News Summary

By Samantha Sommer

Staff Writer

This summer children will look for monkeys, owls and eagles in downtown Springfield.

The Springfield Preservation Alliance kicks off Urban Explorer Youth Tours with a Downtown Safari on June 9.

The three youth tours are similar to its walking tours but aimed at children and families, said Kevin Rose, alliance education committee chairman.

"We wanted to grab a hold of them and get them to appreciate their community," Rose said.

The safari tour explores hidden items on downtown buildings.

The Upstairs, Downstairs tour details the lives of wealthy Victorian families and their servants.

The Neighborhood Sketches tour goes through South Fountain Avenue with an art teacher as participants draw details of homes.

"History is not just in a museum," Rose said.

The alliance's traditional Summer Walking Tour Series starts at 10 a.m. Saturday with the East High Street Historic District.

New walking tours this year are South Yellow Springs Street, College Hill Historic District and Mrs. Smallwood's Springfield.

The Yellow Springs Street tour looks at Victorian architecture and the history there and what's gone.

"We're lucky we haven't lost some of the best architecture and history in that neighborhood," Rose said.

The College Hill tour focuses on the area next to Wittenberg University. It was home to three of the city's great architects.

Mrs. Smallwood's tour is a narrative of one woman's attempt to bring religion to early Springfield.

The walking tours instill a sense of community and awareness of what Springfield has, Rose said.

"Every Springfielder should be so proud of the architecture they have," he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0363 or ssommer@coxohio.com

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Urban Explorer Youth Tours

Downtown Safari — 10 a.m. June 9, rain date 1 p.m. June 10

Upstairs, Downstairs — 10 a.m. June 16, rain date 1 p.m. June 17

Neighborhood Sketches — 6 p.m. June 20, rain date 6 p.m. June 27

Tickets cost $2 per person.

Summer Walking Tour Series

East High Street Historic District — 10 a.m. May 12

Ferncliff Cemetery — 10 a.m. May 26

Irish Hill — 10 a.m. June 2

Mrs. Smallwood's Springfield — 6 p.m. June 13

South Fountain Historic District — 6 p.m. June 27

College Hill Historic District — 10 a.m. July 7

South Yellow Springs Street — 10 a.m. July 14

Downtown as a Work of Art — 6 p.m. July 18

Tickets cost $5 per tour for alliance members and $8 for non-members.

Tickets for each series are available at Restorespringfield.org or at Fred E. Peters & Sons and the Westcott House.