About this Event
It's a walking tour that combines nature and history as we hike along the Walls-Cook Trail just north of the Booth family home of Tudor Hall in Bel Air, Maryland. This forested area, complete with babbling brooks and gentle hills, was once the outdoor playground of future assassin John Wilkes Booth and his notable siblings. The Booths called the area "The Big Woods," and over our approximately 2.5-mile round-trip hike, you'll hear stories about the Booth children's many adventures in and around this forest.
Participants will meet at Tudor Hall for check-in. The group will then be led in their vehicles, caravan style, to the trailhead located at Prospect Mill Park, less than 10 minutes away. After parking the vehicles, we will enter the Walls-Cook Trail and enjoy a scenic loop through nature, with regular stops to discuss how these woods influenced the early lives of Edwin, Asia, and John Wilkes Booth.
The trail we will be traveling consists of dirt and grass paths with gentle inclines. It is considered an "easy" or "beginner level" trail. Like any natural path, however, there are upturned roots and rocks that participants will need to keep an eye out for. All participants will have to sign a waiver before heading out, not because we predict any issues on this fairly easy hike, but because that's just the world we live in now. Participants need to make sure they dress for the weather and to wear appropriate footwear for a walk through the forest. The trail can become pretty muddy after rain.
The tour will operate rain or shine, but will not operate if there is significant storm activity on the day. If that happens, the history portion will occur within Tudor Hall as a seated talk. This tour will be narrated by Dave Taylor, a historian specializing in the subject of the Booth family and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
All proceeds from this walking tour will go to the Junius B. Booth Society, the organization that operates Tudor Hall as a museum and educates folks about the illustrious (and sometimes infamous) Booth family of Bel Air, MD. In addition to ticket sales through this platform, interested parties can also join us on the day by arriving at Tudor Hall before 1:00 pm and making cash donations.
Event venue & nearby stays
Tudor Hall, 17 Tudor Lane, Bel Air, United States
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