[MassHistPres] Information on organizing a tour of old/historichomes

[Jill Fisher]

Lee - I was involved with a very successful historic house tour in Duluth MN 
for years & one of its features was that it always included some homes that 
were in the process of restoration, which was an excellent public education 
component.  Other homeowners who might be thinking of taking off siding or 
paneling or whatever, could see what was involved & talk to the owner.  I 
know this spurred more restoration in the community.

Other aspects of that tour was that it was all volunteer—the only costs were 
for printing tickets  (which had pictures of the home, a paragraph about its 
history/architecture, and a map) & some food; it limited the # of tickets to 
600 to put homeowners at ease (they sold like the proverbial hotcakes); & 
finally, one of the members who was a caterer treated all the participating 
homeowners to a fabulous dinner at the end of the tour day (only 1 day). 
That was a real incentive for those folks to participate.

I could provide a contact with the person there who heads it up if you want 
more information & tips.  - Jill

Jill Fisher, AICP
Principal Planner
Larson Fisher Associates, Inc.
Historic Preservation & Planning Services
PO Box 1394
Woodstock, NY  12498
845-679-5054
jillfisher47 at hotmail.com

www.larsonfisher.com





>From: "Lee Wright" <lee at leewright.net>
>To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
>Subject: [MassHistPres] Information on organizing a tour of 
>old/historichomes
>Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:43:03 -0400
>
>Looking for insights on historic home tours you've held or in which you've
>participated.
>
>Areas of interest include  . . .
>
>- Selection criteria for homes
>
>- Agreements with homeowners
>
>- Including other buildings and their selection criteria
>
>- Maximizing the educational value, such as including seminars or workshops
>before, during, or after
>
>- Using the tour to highlight successes or to draw attention to neglected
>but important properties
>
>- Generating awareness broadly
>
>- Pricing policies, including discounts and timing, and the impact on total
>revenue
>
>- Involving other organizations to generate awareness and sell tickets
>
>- Tour handouts, yard signs, and other materials
>
>- Leveraging the Web, including online ticket sales
>
>- Using Google Maps
>
>- Incorporating Podcasts
>
>- Sponsorships, including benefits to sponsors, sales of sponsorships, and
>pricing
>
>
>Thanks in advance for these and any other insights on what worked, what
>didn't, and what you might try next time.
>
>Best regards--
>
>Lee
>
>........................................
>Lee Wright
>
>Marlborough Historical Commission Member
>Marlborough Historical Society Board Member
>
>lee at leewright.net
>
>
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