Ybor City Walking Tour

Evangeline 'Van' Linkous is leading a guided walking tour of Ybor City on Wednesday, October 21, starting at Parque Amigos de José Martí at 1303 E. Eighth Ave. The walk runs about 90 minutes and covers roughly a mile, so it's a manageable morning out in the neighborhood. Linkous is a USF professor of urban planning history and a History Center-trained guide, and she's drawing on courses she teaches that examine industrialization, mutual aid societies, highway development, suburbanization, and downtown revitalization—all of which played a part in how Ybor City grew.

Along the route, she connects that academic background to the things you can actually see and touch: the cigar factories, the social clubs, the brick streets, and the landmark buildings that made Ybor a hub of the U.S. cigar industry. It was a rare multi-ethnic, multi-racial industrial community in the Deep South during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the tour looks at that history as well as how the neighborhood has changed since the war. It's a good way to see the area with someone who can explain why these specific buildings and streets matter.

Tickets are $25, and you'll need to pre-register since there's no free admission. Space is limited to 25 guests, so it's worth grabbing your spot early. If you're a History Center member, you can save 20% by signing in before you check out. The tour runs from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, and for parking, the Fernando Noriega Jr. Parking Garage at 2010 N. 13th St. is your best bet.