Church Street and Cherokee Street run past porches set well back on deep lawns, under oaks, pecans and magnolias. Dogwoods, crepe myrtles and holly fill in underneath. That's how the district's 1985 National Register nomination described these streets, and it noted that the trees were planted on purpose, so the open porches would carry each house out into the yard. On the first weekend of December, shuttle buses will move up and down these streets with no parked cars lining the curbs, carrying ticket holders to five private homes decorated for the holidays.
The Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour turns 40 this year, and the 40th edition will be held in the Church-Cherokee Historic District. If you've been before, plan for a different walk this time. The Pilgrimage changes neighborhoods every year, and this district grew one estate at a time, with no single plan behind it. That makes the streets between the houses part of what you came to see.
Three Decembers, Three Different Streets
The Pilgrimage has been held since 1987, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, which lines up with this year being the 40th annual tour. The format stays about the same each year: five private homes plus some of Marietta's churches, museums and other historic buildings. The setting changes. In a December 2024 release, the City of Marietta said plainly that the Pilgrimage "moves to a different neighborhood in Marietta each year."
Here's how the last three years went:
- 2024: the Whitlock Avenue National Register Historic District, which the Cobb County Courier also covered.
- 2025: historic Kennesaw Avenue, where the Marietta Daily Journal reported the 39th tour would show five homes along with churches, museums and historic buildings.
- 2026: the Church-Cherokee Historic District.
When the 2024 tour was announced, Cobb Landmarks Executive Director Trevor Beemon explained why the tour opens these houses at all, as quoted in the City of Marietta's release:
"So many people only get to admire these homes from the road or sidewalk. With the tour, people get a chance to see the interiors, gather design inspiration, and learn about the dedication involved in preserving and restoring historic homes."
The rotation is what makes that work year after year. Each December puts a different set of streets in front of people who usually only drive past them. In 2026, those streets are Church and Cherokee.
A Neighborhood Built From Estates, Not a Plat
The 1985 National Register nomination names the district's streets as Church, Cherokee and Campbell Hill. According to the nomination, the neighborhood grew over about a century from several antebellum estates, and that growth "was largely unplanned." As a result, there's no uniform pattern to how the lots were divided. There were some planned sections, and the largest is Cherokee Heights, in the district's northeast corner.
That history is why the walk feels uneven in the best way. The nomination lists Victorian, Greek Revival, Dutch Colonial, Neoclassical and cottage styles, in both elaborate and simple versions. Most share pitched roofs, dormers, horizontal wood siding, brick, porches and sash windows, and columns and pediments show up often. The nomination also lays out where things sit:
- Southern half: generally the oldest houses, usually Victorian.
- Middle stretches of Church and Cherokee: the largest houses, several of which the nomination calls mansions, built in every style on the list.
- Cherokee Street's two biggest remaining grounds: Ivy Grove at 473 Cherokee Street and the Sessions-Blair House at 440 Cherokee Street, each once the center of a large estate.
The tour homes have no set order, so you can use this layout to plan your own route. Starting at the southern end and heading north takes you roughly from the oldest Victorians into the estate-sized lots. Either way, the trip between front doors shows how the neighborhood came together.
The Five 2026 Homes Haven't Been Announced
As of late October, the organizers haven't posted this year's lineup. The Tour Homes page is still headed "2025 Tour Homes" and lists last December's houses on Kennesaw Avenue. Those included the Gignilliat-Griffin-Gilbert House, a cottage with Gothic Revival features and white-marble mantels; Turnbull Manor, a Victorian with heart-pine floors and pocket doors; and the Buttolph House, once home to a church pastor.
Treat those descriptions as a preview of the kind of detail the tour usually covers, not as this year's stops. The 2026 homes will be in the Church-Cherokee district, and the ticket also covers a number of Marietta's churches, museums and other historic buildings.
Why the Curbs Stay Empty
The rule with the biggest effect on the neighborhood is about parking. The organizers say no street parking is permitted. Free shuttle buses pick up and drop off at Mill Street and at the William Root House, and the curbs stay clear so the buses can get through these residential streets on schedule. If you live on or near Church, Cherokee or Campbell Hill, plan for steady shuttle traffic past your house from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. If you're touring, park near one of the two pickup points.
The organizers also post a few rules for inside the homes:
- No food, drinks, smoking, strollers, umbrellas or backpacks
- No photos inside the homes
- No children under 8
- Your ticket covers all three days, and you can visit each home once, in any order
For the shortest lines, the organizers suggest visiting late Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. Friday's 5 to 8 p.m. session is the only one after dark, and the porches and lawns the nomination describes look different once the decorations are lit.
Dates, Prices and Deadlines
| What | When | Cost | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilgrimage Gala, The Whitlock Inn | Thursday, Dec. 3, 7–10 p.m. | $100 per person | Online by Dec. 1, 4 p.m. |
| Home Tour, evening | Friday, Dec. 4, 5–8 p.m. | $40 advance, $45 during tour | Online sales close Dec. 3, 4 p.m. |
| Home Tour, day | Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Same ticket | Same |
| Home Tour, day | Sunday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Same ticket | Same |
| Premier Pass | Tour, gala and line-skip pass | $125 per person | Dec. 1, 4 p.m.; supporter listing in the program if bought before Nov. 7 |
You can't buy tickets at the tour homes. Whether you buy online or in person, you pick up your ticket booklet during tour week at the Marietta Welcome Center or the William Root House. If you buy in person before tour week, you still have to go back that week to collect the booklet. Since the William Root House is also a shuttle stop, you can get your booklet and catch a bus in the same trip.
The Gala Returns to the 2024 Tour Street
The gala is at the Whitlock Inn, 57 Whitlock Avenue, on the street the Pilgrimage toured in 2024. The organizers call it the "beautifully-renovated Whitlock Inn" and describe the night as festive cocktail attire, with food, seasonal drinks and live music. In a Voyage ATL interview, owner Kathy Heilman said she bought the inn in February 2020 and used the pause in events to restore and refresh the interior, keeping the antique chandeliers, original fireplaces, hardwood floors and leaded windows.
All Pilgrimage ticket sales and donations support the two groups that put on the tour, Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society and Visit Marietta. A local volunteer committee plans each year's event. If your December already revolves around the Square, our look at how Marietta Square's fall calendar fits together covers the season leading up to this weekend, and our Marietta neighborhood guide covers the rest of town.
If you're touring Church and Cherokee this December and want to talk about the older houses near the Square, or what it takes to care for and sell one, Stout Property Group is glad to help. Schedule a free consultation with Amber, and bring your favorite house from the tour.
