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Attractions

Experience the adventure of the Downtown Turtle Trail! Learn more about Downtown Decatur, Alabama’s history by participating in our interactive scavenger hunt!

Up and down Second Avenue, ten turtles are hidden in various locations, each with a unique accessory revealing something special about Decatur’s history. Use the below clues to find the turtles on the Downtown Turtle Trail and learn about historical places and events along Second Avenue.

Take the Downtown Turtle Trail Challenge and win a prize!

It’s Simple:

  • Post pictures with all ten turtles on any social media platform using the hashtags #TurtleTrail and #DecaturDowntown.
  • Visit the Museum Store in the Cook Museum on Holly Street or Decatur Morgan County Tourism office on 6th Avenue and show your turtle pictures on social media to receive a SPECIAL PRIZE!

#1 Mikey

The Princess knows just what it’s like;
To be part of this 2nd Avenue hike;
A lamppost out front
Will aid in your hunt,
As Mikey sings into a mic.

Read more about this location:

#2 Loyd

At Moulton there’ll be no mistake;
The old drug store’s the site of your break;
Solve this quick test
Of where bicycles rest,
To find Loyd enjoying a shake.

Read more about this location:

#3 Governor Albert

From Moulton towards Johnston you meander;
The crosswalk requires a good gander;
As a rising attorney
On a post office journey,
Governor Albert would lead with great candor.

Read more about this location:

#4 Barbara

Past Johnston to Grant you’ll be there;
‘Round the corner at the top of the stair;
Believe it or not
With the clippers she’s got,
Barbara can also cut hair!

Read more about this location:

#5 Peggy

From the barber, cross Grant and then stop;
You can skip, you can saunter, or hop;
Though pigs cannot fly
Oh the groceries they’ll buy,
Just like Peggy who’s ready to shop.

Read more about this location:

#6 Nicky

Crossing Second is part of this game;
To the left and down the block you should aim;
While the changing of times
Means fewer nickels and dimes,
Nicky has coins just the same.

Read more about this location:

#7 Casey

Head north as your feet do propel;
Towards the old Casa Grande Hotel;
A ledge is your tip
Casey’s on her next trip,
With a suitcase on top of her shell.

Read more about this location:

#8 Mason

On Johnston look this way and that;
Where the Cotaco Opera House sat;
Mason looks dapper
In chelonian wrapper,
While sporting his own top hat.

Read more about this location:

#9 Harry

Down the block on a stoop made of brick;
Where a Truman parade did the trick;
Sit back and relax
Harry belts out the sax;
A musical campaign makes him tick.

Read more about this location:

#10 Sam

On the lawn of Decatur’s ACA;
It’s a hoot to find Sam here this day;
He honors our vets
So that no one forgets,
And waves a flag for the U S of A!

Read more about this location:

Congratulations! You did it!
Ready for your special prize?

Don’t forget to post photos of all ten turtles to your social media channel, including the hashtags #TurtleTrail and #DowntownDecatur! Once you’ve completed the trail and posted your photos, stop by the Cook Museum of Natural Science Museum Store or the Decatur Morgan County Tourism and show your pictures off to receive your special prize!

For Cook Museum of Natural Science Location and Hours, visit their website.

For Decatur Morgan County Tourism Office Location and Hours, visit their website.

Special thanks to Morgan County Archives and the Decatur Daily for much of the historical information.

Meet the Visionary & Creator of the Trail:
Lucy Orr

After seeing the small outdoor “Mice on Main” animal sculptures displayed in downtown Greenville, SC, Lucy Orr, a junior at Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, wanted a similar attraction for Decatur. While doing research, Lucy discovered that the state of Alabama is #1 in the number of different freshwater turtle species, and they are a routine sight in this area. Turtles in the Decatur area often sun on logs near streams that are Tennessee River tributaries. Lucy went on to plan the locations for the turtles on the trail, learning many fun facts about the history of downtown Decatur along the way. Lucy designed each turtle and sculpted the accessories for each. Local sculptor, Everett Cox, carved the shells and limbs and cast the bronze turtles based upon Lucy’s designs. Additionally, Lucy worked with local tourism officials to brand and develop a plan to promote the Downtown Turtle Trail.

Meet the Sculptor:
Everett Cox

Everett Cox graduated from Auburn University with a BFA and received his MFA from the University of Georgia. Cox sculpts and casts his works in his studio at Lowe Mill in Huntsville, AL.

Figure sculpting and casting has been a subject of interest in Cox’s work. The two are conjoined in that to make a clay sculpture permanent in metal, and it has to be molded, reproduced in wax, invested, burned out, cast, cleaned, welded, chased, and patinated. The dichotomy between the clay modeling and the soft forms of the figures and the heat of melting bronze, the force needed to make metal conform to one’s wishes, is the yin and yang of cast sculpture.