Explore Connecticut History at the Shore Line Trolley Museum
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This post is a paid partnership with the Connecticut Office of Tourism. All opinions expressed are my own.
If you’re looking for something to do in Connecticut that’s both unique and kid-friendly, look no further than the Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven, CT. The museum has a large collection of vintage street railway vehicles and they offer trolley rides! It’s a great place to explore some of Connecticut’s history in an engaging way.
America 250 at the Shore Line Trolley Museum
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For America’s 250th Anniversary this year, the Shore Line Trolley Museum is offering America 250 Wayback Fare Days where you can ride the trolleys at 2016 admission prices. This makes it a great time to visit the museum!
To discover more fun ways to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary around the state of Connecticut, be sure to check out the CT 250 website.
How To Spend A Day At The Trolley Museum
Having lived in Connecticut my entire life, I’ve driven by the sign for the Shore Line Trolley Museum as I’ve made my way down I-95 more times than I can count. It’s been on my list of places to check out for years, and I finally made it there this year!
We started our visit inside the Sprague Visitor Center. Inside, you’ll be able to purchase tickets. Your admission covers indoor exhibits, trolley rides (yes, plural, since you can take unlimited rides during your visit), and a visit to the trolley barns to view their collection.
After we purchased our tickets, we decided to check out the indoor exhibits. There was a lot to see inside, from artifacts to informational signs relating to railway history. I think my favorite thing was the scale model trolley traveling through different landscapes. I’m sure this would be a hit for any kid.
After checking out the indoor exhibits, we headed outside to catch the next trolley ride. While we were waiting, we checked out the inside of one of the trolleys that was on display in front of the Visitor Center.
Then, it was time to board the trolley! We were on a green trolley. I saw two other trolleys running during our visit, which were yellow. The trolley we were on was from New Orleans.
During our ride, we found out that the advertisements lining the inside of the car were ones that would have been seen by riders during the time the trolley was running. It was really cool getting to see all of the vintage ads.
During the trip, we went along a beautiful salt marsh. At the furthest point we went to, there was an Osprey nest! We were not able to go as far as the trolley typically does due to storm damage further down the tracks. I would love to go back in the future to get the full experience!
On the ride back, the trolley stopped at the trolley barns. Here, you’ll be able to view more trolley cars that are a part of the collection. The stop was about 20 minutes. During the stop, the motorman gave us some great information about the cars as we made our way through the barns. While we stayed with the motorman, others that were on the trolley car with us explored the area on their own.
When the 20 minutes was up, we all loaded back into trolley and headed back to the Visitor Center. We went back inside the Visitor Center to grab a magnet from the gift shop. They had a couple different designs to choose from, and while I wanted to get a magnet with the trolley we rode, we decided on another one because we liked the photo better.
After The Trolley Museum
By the time we got off the trolley, we were starving. So, we headed into New Haven to grab a bite to eat. We were between Louis’ Lunch and BAR, which are right across the street from each other. Louis Lunch is the home of the original hamburger, and we loved it when we went earlier this year. But, it is pretty popular, so it tends to be a bit of a wait. When we saw people lined up to the door inside, we decided on BAR for pizza.
We’ve been to BAR pizza a handful of times and it never disappoints. This time we decided to try something new. We got The Carnivore pizza, which was loaded up with smoked brisket, meatball, and pepperoni. I was so impressed by the brisket. It was tender and it honestly put a lot of smokehouses I really like to shame. I would absolutely order it again.
While all we did was get pizza after, there’s plenty of other things to do in New Haven. Yale University alone has several free museums to check out. To find a full list of things to do in the area, be sure to check out my Things To Do In New Haven, Connecticut post!
Find Places To Stay in The New Haven Area
Is The Trolley Museum Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! The museum gives you a chance to ride the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the U.S. It’s truly a great experience and so cool to be able to ride a piece of history like that. The trolley rides are a great way to engage kids in history, while also being enjoyable for adults.
In addition to the trolley ride itself, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the history of electric rail transportation around the museum. There are both indoor exhibits and historic rail cars to explore in the trolley barns! There’s no shortage of things to see at this museum.
