NATCHEZ &045;&045; Fall Pilgrimage opens in Natchez today, beginning a two-week tour event that showcases 18 houses on regular three-house tours and Longwood, which is open daily.

Two houses are new to the tours this year, said John Saleeby, manager of Natchez Pilgrimage Tours.

&uot;The new houses are Selma and Gloucester, both marvelous houses,&uot; Saleeby said. &uot;Selma is a simple but elegant country house, and Gloucester is a magnificent mansion, two very different but wonderful additions to the tours.&uot;

Group tours are on the rise for this season, Saleeby said. &uot;They are coming up nicely from last year, a double-digit increase,&uot; he said. &uot;And our Web site hits are up remarkably. But individual inquiries by phone are incrementally down.&uot;

Saleeby has an explanation for the numbers. &uot;I think a lot of people who used to call for information and brochures are getting the information off the (Natchez Pilgrimage Tours) Web site,&uot; he said. &uot;I have to believe it’s looking better this year.&uot;

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company has scheduled steamboat stops at Natchez four times during Fall Pilgrimage. That will be a boost, Saleeby said.

Fall Pilgrimage began in 1977, a younger sister to the older Spring Pilgrimage, which began in 1932.

Houses on tour today are Magnolia Hall, Linden and Airlie in the morning; and Bontura, Rosalie and Glenfield in the afternoon. On Thursday, morning houses will be Monmouth, Selma and Brandon Hall; afternoon tours will include Green Leaves, Auburn and Gloucester.

Tickets, available at Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, corner of Canal and State streets, are $21 per person for a three-house tour.

Longwood is open daily at $8 per person.