• African American Cultural and Heritage Facility - The guide will greet guests by the benches at the front of the building to begin the tour and share historical insights. Visitors will explore the history of African Americans in East Austin and the establishment of the “Negro District” in 1928 by the City of Austin. The tour will cover the neighborhood’s historical development and the migration of African Americans from across Austin to East Austin. Guests will view the African American Heritage Cultural Center’s mural honoring influential African Americans in Austin. Additionally, they will visit the Dedrick-Hamilton House, built by formerly enslaved individuals by the 1890s, and continuously inhabited by family members until the late 20th century.
• Victory Grill - After viewing the Rhapsody Mural, guests will learn about the Historic Victory Grill’s rise during the Jim Crow era. The tour will also cover the Chitlin Circuit and Austin’s African American music history.
• Wesley United Methodist Church - Visitors will explore this historic African American church, founded in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. The guide will discuss its founding by freedmen and the role of religious institutions in the African American community. Austin’s oldest higher learning institution, the HBCU Huston-Tillotson, was established in this church’s basement. Guests will also see the “Lynching in Travis County” marker on Wesley’s lawn, prompting discussions about lynching in Austin and African American resistance through community and institution building.
• George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center - The tour concludes at the George Washington Carver Center, where guests will learn about the Austin Black community’s efforts to relocate the segregated branch of the public library to the ‘Negro District.’ The guide will explain why African Americans renamed segregated institutions after prominent Black community members. Visitors will also engage with the Voyage to Soulsville mural by John Fisher, completed in 1986. Fisher, an Austin native, was trained by the renowned artist Dr. John T. Biggers at Texas Southern University. The guide will interpret the mural and connect it to other tour topics.

• Walking tour
• Learn about African American culture
• Explore historical significance

This historic walking tour takes guests through the beginnings of Austin’s Black community through the present. Guests will learn about The City of Austin’s 1928 Master Plan and creation of the “Negro District”, which is was centered around East 11th Street. We will visit important sites and institutions throughout our one-mile journey. Guests will also be able to engage in dialogue about the changing nature of East Austin and the city’s Black community. A large part of this experience is to support local Black owned businesses in the neighborhood.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.