The 40th Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour is Dec. 4-6 in the Church-Cherokee Historic District. Tickets $40 in advance, $45 during the tour.

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. This page is updated each year. Facts come from the Marietta Pilgrimage site, run by Visit Marietta and Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society. The Visit Marietta Georgia events calendar lists the same dates.

The 40th annual Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour opens five private homes in the Church-Cherokee Historic District, each decorated for the holidays, on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Several of Marietta’s churches, museums and historic public buildings are also on the tour. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 during the tour, and one ticket covers all three days.

Proceeds support Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society and Visit Marietta, the two nonprofits that organize the tour, according to the Pilgrimage home page.

Who to call

  • Tour questions: Visit Marietta, 770-429-1115
  • Docent volunteering: Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society, 770-426-4982
  • Official site: mariettapilgrimage.com

When and where
Gala Thursday, Dec. 3, 7 to 10 p.m., The Whitlock Inn
Home tour Friday, Dec. 4, 5 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where Church-Cherokee Historic District, near Marietta Square
Tour tickets $40 in advance; $45 during the tour
Weather Rain or shine; no refunds

The tour is always held on the first full weekend in December, the organizers’ about page says.

Tickets

From the tickets page:

  • Buy online until Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m., or in person at the Marietta Welcome Center or the William Root House. Phone orders are not taken, and tickets are not sold at the tour homes.
  • Pick up your ticket booklet at the Welcome Center or the Root House the week of the tour. Tickets are not mailed. If you buy in person before tour week, you still return that week to collect the booklet.
  • One ticket, three days. Tour the homes in any order, once each.
  • Children under 8 are not permitted, and there are no children’s tickets.

The Pilgrimage Gala and Premier Pass

The Pilgrimage Gala is Thursday, Dec. 3, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the renovated Whitlock Inn, with food, seasonal drinks and live music. Festive cocktail attire is required. Tickets are $100 a person, sold online only, by Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m. The site listed gala sales as “coming soon” on Oct. 5.

The Premier Pass, $125 a person, bundles a tour ticket, a gala ticket and a pass to skip the lines at the tour homes. It must be bought online by Dec. 1 at 4 p.m.; pass sales were not yet open on Oct. 5. Buyers before Nov. 7 are listed as supporters in the tour program, according to the home page.

The homes

The 2026 homes are in the Church-Cherokee Historic District. The organizers had not posted the 2026 house list on Oct. 5; the tour homes page still showed 2025’s five houses, built between about 1840 and 1923. This page will add the 2026 homes once they are posted. Docents inside each home point out its features and history, and every tour is self-guided.

Parking and shuttles

  • No street parking on the tour route. The organizers ask guests to keep the streets clear so the shuttle buses can get through.
  • Free shuttles pick up and drop off at Mill Street and the William Root House and run every 15 to 20 minutes on a continuous loop.
  • Where to park: the lots off Mill Street and the Cobb County Parking Deck off Cherokee Street. Street parking around the Square is allowed but fills quickly, the organizers say.

Most of the tour is walkable, according to the about page.

What to know

  • Beat the lines by touring late Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, the organizers recommend.
  • Inside the homes: no food, drinks, smoking, strollers, umbrellas or backpacks, and no photography.
  • Wear comfortable shoes. Some homes have steep, narrow steps.
  • Restrooms are at the Welcome Center, the William Root House and public buildings during their opening hours only. There are none at the tour homes.
  • Cross at marked crosswalks between homes.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour in 2026? Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is always held the first full weekend in December.

How much are Marietta Pilgrimage tickets? Tour tickets are $40 bought in advance and $45 during the tour. Online sales close Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m., and tickets are not sold at the tour homes.

Can children go on the Marietta Pilgrimage home tour? No. The organizers say children under 8 are not permitted, and there are no children’s tickets.

Where do I park for the Marietta Pilgrimage? Park in the lots off Mill Street or the Cobb County Parking Deck off Cherokee Street. Street parking is not permitted on the tour route; free shuttles run every 15 to 20 minutes from Mill Street and the William Root House.

Do I have to see every home in one day? No. One ticket is good for all three days. Tours are self-guided, in any order, and you may enter each home once.

What this means for you