The Park City Museum’s Historic Main Street walking tours give visitors and residents a chance to step back into time, said Education Director Diane Knispel.
“The Main Street walking tours are really about how we started as (a) mining town and how we transitioned into a ski town,” she said.
The tours run from 2-3:15 p.m. Mondays through Fridays from June 29 to Sept. 19, and from 1:30-11:45 a.m. on Saturdays July 18, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19, Knispel said.
“We’re adding one Saturday every month, so if someone is here on the weekend, they can participate in a tour,” she said.
The excursions, led by museum docents, mostly examine Main Street’s buildings, Knispel said.
“They look at the architecture of the historic district and also discuss the people who worked on Main Street throughout the years,” she said. “We’ll also talk a lot about the miners and the skiing.”
Some of the buildings sport ribbons that note historic structures, Knispel said.
“So, we’ll talk about why these buildings are historic and what they were in the past and what they are today,” she said. “It’s a fun tour, and it’s outside.”
Groups meet at the museum and take the free Main Street Trolley up to the top, according to Knispel.
“We ask that people arrive 10 minutes early,” she said. “Then we’ll stroll down the street.”
The Main Street Walking Tours can accommodate 15 people in one group.
“If we have more than that we have a hard time fitting everyone on the sidewalks, which we need to share with other people,” Knispel said with a laugh. “But if someone has a bunch of visitors coming to Park City and is looking for a private tour, they can just call me, and we can set something up.”
Knispel’s number is 435-574-9554.
The cost is $15 per person, and Knispel noted there will be no tours on Aug. 8 during the Park City Kimball Arts Festival and on Sept. 7 during Park City’s Miners Day celebration.
“The tour is appropriate for ages 13 and up because we do talk a little bit about the redlight district and some of the Wild West things that happened during Park City’s history,” she said. “But parents are the ones who will make the call.”
Each year, Park City Museum docents are given a package with Main Street information that they refer to when giving the tours, Knispel said.
“It’s one of our favorite tours,” she said. “The goal is to get people to learn about our town’s history.”
Participants should come dressed for the weather. The tours run rain or shine, unless it is very stormy.
“We ask them to also bring water, sunscreen and wear sun protection,” Knispel said.
The Main Street Walking Tours are a long-standing tradition in Park City, according to Knispel.
“We actually have three walking tours this year — Main Street, Glenwood Cemetery and Park Avenue,” she said. (See accompanying story for details.)
For information and registration about the Park City Main Street Walking Tours, visit parkcityhistory.com/events.