Each December, the public has a unique opportunity to go behind closed doors of historic homes in Marietta. This year's 23rd Annual Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour features six private homes in the Church-Cherokee Street Historic District, one of five National Register Historic Districts in Marietta. This is a rare chance to discover how these historic treasures, lovingly restored, filled with antique collections and decorated for the season, are incorporated into everyday life.

Activities begin Friday evening, Dec. 4, when the Marietta Pilgrimage presents "The Gala on the Square," a glamorous black-tie party and culmination of the city's yearlong celebration of its 175th Anniversary.

"Because the city is celebrating its 175th, we are celebrating 175 years of history," Theresa Jenkins, Executive Director, Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau, said. "What a better way of showcasing some of that history than in our historic homes."

The home tour begins during daytime hours on Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A special Candlelight Tour features three of the tour homes on Saturday evening, 7-9:30 p.m. Docents stationed at each home will describe antiques, private collections and interesting home features. Shuttle service staffed with informative step-on guides will be provided for day tours.

This year, the tour focuses on some of the great homes in the Church-Cherokee district, Jenkins said. The tour spotlights the following historic homes located close together, making it a walkable tour: The Jones-Pace-Schupp House, c. 1905; the Welsh-Lyle House, c.1900; the Fields-Northcutt-Granger House, c. 1901; The Black-Greer-Lee House, c. 1900; the McNeel-Harpenau House, c. 1924; and the Adrian Cortelyou-Pressley House, c. 1890.

"They range anything a from Victorian mansion to a 1920s cottage," Jenkins said. "It just shows the mix of the historic district and the mix of styles of people living in the historic district."

"It makes for a fabulous tour," she said.

Along the route, many of Marietta's historic public buildings are decorated and open for touring including: the Root House Museum, c. 1845; the Marietta Gone With The Wind Museum, c. 1888; the Marietta Museum of History, c. 1855; the Marlow House, c. 1887; Brumby Hall & Gardens, c.1851; Marietta-Cobb Museum of Art, c. 1909; Ivy Grove, c. 1843; St. James Episcopal Church, Lawrence Chapel, c. 1878; First Baptist Church Chapel, c. 1897; Old Zion Baptist Church, c. 1888; The Strand Theatre, c. 1935 and First Presbyterian Church, c. 1854.

The Merry Olde Marietta Tea Room where guests can warm up and enjoy refreshments during the tour is conveniently positioned along the tour route at Ivy Grove, c. 1843, 473 Cherokee Street.

The Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour has been consistently named a "Top Twenty Event in the Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society and a "Top 100 Event in North America" by the American Bus Association.

For tour information on the tour as well as other holiday activities, call the Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau at (770) 429-1115 or (800) 835-0445 or visit www.marietttapilgrimage.com.