of football artifacts not now on display can opt for the VIP Behind-the-Scenes Tour.

P R O FO OT B A L L H O F.C O M

WO R L D G O L F H A L L O F FA M E ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA Groups can golf 1880s style at the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida. The hands-on exhibit allows participants to use hickory-shafted putters to hit balls made of gutta-percha rubber on a re-created putting green for a historic golfing experience.

The Hall of Fame follows the sport from its development in Scotland to its spread around the world. Groups can capture a keepsake photo while crossing a replica of the Swilcan Bridge from the famous St. Andrews Links golf course in Scotland.

A museum-wide audio tour offers exclusive personal

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Pro Football Hall of Fame COURTESY PFHOF

BY MILE STEWART JR., COURTESY NBHOF

Right and below: artifacts on exhibit at the World Golf Hall of Fame stories and anecdotes from more than 35 Hall of Fame members. Karrie Webb discusses picking up the game at age 4. Arnold Palmer reminisces about his friendship with President Dwight Eisenhower.

Other exhibits tell stories about the world’s most gifted golfers, such as “Arnold Palmer: A Life Well Played,” “Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memory” and “The Member Locker Room.”

“Honoring the Legacy: A Tribute to African Americans in Golf” displays rare photos and video memorabilia to highlight the rich history of African Americans’ contributions to the sport.

The museum challenges visitors to test their swing at a golf simulator. Guests can stand at a virtually re-created Old Course at St. Andrews, Firestone Country Club or Plantation Course at Kapalua to navigate each elite course.

WO R L D G O L F H A L LO F FA M E .O R G

NAISMITH MEMORIAL BA S K E T BA L L H A L L O F FA M E SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS Visitors regularly break out in a sweat when visiting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 35,000-square-foot museum invites guests to shoot hoops at the full-sized Center Court.

Participants attempt shooting, passing and other skills before heading on to more physical feats.

The second floor features interactive exhibits that allow guests to sit in a broadcaster’s chair, measure their vertical leaps and coach a team to victory. A game of virtual hoops also tests participants’ shooting form.

The lively museum’s other exhibits honor the fast-paced game with three theaters, basketball memorabilia and interactive kiosks.

Organizers named the museum after James Naismith, a physical education instructor at the YMCA Training School in Springfield. Tasked with devising an indoor game to wear out a rowdy class of young men, Naismith brought out a couple of peach baskets, a soccer ball and a set of 13

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rules for the first game of “basket ball.” The recreational sport spread quickly.

Today, the game is played by more than 300 million people in 200 countries.

The first Basketball Hall of Fame opened in 1968 at the campus of Springfield College. The growing popularity of the sport necessitated a move in 2002 to its current $47 million facility designed as a basketball-shaped sphere.

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N AT I O N A L B A S E B A L L H A L L O F FA M E COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK A shrine to America’s national pastime sits in the scenic upstate New York town of Cooperstown. The National Baseball Hall of Fame honors the beloved sport by helping guests relive some of the game’s most historic moments.

Three spacious floors filled with more than 38,000 artifacts illustrate the importance of the sport. Many visitors start their tour on the second floor with a 13-minute video in the Grandstand Theatre for an overview of baseball’s history. “Taking the Field” re-creates the early days of the 19th-century game before a timeline chronicles baseball’s greatest players, teams and record-winning games.

For more personal stories, guests can visit the Babe Ruth Room, the “Women in Baseball” exhibit and the “African American Baseball” exhibit.

“Today’s Game” features lockers with artifacts such as uniforms, hats, gloves and photos from all 30 major league teams.

On the third floor, groups can learn about baseball legend Hank Aaron’s life from childhood to the present day in the “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream” exhibit. The Baseball Card Room lets groups peek into the world of baseball card collecting by displaying a sampling of the museum’s 135,000 baseball cards.

Guests shouldn’t leave the museum without stopping in the Hall of Fame Gallery. Each inductee has a bronze plaque displayed so fans can find their favorite players.

B A S E B A L L H A L L .O R G

COURTESY WGHOF

H O C K E Y H A L L O F FA M E TORONTO Groups can attempt to stop lightning-fast pucks from Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Ontario. The ice hockey museum honors the sport with exhibits on the players, the teams and the National Hockey League, alongside interactive challenges.

Computer simulations let participants take shots using real pucks at a simulation of goaltender Ed Belfour. Guests can also learn how hockey broadcasting works by recording messages alongside replayed games, then arranging for those clips to be emailed to them.

The stunning Esso Great Hall, with plaques of Hall of Fame members, stands out for many guests. NHL trophies line the walls, including the towering Stanley Cup. Groups can snap photos with the cup.

The museum recently renovated its Vault, the permanent home of the now-retired original Stanley Cup Bowl. The exhibit also contains the exclusive Stanley Cup ring display of more than 20 rings, including the first 1893 championship ring.

The Canadian museum is self-guided, with knowledgeable staff throughout to assist with questions or point out interesting artifacts. Visitors can use mobile apps for customized tours.

The Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943. It moved to downtown Toronto in 1993 inside the historic Bank of Montreal building.

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Kentucky

TAPESTRY

By Eliza Myers

Art & Artists

DR AW T R AVELERS FROM ACROS S THE WORLD

J

ust like the Bluegrass State itself, art in Kentucky is anything but straightforward.

Self-taught artists from the Appalachian Mountains produce whimsical works.

Western Kentucky honors the region’s award-winning quilters. Intricate works in all kinds of mediums reveal aspects of the state’s heart and soul.

Kentucky spotlights its artistic achievements at artisan attractions across the state. Some focus on unusual folk art, some on art education and some on revealing the width and breadth of Kentucky’s artistic skills.

Whether your group seeks a take-home art class from a local professional, an inspirational walk through a professional gallery or a chance to purchase some authentic Kentucky art, these attractions can edify and entertain.

KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER Berea

Visitors with budgets ranging from $2 to $2,000 will find something to fit their price range at the Kentucky Artisan Center. More than a gift shop, the educational site features 800 Kentucky artisans who use materials of all kinds, including glass, ceramic, metal, note cards, woodworks, furniture, jewelry, books and paintings.

On Saturdays, groups can watch one of the artists at work at a scheduled demonstration. The artist’s process is brought to life; guests can watch up close,

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read an educational handout about the artist and ask questions as they go.

Groups can also book a workshop to learn a specific art form, such as basket weaving. Past groups have also scheduled food tastings, book signings and musical performances at the center.

The Kentucky Artisan Center displays five rotating gallery exhibits a year based on specific artists or themes. Groups can add a gallery talk to their stop for an educational element.

Directly off Interstate 75, the center can host both quick breaks and longer experiential activities. Staff can give walking introductory tours of the center before turning groups loose in the 25,000-square-foot facility.

The Artisan Cafe and Grill allows visitors to dine on Kentucky favorites such as Hot Browns, fried catfish and bourbon bread pudding.

Groups can opt for private dining areas or outdoor patios to see some of the center’s 10-acre landscaped grounds.

KENTUCKYARTISANCENTER.KY.GOV

KENTUCKY FOLK ART CENTER Morehead

The impressive imaginations of ordinary people from Kentucky are on full display at the Kentucky Folk Art Center. Administered by the Morehead State University, the site preserves and educates guests on the folk art of the state.

Each work in the museum was created by self-taught artists; subjects range from the everyday to the fantastical. The museum’s main floor rotates works from the 1,400-piece permanent collection. Eccentrically carved wooden figures, paintings and mixed media show off the talents of these self-taught artists. The center displays some of the area’s wellknown artists like Edgar Tolson, Minnie Adkins and Charles Kinney.

The gift shop showcases folk art, crafts, jewelry, books, housewares and more. Group activities usually happen in the 50-seat Jimmie Ruth Auditorium.

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BY GWEN HEFFNER, COURTESY KAC

COURTESY KY FOLK ART CENTER

COURTESY PADUCAH CVB

Kentucky

THE PADUCAH SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN OFFERS VARIOUS WORKSHOPS AND OTHER INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FOR GROUPS.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: A WOOD-TURNING DEMONSTRATION AT THE KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER; KENTUCKY FOLK ART CENTER; ART GUILD OF PADUCAH GALLERY; DOWNTOWN PADUCAH

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KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER

BY MICHAEL MATTHEWS, COURTESY KY ARTISAN CENTER

On the second floor, the center houses its changing exhibits; past topics have included folk art, fine art and historical content.

The Kentucky Folk Art Center was established in 1985. Its collection was housed in two separate buildings on campus until 1997, when the collection was moved to the historic Union Grocery Building in Morehead’s First Street Arts District.

The center offers regular cultural events, such as the Appalachian Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair the first Saturday in December. More than 100 vendors participate annually.

Admission to the museum is free.

MOREHEADSTATE.EDU

Paducah’s Cultural District Paducah

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ADMIRING ART IN A PADUCAH GALLERY

For some, a quilt is for keeping people warm. For fiber artists, a quilt is an art medium. The complex and intricate works on display at Paducah’s National Quilt Museum represent the latter outlook. The museum is one of many art-focused attractions in Paducah’s Cultural District.

The National Quilt Museum helped give

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Paducah the nickname Quilt City USA. Guests expecting to see traditional bedding leave the museum surprised by the innovative, creative works on display. Groups can book workshops to make their own piece of fiber art after seeing the museum’s masterpieces.

Paducah, in western Kentucky at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, offers interactive art experiences downtown and beyond. UNESCO designated the town as one of the world’s Creative Cities, an honor bestowed on only nine cities in the United States. The city’s emphasis on preserving and encouraging art remains an important reason behind the designation.

Groups can begin their tour of Paducah with the Wall to Wall mural tour, a public art project celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The murals span three city blocks and tell stories of the river city’s past.

Paducah’s Lower Town is the city’s oldest residential neighborhood. It hosts the Artist Relocation Program, which has helped preserve many historic buildings and encourage local art.

Groups can book an interactive experience at Ephemera Paducah in Lower Town or Make Paducah in downtown. Both sites welcome groups and offer art studios with accessible and customizable hands-on art projects.

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Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center Covington

Groups that visit the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center can leave with an appreciation for art as well as a souvenir made with their own hands. The center offers one-day workshops throughout the year with wide-ranging topics, among them printing art onto blocks of linoleum and building a succulent terrarium.

Based in Covington, a small city in northern Kentucky, the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center boasts a team of more than 85 professional art instructors to offer workshops in drawing, painting, photography, sewing, ceramics and more. The nonprofit organization serves thousands of students each year from school age to adult.

Groups can book a workshop or simply enjoy the 3.5-acre campus of landscaped Victorian gardens and two historic mansions in the historic Licking Riverside neighborhood.

Margaretta Baker-Hunt donated her home to the community in 1940. Now known as the Baker Hunt Mansion and Family Museum, the house displays acclaimed paintings, stained-glass windows and a display of historic gowns.

Groups can also visit the Kate Scudder House, an 1820 property originally sold to the Covington Art Club in 1926. In 2000, the property became part of the Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center. The mansion’s ballroom now serves as a venue for the center’s concert series and other events.

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KENTUCKY ARTISAN CENTER OPEN DAILY 9-6 WORKS BY 800 ARTISTS ARTISAN CAFÉ & GRILL DEMONSTRATIONS SPECIAL EXHIBITS

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Appalachian Artisan Center Hindman

APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LUTHIERY

MAKING A DULCIMER

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tle d Bat n o m h Ric

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RICHMOND where history meets hospitality

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Up in the mountains of Appalachia lies an art enclave renowned for promoting the region’s arts, culture and heritage. The Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman recently opened Cody Studios, where artists can rent low-cost studio space with easy access to a network of artists and support services.

The studio also contains the Museum of the Mountain Dulcimer and the center’s art gallery.

Groups can tour the studio to meet artisans working in a variety of mediums, including painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry-making and weaving.

Hindman is known as the homeplace of the mountain dulcimer, a string instrument commonly used in the region’s folk music. The instrument has remained an important part of the area’s culture ever since James Edward Thomas first pushed a cartload of the dulcimers up and down the creek roads in the early 1900s.

Locals like to say, “You can’t toss a rock without hitting a musician.” These cultural roots are preserved at the Appalachian Artisan Center with instrument-building workshops that teach students to handcraft mountain dulcimers at the site’s Appalachian School of Luthiery. Artists at the woodworking shop also create guitars, banjos, mandolins and the occasional kazoo.

The Bolen Blacksmith Studios offers workshops for various art projects, including knife-making and blacksmith-related skills. After touring the site’s studios, groups can shop for items made by the center’s artists at the gift shop. The shop offers varied handcrafted items, such as jewelry, pottery, furniture and quilts.

The Appalachian Artisan Center recently received a grant to construct a hospitality center atop Cody Studios.

HINDMAN IS KNOWN AS THE HOMEPLACE OF THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER, A STRING INSTRUMENT COMMONLY USED IN THE REGION’S FOLK MUSIC. THE INSTRUMENT HAS REMAINED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE AREA’S CULTURE.

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Bardstown for the Arts: The Gallery Bardstown

From chain saw carvers to handmade card designers, the artists of Bardstown find inspiration everywhere. Bardstown for the Arts: The Gallery fosters the town’s burgeoning creativity with a cooperative of 40 local artists offering items on exhibit and on sale.

Artists involved in the nonprofit volunteer each month to keep the organization’s gallery open to the public. Groups can tour the historic 1914 building, which once served as the town’s post office. The building’s tall ceilings and open spaces made it a perfect art gallery.

Inside, visitors can interact with some of the artists and browse works such as pottery, woodworking, barrel furniture and glasswork. The gallery hosts six-week exhibits by local or regional artists. The annual “Beyond the Bourbon” exhibit features employees of the local bourbon industries, since Bardstown is known as the Bourbon Capital of the World.

The site also holds weekly art classes for youth. Student groups can work with the gallery for tours, scavenger hunts and on-site learning projects. The gallery can open after hours for groups to deliver an exclusive experience.

The gallery is located in Bardstown’s scenic downtown, and groups can tour together or individually as they walk past locally owned restaurants and shops. Within two blocks, groups can visit soap-makers, coffee shops and antique booths.

BARDSTOWN FOR THE ARTS

BARDSTOWNFORTHEARTS.COM

COURTESY BARDSTOWN FOR THE ARTS

Whisky Magazine

2018

DISTILLER of the Year

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a destination unlike any other—and it’s an experience worth sharing. With crowd-pleasing tour guides, ample parking, and complimentary tours and tastings seven days a week, Buffalo Trace Distillery is an unforgettable experience for groups large and small.

Read more about our tour options at

Tours.BuffaloTraceDistillery.com Contact visitorcenter@buffalotrace.com to schedule your group tour. @BUFFALOTRACEDISTILLERY

@BUFFALOTRACE

113 GREAT BUFFALO TRACE, FRANKFORT, KY 1-800-654-8471

Kentucky

ALLIANCE

By Eliza Myers

KENTUCKY WILL ALWAYS BE SYNONYMOUS WITH horses

K

entuckians’ love affair with horses began before the founding of the state.

Virginians settling the region brought with them horses imported from England. These animals’ speed, agility, grace and intelligent eyes captured the state’s imagination until the horse became a symbol of Kentucky.

The area’s limestone hills make Kentucky bluegrass rich in calcium. Many believe that horses feeding on the bluegrass grow strong bones. It helps explain why Kentucky horse racing and breeding thrived from the beginning, according to history.

Today, the racing industry and picturesque horse farms continue to captivate visitors. Groups can choose from several types of equestrian encounters.

Those wanting to immerse themselves in horse culture can explore the Kentucky Horse Park, the Kentucky Derby Museum or Old Friends Farm. For a behind-the-scenes tour of horse farms, groups can book exclusive tours.

Several places across the state will even let guests see the state’s beauty from atop a saddle for a memorable ride.

All in one place, visitors can see the mighty draft horses in the Big Barn and elite racing pros at the Hall of Champions. Belmont and Preakness winner Funny Cide is among the retired racehorse celebrities that pose for crowds daily.

The park teaches guests about the variety of horse breeds at the Parade of Breeds showcase, held daily April through November. A wide variety of horses, including the rare Marwari and the iconic American quarter horse, dressed in colorful costume trot past guests. The show’s narrator explains each breed’s heritage and history.

Four on-site museums cover the history of the horse, with the most extensive information at the International Museum of the Horse. The 60,000-square-foot museum chronicles the horse from ancient times to modern times. Standout blockbuster exhibits at the museum include “All the Queen’s Horses: The Role of the Horse in British History” and “A Gift From the Desert: The Art, Culture and History of the Arabian Horse.”

Founded in 1978, the Kentucky Horse Park opened as the world’s only park dedicated to humanity’s relationship with horses. Groups can tour the museum, attend outdoor shows or book a horse-drawn carriage ride. Guided horseback rides are also available.

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

Even if groups don’t come for “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” every visitor can immerse themselves in Thoroughbred racing culture at the Kentucky Derby Museum. Located at Churchill Downs, the racetrack that hosts the Kentucky Derby each May, the museum offers exhibits and exclusive group experiences.

Visitors begin the tour by placing themselves in the race at a 360-degree film, “The Greatest Race.” Exhibits give behind-the-scenes looks at past

Lexington

A horse farm wonderland awaits groups at the Kentucky Horse Park. The park’s 1,229 acres comprise horse pastures, horse trails, museums, barns, exhibits and more.

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KYHORSEPARK.COM

KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM Louisville

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GROUPS CAN ENCOUNTER CHAMPION THOROUGHBREDS AT CHURCHILL DOWNS AND OTHER SITES AROUND KENTUCKY.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: TOURING A SHELBYVILLE HORSE FARM; PARADE OF BREEDS AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK; OLD FRIENDS FARM; A HORSE COUNTRY FARM TOUR

COURTESY KY DERBY MUSEUM G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M

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TOURING CHURCHILL DOWNS IN LOUISVILLE

KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM COURTESY KY DERBY MUSEUM

winners and other Derby traditions. The museum also offers regular guided walks through the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack.

Groups can book their own Derby-themed experiences with the museum’s popular Hatitude program. The add-on program allows participants to choose from more than 20 different colorful hats, then decorate them with feathers, jewels, ribbons and other items.

Other behind-the-scenes experiences include breakfast at Churchill’s track kitchen. Breakfast takes place during morning workouts from March through early December. The special-access kitchen gives an authentic peek into horseback racing.

The Derby Café Express offers grab-and-go lunch items. Kentucky staples include Derby pie, hot brown paninis and burgoo.

DERBYMUSEUM.ORG

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSE FARM TOURS A SADDLEBRED IN SHELBYVILLE COURTESY KY DERBY MUSEUM

Your adventure starts in

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Grant County!

• Home of the Ark Encounter, fishing lakes Lake Williamstown, Williamstown Splash Park, miles of hiking trails & gentle rolling hills • 35 miles south of Cincinnati • 45 miles north of Lexington • We’ve got a winery, dinner theatre, specialty shops and friendly folks!

• Grant County - a great place to visit, live & work!

visitgrantky.com 1-800-382-7117

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Shelbyville

Groups can stand next to a newborn foal for an intimate experience and photo opportunity during spring and summer at an American Saddlebred farm.

Known as the American Saddlebred Capital of the World, Shelbyville and the surrounding Shelby County boast multiple Saddlebred farms that offer tours.

Tours usually occur in the morning so guests can see a working American Saddlebred farm. Guides walk guests through barns that house world champion show horses. Visitors can also view a training session.

Groups will leave with a better understanding of the history of the farm they visited and of the beloved breed. The American Saddlebred is the only breed that originated in the state. The breed gained notoriety during the Civil War when Gen. Robert E. Lee’s horse, Traveler, became famous. The horse was known as a “Kentucky Saddler” before the more official American Saddlebred name was registered.

Known as the ultimate show horse, the American Saddlebred stands alert with an arched neck, head up and ears forward. The evenly proportioned horse presents a stunning picture with the farms’ backdrops of rolling hills and lush vegetation.

Two of the most popular horse farms in the area are Udulata Farm and Kismet Farm.

VISITSHELBYKY.COM

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OLD FRIENDS FARM Georgetown

Silver Charm knows how to play to the crowd. The charismatic horse was Old Friends Farm’s first Kentucky Derby winner and remains the star of the Thoroughbred retirement farm. Visitors thrill at seeing this racing champion up close.

Old Friends Farm offers tours to meet some other big horse personalities. The farm cares for more than 100 retired Thoroughbreds.

Animal lovers, racing fans and casual observers can enjoy a 90-minute walking tour to meet 15 of the farm’s best-known residents.

Guides tell stories about each equine celebrity while giving visitors chances to feed them carrots. Groups can meet the more temperamental War Emblem, a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, as well as other former racehorses.

The farm is home to more horseracing stakes winners than any other place. Roughly 25,000 visitors explore the farm each year.

Tours can be customized for groups. Some groups time their visits to coincide with local equestrian events, such as the Derby, Breyerfest and the Breeders’ Cup. During these busy times, the farm offers groups exclusive twilight tours.

The farm also plans parties around major events that groups can attend. The annual Homecoming event occurs the day after Derby. Each soiree features an open house, a barbecue buffet, live music and an auction of equestrian memorabilia.

Groups can book a similar tour at one of the farm’s two satellite operations in Saratoga Springs, New York, or in southern Kentucky at Kentucky Downs racetrack in Franklin, near the Tennessee border.

The Kentucky Downs location features nine retired Thoroughbreds within sight of Interstate 65 for easy access.

Anniversary Celebration

OLDFRIENDSEQUINE.ORG

DOUBLE J STABLES Mammoth Cave

Above the dimly lit caverns at Mammoth Cave National Park, groups enjoy a gorgeous forest wilderness on horseback. Double J Stables combines the quiet of the forest with the signature Kentucky experience of horseback riding. The family-owned company leads guided group horseback rides on more than 85 miles of trails in the park.

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSE FARM TOURS COURTESY SHELBYKY TVB

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The company’s horses were chosen for their calm demeanor to make them suitable for inexperienced riders. The guided trail rides range in length from one to two hours. Anyone over the age of 6 can join the guided routes through the scenic trails traversing some of the park’s 52,000 acres.

Riders might see some of the park’s wildlife.

Frequent sightings include white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and other bird species. Bats living in the caves can also appear in the sky at dusk.

Groups can combine the experience with several activities, such as an underground tour of the stalactite-filled Mammoth Cave. The underground wonderland offers tours that range from casual strolls to strenuous exploration.

The world’s largest cave system has dramatic cave features, like the ornate Drapery Room and the Frozen Niagara, a waterfall-like feature preserved in limestone.

Explorers discover more passageways each year to add to the 400 miles of known passages. The Wild Cave Tour turns the experience into an adventure for smaller groups willing to brave the rougher route.

Other nearby Mammoth Cave activities include restaurants, shopping and golf.

LITTLE MIKE AT OLD FRIENDS FARM

BY LAURA BATTLES, COURTESY OLD FRIENDS

A TRAIL RIDE ABOVE MAMMOTH CAVE

DOUBLE J STABLES

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HORSE COUNTRY, INC. Central Kentucky

Horse Country, Inc., offers more than pleasant driving tours — it facilitates memories that participants will never forget. The tour company plans interactive experiences at equestrian sites across central Kentucky, such as feeding peppermint to a champion sire, petting foals and aiding in retraining former racehorses.

Groups can engage the senses by tasting horse feed that fuels equine champions. Or they might watch a surgery firsthand for an unforgettable experience. Possible activities run the gamut, but all tours cover the history of the horse farm business, the details of the day-to-day operation and stories about each distinct equestrian-themed stop.

The company’s more than 30 Thoroughbred industry members fall into seven categories: stud farm, nursery, sport horse, vet clinic, training track, feed mill and aftercare facility. Groups can customize their tours or choose from premade itineraries.

Groups often love meeting the horses and the people whose families have frequently worked with horses for generations. Guests find their passion contagious.

Horse Country, Inc., was founded in 2014. The nonprofit organization includes some of Kentucky’s most famous horse farms, such as Ashford Stud, Claiborne Farm, WinStar Farm and Three Chimneys.

A DEMONSTRATION IN CENTRAL KENTUCKY’S HORSE COUNTRY

VISITHORSECOUNTRY.COM

COURTESY HORSE COUNTRY INC.

Taste straight from the barrel!

Bourbon 30 Spirits bottles each barrel one at a time, encapsulating the uniqueness and integrity of each barrel.

At Bourbon 30 Spirits, we hope to teach you how to enjoy your bourbon and whiskey as we share the "ex p er ience" with you.

Welcome to the Family A family-owned, family-run bourbon distillery in the heart of downtown Georgetown, Kentucky, Bourbon 30 Spirits' story dates back to 1845 with the start of one of the first distilleries in Kentucky! Come see and experience the rich crafting tradition at Bourbon 30 Spirits Craft Distillery.

Tours & Tastings

We invite you to be our guest and Blend your own bottle!

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The Bottle Experience Try a sample from Bourbon 30 labels and J. Mattingly 1845 Private Reserves.

The Barrel Experience Taste uncut, unfiltered bourbon & whiskey straight from the barrel.

Premium Bourbon Experience Bottle your own bourbon or whiskey straight from the barrel, or create a blend!

J. Mattingly 1845

www.jmattingly1845.com 130 S. Water Street Georgetown, KY 40324 G R O U P T R AV E L L E A D E R . C O M 502.219.2551

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Kentucky

PORCH & STAGE

By Eliza Myers

TRAVELERS IN KENTUCKY ARE NEVER FAR FROM music

H

ardworking Kentuckians needed an outlet for all of life’s frustrations. They channeled their feelings into banjos, fiddles and mandolins. The result is the birth of bluegrass and Appalachian folk music, which continues to influence American music today.

Groups can discover Kentucky’s toe-tapping musical heritage at attractions across the state, from the Kentucky Opry in the Appalachian Mountains to the birthplace of the father of bluegrass in western Kentucky. At the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, visitors can follow the state’s musical contributions over the decades.

Tours at these trademark music attractions showcase the state’s musical past and harmonious present.

MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER Prestonsburg

Historic Appalachian instruments line the lobby walls at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg.

The Cedar Coal exhibit also gives context to the location with historic memorabilia from the region’s coal camp towns from the 1900s through the 1960s.

The exhibits set the stage for the music that visitors hear in the performing arts center. The 1,046seat theater houses the popular Billie Jean Osborne’s Kentucky Opry.

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students enrolled in an arts education program. Ages 7 to 18, the young people show what they have learned for the center’s Kentucky Opry Junior Pros performances.

Groups can learn about the center’s music initiatives and other facts on a backstage tour. Local comedian Freddie Goble, known as Munroe, starts the visit with a few laughs. The center can also arrange a meetand-greet with the cast for an interactive experience.

After the tour, participants can sit back and hear bluegrass, gospel, rock and country songs in the same vein as the Carolina Opry.

The in-house productions change each year with new themes. The Kentucky Opry formed in 1990 and has always spotlighted eastern Kentucky talent. The troupe moved into the Mountain Arts Center in 1996.

The Mountain Arts Center offers other concerts throughout the year. Past musicians to grace the stage have included Dwight Yoakam, Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Patty Loveless.

MACARTS.COM

KENTUCKY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM RENFRO VALLEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER Mount Vernon

The most common emotion for people visiting the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum is surprise. Not many people realize the extent of Kentucky’s musical roots, though they might have heard that Loretta Lynn was born in Kentucky. But the museum also showcases lesser-known facts. Two of the Backstreet Boys, for example, hail from the Bluegrass State.

The museum offers group tours for more personalized experiences Guides provide tidbits about each of the stars, and exhibits display interesting items, such as Lynn’s purple sequined gown, the Osborne

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Kentucky COURTESY MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER

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DANVILLE’S NORTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS ATTRACTS TOP PERFORMING ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER; BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME; A LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE KENTUCKY MUSIC HALL OF FAME; LOUISVILLE’S 4TH STREET LIVE

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KENTUCKY MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE JASON CRABB

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Brothers’ banjo and Yoakam’s skintight jeans.

Other exhibits highlight the careers of Kentucky natives Billy Ray Cyrus, the Judds and Rosemary Clooney, among others. The tour begins with a presentation about the museum and its induction process.

Groups have the option to listen to a live music performance before strolling through the exhibits. One exhibit follows Kentucky’s evolving music timeline from the 1750s to the present.

The building chosen for the 2002 Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum once served as John Lair’s horse stables. Lair founded Renfro Valley in 1939 when he began broadcasting his own radio program to promote Kentucky music.

The nearby Renfro Valley Entertainment Center keeps his tradition alive with regular live bluegrass, gospel and country music performances. Two theaters offer guests a chance to hear live music every weekend from April through December. The complex also houses a shopping village for music-themed and locally made items.

KENTUCKYMUSICHALLOFFAME.COM RENFROVALLEY.COM

AN EXHIBIT AT THE BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME COURTESY BLUEGRASS MUSIC HOF

INSTRUMENTS OWNED BY FAMOUS BLUEGRASS MUSICIANS COURTESY BLUEGRASS MUSIC HOF

EXPERIENCE ~

Explore a 3,000-acre D es t i na t i o n SHAKER VILLAGE OF PLEASANT HILL

OLD FORT HARROD STATE PARK

Group-friendly activities & adventures with over 300 affordable rooms just minutes SW of Lexington.

• Award-winning downtown • Beaumont Inn • Bright Leaf Golf Resort • Dixie Belle Riverboat • Dedman’s Drugstore • Lemons Mill Brewery • McAfee Jamboree • Unique Shopping/Dining • Year-round arts, cultural & music events

www.HarrodsburgKY.com • 800-355-9192

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CONVENIENTLY LOCATED I-64 at Exit 110 between Lexington & West Virginia

GROUP TOUR BUSES ARE WELCOME Easy access for tours of the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory, The Arts Center and Downtown Shopping and Dining. Hotels and Restaurants that can accommodate large groups.

WWW.MTSTERLINGTOURISM.COM

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BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

KENTUCKY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Owensboro

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum not only educates visitors about music but also lets them pick up an instrument and play.

Even if members have never touched an instrument, the Saturday Lesson music program pulls people out of the crowd and teaches them a song.

The hands-on experience shows that with a little quick training, everyone can make music.

Originally called the International Bluegrass Music Museum, the rebranded institution moved a few blocks away from its initial venue in 2018 to allow more room for exhibit space, a full-sized concert theater, an outdoor concert space and a restaurant. The $15.3 million venue hosts regular concerts.

New inductees chosen by the International Bluegrass Music Association line the walls each year. Groups can learn about these bluegrass pioneers with recorded interviews, videos, memorabilia and interactive kiosks. The museum also honors any music with bluegrass roots, which encompasses a lot of Americana genres.

Guided tours, jam sessions and events can complement a tour. The three-day Romp Festival each June is a popular time to come and listen to award-winning artists.

BLUEGRASSHALL.ORG

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PORT OF ASHLAND STATUES

CENTRAL PARK

CAMAYO ARCADE SPECIALTY SHOPS

DELTA

BY MARRIOTT

PARAMOUNT ARTS CENTER

A Riverfront Destination with Engaging Adventures & Authentic Experiences.

World Famous Statues • Scenic Hiking Trails • Central Park • Downtown Riverfront • Paramount Arts Center • Highlands Museum & Discovery Center • Floodwall Murals • Antique & Specialty Shops • Year-round Events & Performances

VisitAshlandKy.com • 800.377.6249 Northeast KY off I-64 • Gateway to KY’s Country Music Highway & Birthplace of The Judds, Billy Ray Cyrus & Jason Carter

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NORTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

A STUDENT GROUP PERFORMING AT NORTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Danville

You might not think a town with a population of almost 17,000 would draw musical giants. However, Dolly Parton, Yo-Yo Ma, ZZ Top and other music legends have held the limelight at the Norton Center for the Arts in Danville.

Part of the prestigious Centre College, the center hosted both the 2000 and 2012 Vice Presidential Debates. The 85,000-square-foot complex contains two theaters: the 1,470-seat Newlin Hall and the intimate 367-seat Weisiger Theatre.

Groups can watch Broadway productions, classical concerts or famed singers, depending on the center’s event schedule. Upcoming events for the 2020/21 season will be announced in June. Recent and upcoming performances include the Broadway production of “Finding Neverland,” the Shanghai Ballet and Alison Krauss.

Acclaimed performances are just the starting point of an experience at the Norton Center for the Arts. The center engages participants directly with jam sessions, panel discussions and workshops. Guided tours go behind the scenes and reveal the center’s architectural significance.

Designed by William Wesley Peters, a famous architect and apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Norton Center exemplifies organic architecture. Tours point out the center’s hexagonal shapes, bold colors and playful use of natural light.

NORTONCENTER.COM

COURTESY NORTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

tops for groups at the top of kentucky

Pictured: Ark Encounter, Coppin’s at Hotel Covington, Braxton Brewing Co., BB Riverboats, Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Creation Museum, Newport Aquarium, Covington, Cincinnati Zoo,

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meetNKY.com

TRADITION. CRAFTSMANSHIP. KENTUCKY’S FINEST. Immerse yourself in a grand tradition hundreds of years in the making. Come soak up Kentucky’s storied bourbon culture.

KentuckyTourism.com

DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE

Groups can choose their own beat in Louisville’s downtown. The city offers a wide range of musical styles, including classical, blues, big-name concerts, free waterfront concerts and other local bands.

Fourth Street Live is a popular place for groups to spend free time on their own search for music.

The 350,000-square-foot entertainment and retail complex off Fourth Street offers outdoor concerts, venues for local musicians and rocking shows at the Hard Rock Café. Live music is also featured nightly at Howl at the Moon.

Just a short walk from Fourth Street, guests can access Main Street’s musical offerings, such as nightly blues at Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar. Major artists like Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift frequent the Yum Center.

Groups can also treat their ears to a classical production with the Louisville Orchestra. The company performs classical pieces and pop culture favorites like John Williams’ “Star Wars” theme.

Experience Frankfort Kentucky!

We are the essence of everything that makes Kentucky special.

Visitfrankfort.com

Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist Commission 800-960-7200 • salesdirector@visitfrankfort.com

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20 min. from Lexington • 45 min. from Louisville

BILL MONROE MUSEUM Rosine

Home of the Muhlenberg Music Museum & Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame

KENTUCKY MOTORSPORTS H A LL O F FA M E A N D M U S E U M CENTRAL CITY, KENTUCKY

200 N. 1st St. • Central City, KY 42330 • 270.754.9603

Rarely has one person been inducted into so many Halls of Fame. Bill Monroe is not only known as the Father of Bluegrass, but he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll, Country Music and Bluegrass Music halls of fame. Fans can appreciate this influential musician at the Bill Monroe Museum.

The museum opened in 2018 in Monroe’s hometown of Rosine. Tours that provide information about his life are often conducted by townspeople who knew Monroe personally.

The exhibit starts with Monroe’s childhood and then focuses on how he formed the Blue Grass Boys band in 1938 and how that birthed a new genre of music. The last car he drove, his porch swing, the last mandolin he ever played and other memorabilia are on display.

The museum sits across the street from the Rosine Barn Jamboree, which regularly features live bluegrass. Groups can listen to some upbeat music at the local venue to appreciate the art form.

Rosine remains an authentic rural town, similar in look and feel to when Monroe lived there. Group leaders can work with the Ohio County Tourism Commission to add live music performances.

BILLMONROEMUSEUM.COM

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300 YEARS OF STORIES

For more than 300 years, New Orleans has been inspiring stories. Our Spanish, French, African and Caribbean influences create a cultural gumbo of distinctive architecture, cool jazz and celebrated cuisine that only New Orleans knows how to dish out. From second line parades to centuries old streetcars, this timeless city offers something amazing around every cobblestone corner. Start creating your New Orleans story!

NEWORLEANS.COM/GROUPS

Contact Thu Tran, Account Executive 800-748-8695 x5053 or TTran@NewOrleans.com