NATCHEZ — Travelers worldwide will visit Natchez beginning today to participate in the annual Fall Pilgrimage tour of houses.

Pilgrimage will conclude Oct. 10.

Interim Tourism Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said Fall Pilgrimage is important to the city.

“Fall and Spring Pilgrimage are long standing traditions and very important to our community,” she said. “The indications are it should be an exciting Fall Pilgrimage season and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors, whether they are new or returning.”

Tourism leaders say they hope locals will take advantage the event to learn more about Natchez.

“We want everyone in Natchez to participate as much as possible,” said Lynn Beach Smith with Natchez Pilgrimage Tours. “For Natchezians who don’t get the opportunity to see the homes, I can say the homeowners do a wonderful job opening up their homes, they are well-informed and the houses are beautiful. Please support your neighbor.”

Smith said two new houses are on tour this year.

“Williamsburg and D’Evereux will be a couple new houses on pilgrimage, and I would love for people to see these homes,” she said.

While the Spring Pilgrimage brings in more groups, Fall Pilgrimage is more about individual travelers, Smith said.

“Fall Pilgrimage always has a wonderful showing of individual travelers coming in for a getaway weekend,” Smith said. “Or people who are coming through Natchez on their way down to New Orleans or Baton Rouge, or on their way up to Memphis or the (Mississippi) Delta.”

Tickets and maps for the special tours are available at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center at 640 S. Canal St.  Call 1-800-647-6742 for reservations.

During Pilgrimage, 18 privately-owned, antebellum houses will be featured in pairs of threes in six packages at $45 per person.

Morning tours, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., include:

– On the Red Tour are The Towers, Sweet Auburn and D’Evereux.

-The Coyle House, Auburn and the House on Ellicott Hill are part of the Orange Tour.

-The Blue Tour features Magnolia Hall, The Briars and Williamsburg.

Afternoon tours, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. include:

-Choctaw, J.N. Stone House and The Gardens are on the Pink Tour.

-The Yellow Tour features Pleasant Hill, Twin Oaks and Glenfield.

-Oak Hill, Lansdowne and Green Leaves are part of the Green Tour.

Individual full-price tickets for Longwood, Rosalie and Stanton Hall can also be purchased for $20 at the visitors’ center or at the houses.

Other attractions operated independently are open for daily tours with tickets available at those locations, including Monmouth in Natchez and Frogmore Plantation Near Ferriday.

Melrose, a palatial antebellum mansion with park-like grounds, will be open as part of the Natchez National Historic Park.

Melrose will be open every day except Thursday and Friday. Tours begin at 10 and 11 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m. Tours are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

The National Park Service will offer free tours of Melrose Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.