Photo Provided Visitors can stop at the Foraker Covered Bridge, located 3 miles east of Graysville, during the Monroe County Fall Auto Tour on Oct. 2.

WOODSFIELD — Organizers are hoping to showcase all that Monroe County has to offer through the Fall Auto Tour set for Oct. 2.

Residents wishing to tour a series of historic sights from the comfort of their automobiles are invited to join the Monroe County Fall Auto Tour.

The tour will begin at the Monroe Theatre in Woodsfield then head south on Ohio 800, ending at Fly Ferry Landing in Fly Township with 20 stops in between.

The Monroe County Park District, Monroe County Historical Society and the Midway Community Center are encouraging residents to join in on the fun of the tour through the county.

As COVID-19 cases continue to climb throughout the state, Jim Heimann, a member of the park board, said the auto tour is a perfect way to get out of the house and safely view the sites.

“In light of COVID and everybody being cooped up, we thought an automobile tour where people can travel along the back roads in their own private vehicle would be attractive to a lot of people. They don’t have to stop at the places they think are busy,” he said.

Heimann said the tour includes 20 drive-bys and stops at the theater, the Parry Museum, Jackson Ridge Church of Christ, bicentennial barns, Plainview Road Horse Trail, Foraker Covered Bridge, horse arena, Antioch Fire Department, Unity Church, Unity Cemetery, Midway Community Center, quilt barn, St. Paul’s Evangelical Church, Matchstick Memorial Museum, and the Fly Ferry Landing.

“It winds up being a trip from Woodsfield down to Fly on the Ohio River, encompassing 20 interesting things to stop and look at,” he said. “The cool thing about the county is our topography and our people. I’ve traveled a lot, and I’ve end up staying here in Monroe County because I’m an outdoors type of person and it’s just gorgeous terrain.”

Half of the tour will include a visit where snacks and drinks will be offered, and displays and demonstrations will take place. However, if participants are not interested in stopping, they can continue on with the driving tour.

The park board previously conducted similar tours in the past; however, they have not held one for the past 18 years. Heimann said they thought now would be good timing for it, giving people safe activities to enjoy. He said they are hoping the tour does well. In the past, anywhere from hundreds up to a thousand people attended the tours.

Heimann said looks forward to showing off some of the aspects that make the county special. He added that the country setting is unique and so are the people.

There is no charge for the tour, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 2 beginning at the Monroe Theatre in Woodsfield, where a tour map and pamphlet will be provided to participants.