McKinney's walkability is one of its charms—the square is best explored on foot, popping into antique stores, cafes, and galleries at your leisure. Pick a tour category to get started!
Take a Guided Walking Tour
Touring the downtown area gets you up close to historic architecture and provides unique insight into the community's culture. Step back in time on a Historic District Tour and learn all about the city's founding in 1848 and the storied past and present of McKinney. Free tours are offered by Visit McKinney in conjunction with the city's Historic Preservation Office, leaving from the Visitor Center at 200 W. Virginia once a month.
For a different perspective, join a Guided Public Art Tour with Jump Into Art Studios to explore downtown's public art scene, from murals to sculptures, with local artists telling the story behind each piece. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for all guided walks, and tours are canceled during National Weather Service alerts—check the events calendar for dates and times.
Taste the Square, One Stop at a Time
Get a taste of the local culinary scene on a food tour through the city's beloved restaurants, most of them in the Historic Downtown—home to almost two dozen highly-rated restaurants within walking distance of each other. Food Walks of Texas offers walking tours of the downtown, sampling the culinary options around the square, and Tall Paul and Lali Miles can set up private tours for families, corporate teams, and friends.
If craft brew is your style, TUPPS Brewery runs a tour led by the brewery's founder and owner on the first Saturday of each month, and the four-acre campus gives you every reason to stay for lunch afterward.
Self-Guided Tours
Prefer to set the pace yourself? Wander downtown with a self-guided tour of the Historic District or its residential historic homes, or track down all 75-plus pieces of the McKinney Tiny Doors miniature public art installation using the McKinney TX! app. Art and bird lovers can seek out the bird mural tour—a self-guided trail of colorful, life-sized bird murals scattered through downtown, perfect for wandering and snapping photos along the way.
Every self-guided route lives in the McKinney TX! app (or its browser version): pick Tours on the home screen and choose your trail to get started.
Guided Tour Dates
Guided walks run on scheduled days. Be sure to check the calendar before planning your trip around one.