Both visitors to Huntsville and local residents now have a new way to “Touch the Past, Embrace the Future” with the Huntsville and Area Historical Society’s (HAHS) newest addition to Huntsville’s cultural landscape: the Huntsville Heritage Walking Tour app.
Explore Huntsville, the tourism marketing entity of the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association (HMATA), is pleased to support HAHS with a $2,500 grant, which will allow the volunteer-run society to self-brand the app on its hosting platform.
“This new app is a wonderful offering that will enhance Huntsville’s visitor experience,” says Kelly Haywood, executive director of Explore Huntsville / HMATA. “As an affordable, accessible, environmentally friendly activity that helps to increase awareness of Huntsville and its history, the HMATA Board of Directors is delighted to support this initiative. We applaud the Huntsville and Area Historical Society and its volunteers for the amazing work they do to help preserve and promote an appreciation for Huntsville’s built heritage.”
This digitization of the society’s existing Heritage Walking Tour will provide an enjoyable, self-guided activity for those curious about the area’s history. There are more than 200 points of interest that will be incorporated into these tours, which will eventually also include historical waterways and historical sites in surrounding areas like Utterson and Port Sydney.
“We are excited to bring this app to local hotels and businesses as another great option for visitors to experience in our town,” notes Katrina Cotterchio, HAHS president. “The app will also develop an appreciation of our local history to those living in the community who don’t have an awareness of what came before them. It will help to preserve the built heritage in historic downtown Huntsville and encourage a sense of pride in local culture.”
HAHS plans to involve local schools in the project by inviting students and teachers to volunteer to build on the project’s growth, as well as giving them a resource to help further their curriculum projects.
Within its first month, the app already had more than 1,700 views. It is available on both Google Play and the App Store: download the STQRY app, search “Huntsville Heritage Walking Tour”, download the tour and start exploring!