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Daily Tours

 Tours are available Tuesday-Saturday.

Guests are invited to visit any or all of our Historic Tuscaloosa properties! 

Please check with our event calendar for daily closings.

Daily tours begin first with

Old Tavern at 1:30

Then travel .7 miles to the

Battle-Friedman House at 2:30

Then travel .3 miles to the

Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion at 3:30

Go Explore Tuscaloosa!!!

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Old Tavern

The museum is open year-round for guided tours. Please check the events calendar for daily closing and events. Call ahead to confirm tour.

HOURS

Tuesday-Saturday

Sunday-Monday

1:30 PM

Closed

ADMISSION

Free.  We do take donations!

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Battle-Friedman House & Gardens

The museum is open year-round for guided tours. Please check the events calendar for daily closing and events. Call ahead to confirm tour.

HOURS

Tuesday-Saturday

Sunday-Monday

2:30 PM

Closed

ADMISSION

Free.  We do take donations!

Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion

Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion

HOURS

Tuesday-Saturday

Sunday-Monday

3:30 PM

Closed

ADMISSION

Free.  We do take donations!

The museum is open year-round for guided tours. Please check the events calendar for daily closing and events. Call ahead to confirm tour.

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Murphy Collins House

The Murphy-Collins House is open daily, Tuesday-Friday, and tours can be arranged by appointment.

HOURS

Tuesday-Saturday

Sunday-Monday

Call for appointments

Closed

ADMISSION

Free.  We do take donations!

What to take? What to leave?
You will want to travel lightly. Bring money for souvenirs and lunch. While cameras are welcome, please leave any other miscellaneous electronics on the bus or in your vehicle. Chaperones, teachers, and group leaders may want to have cell phones for communication purposes, but please do not use them inside the sites or during interpretations.

 

Before your tour, consult these online resources.

Check the website for maps and accessibility information.

Helpful Hints
Accessibility

Tour comfort tips

Tours will be both inside and outside. Your group will be walking on surfaces that are uneven and include dirt, brick, wood, and asphalt. Encourage all members of your tour group to wear comfortable walking shoes with socks.


Be prepared for touring in all weather conditions


Make sure all group members have the following: rain gear, such as ponchos and umbrellas for wet weather; an extra sweatshirt or sweater for cooler conditions; sunscreen; a hat or cap; and water. (Keeping hydrated in the heat is extremely important.)

Museum Etiquette

Please help us preserve this historic town.

  • Please refrain from eating gum, candy, or foods of any kind inside any of the Historic Area sites.

  • Please look with your eyes only, unless an interpreter invites you to sit or touch. Your interpreter knows the best places to provide opportunities for you to touch objects and take part in activities.

  • Please refrain from using cell phones or other communication devices inside buildings or during presentations.

  • While photographs are permitted, please be courteous when using your camera. Take care that you do not disrupt any presentations.

A guided tour should take around 30-45 minutes.

Old Tavern

 

Parking:

Guests are encouraged to park on University Boulevard.

Entering: 

Guests should arrive at the front entrance. Please sign the guest book.

As you walk outside to enjoy the garden, take note of the sitting area just to the left leading to the back of the tavern. ​

Battle-Friedman:

 

Parking:

Guest parking is located on the right side of the house, accessible off Paul W. Bryant Drive. Guests can also park on the street, along Paul W. Bryant Drive and Greensboro Avenue. 

Entering:

For guests with handicaps or required wheelchair accessibility, we advise using the door opposite the stairs facing the parking lot, contains a ramp.

Restrooms:

Restrooms are located on the main floor below the staircase.

​Ramps:

A wheelchair ramp is located on the right side of the house, next to the parking lot. There is no wheelchair accessible way to the second floor of the house.

Guests should arrive at the front entrance. Please sign the guest book.

Guests with handicaps or in a wheelchair, it is not advised to proceed with the tour upstairs but may rejoin the tour on the side lawn past the gardens.

Once finished with the tour upstairs, the tour will be led back downstairs and through the side door behind the stairs. The tour will continue down the steps into the side lawn.

Guests are free to walk amongst the gardens on their own accord after the tour, but please stay by the garden pathway and to not disturb the flowers, pond, or gazebo. Otherwise, guests are to return to their cars or bus.

Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion

 

Guests should not roam the house unsupervised but after the tour, feel free to allow the guests to explore the grounds.

Parking:

Guest parking is located on the right side of the mansion, accessible off 14th street. 

Entering:

All guests must use the side door, also located on the right side on the mansion, facing the parking lot.  This entrance is wheelchair accessible and has a ramp. This entrance is located on the basement floor of the mansion. It is also where you will find Historic Tuscaloosa offices, bathrooms, and elevator access. The front doors of the mansion are left locked, unless mentioned otherwise.

Guests should arrive at the side entrance on the basement floor. Please sign the guest book.

Restrooms:

Restrooms are located on the basement floor near the entrance.

Ramps:

A wheelchair ramp is located at the basement entrance to the parking lot.

An elevator is in the basement but only ascends to the main floor of the house. The elevator can be accessed through Mrs. Jemison’s office using the left door.

For guests with handicaps or in a wheelchair, it is not advised for them to proceed with the tour to the second level but may rejoin the tour in the hallway outside the dining area.

Those unable to join the tour upstairs, due to handicaps or other reasons, may rejoin the tour in the hallway.

The tour will end in the lower level of the Conservatory.

What to expect at the Old Tavern
What to expect at the Battle-Friedman House
What to expect at the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion

Contact Us

For more information on Customized Guided Tours or to make reservations:
call 205-758-2238 or email info@historictuscaloosa.org

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