Tar Heels Go Walking
Teaching Our Future The Value of Our Past
For more than 15 years, the Historic Wilmington Foundation has partnered with New Hanover County Public Schools for Tar Heels Go Walking, an educational walking tour for third graders.
Each year, HWF volunteers lead thousands of students through a tour of our city’s most renowned sites, including Thalian Hall and the New Hanover County Public Library. Through learning about the history of downtown Wilmington, Tar Heels Go Walking introduces the next generation to the concept of historic spaces and engages them in the mission of preserving our built environment—everything that connects us to the past and paves the way to our collective future.
Volunteer as a Tour Guide
HWF is seeking volunteer tour guides to lead our intrepid explorers! Interested? Here’s what you need to know: The Tar Heels Go Walking season runs from September to February, and tours are given Monday through Friday from approximately 9:30am-12pm. Tours are mostly outdoors, and still run in light rain and high or low temperatures. Guides are asked to be able to safely and comfortably walk the route, which is ~0.75 miles. HWF provides a script, and no prior experience is required! Guides must attend orientation and shadow a tour.
OREINTATION: Monday, August 18 (6-7pm) at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 1401 S. College Rd. Wilmington, NC 28403 – Room 307 in brick building behind church. Church is near Trader Joe’s and Scooters. (church that hosts annual pumpkin patch)
Attendees will be given a detailed overview of the program, including plenty of support materials, practice operating our new wireless audio system, and an opportunity to chat with other more experienced guides. Please click here to register. Attending the training does not commit you to being a volunteer tour guide, but it is a required starting point. Please come even if you’re just a little curious, and invite a friend or two to join!
Click on the images (below) to view drawings made by students from Friends School of Wilmington after going on a Tar Heels Go Walking tour!
Click on the images (below) to read some notes from a class of third graders who went on our Tar Heels Go Walking tour!
