NATCHEZ — Each year when the temperature falls from sizzling to pleasant, Natchez opens its doors for the Fall Pilgrimage.

And though the annual event has been a constant through the years, several changes have been made this year to make the tours better than ever.

Marsha Colson, director of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, said the changes to this year’s Fall Pilgrimage are simply part of an ongoing effort to improve the tours.

“We are continually trying to improve,” Colson said. “We are always looking for new stories.”

One of the most noticeable changes to this fall’s event has to be the addition of seven houses that have never been on tour. The houses — The Gardens, Greenlea, Oak Hill, Rip Rap, Pleasant Hill, Twin Oaks and Stone House — will offer visitors a new look at Natchez’s antebellum history.

Colson said that making changes, such as adding new houses to the pilgrimage, gives visitors and locals alike a reason to attend a pilgrimage tour.

“People who have been to Pilgrimage before may think there isn’t a reason to return,” Colson said. “But, with the changes that have been made this year, that is not the case.”

The houses that have been added to the tour bring with them new and unique stories.

Stone House, built in 1850, was originally a luxurious billiard hall for the prominent Stanton family. In 1877, after it was converted into a private residence, it was purchased by Joseph Newman Stone and has remained in the Stone family ever since.

Also new to the Fall Pilgrimage is Pleasant Hill, which was moved to its current location to make room for Magnolia Hall. During the move that took more than a year to complete, the home remained occupied.

Another new tour house, Twin Oaks, features a chapel with Tiffany stained glass windows.

Colson said, in addition to the new tour homes, there has been a push for homeowners to dig deeper into the history of their homes.

“We are encouraging people to tell the whole story,” she said.

This push, Colson is hoping, will bring in a new group of people to the seasonal tours. Colson said that younger people are typically more interested in the history of the home.

“The very young crowd may not care as much about the furnishings inside a house,” Colson said. “They may look at a chair and think that is a pretty chair but not much else.

“But they are fascinated to see the story.”

Colson said one of the homes on tour features a pre-war tool that was used to light a house. The wooden tool has one sharp end and a ledge that would hold a candle. Colson said that if someone were walking through a dark house and needed to put the light down they could just jam the sharp end of the tool into a wall or tree.

“Seeing a tool like that just gives you an image of what life was like then,” Colson said. “It opens up a whole new view.”

Colson added that a special interest has been placed on uncovering the African-American history in the homes. Much of the construction and detail work in the homes was completed by slaves and freed blacks.

Colson said that the African American history is very rich in Natchez and in the homes on tour.

“We had many extremely skilled African American that worked on these houses,” Colson said. “It is a large part of our history and part of telling the whole story of a house.”

Slight changes have also been made to the format of the tours. The four-home tours of the past have been replaced by three-home tours at a reduced price. Attendees have the option of purchasing, at a reduced price, a ticket for one of the six museum houses to round out their pilgrimage.

The museum houses — Auburn, The House on Ellicot Hill, Longwood, Magnolia Hall, Rosalie and Stanton Hall — are houses that are operated by local garden clubs and are open year round for tours.

Colson said the restructuring of the tours gives attendees the opportunity to personalize their tours and is also a better value.

“You definitely get more for your money this way,” Colson said.

Colson said that all the changes made to the Fall Pilgrimage were done to improve the event for everyone. She said the changes have also opened the pilgrimage up to all types of people.

“There really is something for all ages and backgrounds,” she said. “Now people, even locals, can’t say ‘I’ve seen this all before’ because they haven’t.

“A lot of people may think that these homes are just big houses built by rich white men but they offer us a connection with our past. We can get a better understand of who we are if we understand what got us here.”

Fall Pilgrimage kicks off Sept. 27 and last until Oct. 11. For information on tour dates and times visit www.natchezpilgrimage.com or call 1-800-647-6742.