History Tours Begin as Greenville’s Downtown Revitalization Commences: Insights with John Nolan

Originally founded in 1981, Greenville’s historic city tours surfaced at a time when Greenville was beginning its revitalization journey. Tours Around Greenville South, supported by the Metropolitan Arts Council (MAC), set the stage in the absence of a conventional visitors bureau.

The local business workers frequented the few surviving restaurants and shops during the day, but by nightfall, the milieu shifted towards a grittier crowd. Despite the sketchy environment, the Greenville City Council committed to changing the city’s trajectory, approving a substantial $10,000 for MAC to establish a pilot program aimed at boosting tourism under the expert direction of Jo Ann Walker.

With guidance from local history Professor, A.V. Huff of Furman University, and a team of 40 volunteers, three distinct driving tours were established. Each tour encapsulated a separate theme—one highlighted historic buildings, the second featured cultural highlights of the city, and a third showcased local shopping outlets.

South Carolina Tourism Award

Although the program executed only three tours over its first 10 months, the effort was recognized as the most outstanding innovation in South Carolina tourism by the state Chamber of Commerce’s Travel Awards Program in early 1982.

At first, the services were purely for convention clients but later expanded to cater to newcomers, seniors, scouts, community clubs, and church groups. By 1988, the historic tours touched more than 6,000 people and employed 25 guides, earning additional funding from the city’s accommodation tax.

Adding New Attractions in the 1990s

As the 1990s slipped by, Greenville underwent significant developments, and new attractions were being added to the city’s tours. Highlights of Greenville’s industrial history such as the old carriage factory complex, Duke’s mayonnaise factory, and newly built Peace Center added more depth to the city’s tourist appeal. The Reedy River falls, historic buildings surrounding Court Square, and revitalized historic neighborhoods became features as their buildings improved and were subsequently restored.

Evolution of Greenville History Tours

In 1993, the organization migrated under the Historic Greenville Foundation’s purview, continuing the tours for five more years before TAGS eventually dissolved and resurfaced as A Glimpse of Greenville, ushered by Karen Cox and Kathy Vass. However, this too lasted for about two years before the organized city tours ceased operations on the cusp of the new millennium.

As the city tours seemingly reached their end, local expert John Nolan stepped up to continue Greenville’s historical tourism. His fascination and dedication to the city spurred him to delve into Greenville’s history. He successfully put together a business plan, assembled historic photos of key landmarks, and launched the first commercial tour service in August 2006, the Greenville History Tours.

Greenville today hosts an array of thematic tours reflecting the city’s diverse culture and history. These encompass black history tours, food tours, art tours, architecture tours, winery tours, brewery tours, bike tours, Segway tours, ghost tours, and interactive app tours—opening Greenville’s rich history to the public.