The Chester County commissioners have announced the return of the Town Tours and Village Walks program, which has been expanded this year in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The program is entering its 32nd season, and this year's theme, "13 Tours for 13 Colonies," will focus on the places, people, and events in Chester County that molded and defined the complex tapestry of history that shaped the U.S. In addition to the 13 tours, the program will include three lectures.

The program will kick off at the Chester County Courthouse, 201 W. Market St., West Chester, on Thursday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. The subsequent programs will take place on select Thursdays. All activities are free and open to the public.

The lectures will be "Pennsylvania Ironmasters and the Revolution" on May 7, "When the Declaration of Independence Was News" on July 23, and "Historic Yellow Springs" on Oct. 15.

The walking tours will be "Spring-Ford Area Historical Society" on May 14, "Woven in History: A Textile Collection at Hibernia Mansion" on May 21, "Women and Minorities in Malvern" on June 4, "Barnard Station" on June 11, "Caln Township Historical Commission: 300th Anniversary of the Old Quaker Meetinghouse" on June 18, "Radley Run Mansion House: A Journey Through Time" on July 16, "Primitive Hall, Ancestral Home of the Pennock Family" on Aug. 6, "Historic Yellow Springs" on Aug. 20, "Oxford Area Historical Association" on Sept. 17, "The Mill at Anselma" on Sept. 24, "A Hotbed of Social Reform in Kennett Square" on Oct. 1, and "Adaptive Reuse in Caln Township: Where the Past Meets the Future in the Heart of Chester County" on Oct. 8.

The tours and lectures will last about 50 minutes. Tours will be available any time between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Lectures will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer time. Preregistration is not required.

For event locations and additional details, visit http://www.chescoplanning.org/historic/towntours.

The Town Tours & Village Walks program is made possible through a partnership between the Chester County Board of Commissioners, the Chester County Planning Commission, the Chester County History Center, the Chester County Historic Preservation Network, Chester County Tourism, and many volunteers.