The Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District forms the core of Tuscumbia's downtown, a compact collection of 19th- and early 20th-century commercial buildings around the courthouse. The square is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and gives the town centre its character — genuine small-town Alabama architecture rather than a reconstructed heritage district.
The surrounding blocks have the kind of locally owned shops, diners, and hardware stores that have mostly disappeared from American main streets. The annual Helen Keller Festival, held in late June, centres on this area and brings the town to life with performances, craft vendors, and music.