connecticut trolley museum

While this is great for small kids, as they will be excited to ride the train and here the train whistle, this place needs a major upgrade. There really is a lot of potential here, but it is neglected. I think it is a funding issue, which is too bad. Worth the trip, a bit on the pricy side, but then again, the staff is mostly volunteer, so the admission price goes back into maintenance and such.

My grandson enjoyed the trolley ride, but got somewhat bored after a while ( typical little boy)! Enjoyed the antique fire trucks. He really loved the store!!

It had been many years since we had gone to WinterFest at the Connecticut Trolley Museum so we decided that it was time to go again. We arrived at about 6:00 PM on a Saturday evening to find that the parking lot was completely full. We did find a place to park the car at the very far end of the lot. I don't think it was supposed to be a parking space and I had some concerns about getting the car back out but at least we were there. We found our way to the visitors center and got in line for the ticket booth. After a wait that wasn't quite as long as I expected we purchased our tickets and went out to ride the trolleys. Our first ride was in an open sided trolley. We wound up in the front seat. This made for a chilly ride but we had dressed for it ( it was a cold night ). The ride down the track through the lighting display was spectacular. I can't imagine how many man-hours it took to set up the lights and displays. After the ride we went to the visitors center to warm up and take in the Christmas decorations and model train layouts. Again, a great deal of effort went into setting all of this up and I found it very impressive. After we had warmed up and had some cocoa, we went back out for more trolley rides. This time we were able to get seats on the open top car. I found this very enjoyable because I could not only see the lights ahead of us but could watch them passing overhead. We finished the evening in a closed car in order to have one ride without the chill. When we finished this it was getting close to closing time so we headed for home. We had a really great evening at the WinterFest. My only issues are that if this continues to grow, they will have to come up with a plan for auxiliary parking. I also feel that they could use more signs in the parking lot directing people to the entrance for the visitors center. When we first got there we experienced some confusion as to where we were supposed to go for tickets.

My grandson and daughter loves trains, so we went here. They had a blast. The Trolley Ride was great. It was cold out so we picked the enclosed heated car, rather than the open one. I did not like the wait or the standing in the Mud, because it had just rained, But it was worth the wait. After we went in the building, Santa gave the kids a nice gift. There was quite a few Trains set up going all at once. It was hard to pull my 3 year old grandson away from them to go home. The only food I saw there was popcorn and hot chocolate.

A great history lesson close to home! A fun and different way to spend the day riding on one of the authentic trolley cars or wandering the museum. They also do Halloween & Christmas themed rides too!

I actually think this is great for all ages. We have a membership here and go almost year round, we attend the spring and Easter events, they have many summer events, a Halloween one with a ride to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins and our favorite the Christmas lights event. This is great for little boys that love trains as there is an indoor train table and thomas movies playing. There is a little gift shop and the room where the trolleys are and a viewing rooms. Restrooms are clean and staff is friendly. My only two complaints are this is a non-profit facility,so they work from donations and volunteers. So the workers enjoy telling everyone how this is a non-paid job and how they are donating their time and doing it for free and so on, this is especially the case with the trolley drivers, I get it your donating your time to give back we don't all need to know...my other complaint is the room where all the trolley are and the main room smell horribly for mold and mildew. With that being said this is a gret little day trip, short ride down the rails and a family fun day waiting to happen!

I really don’t like giving negative reviews, but I have to say honestly that the Connecticut Trolley Museum was a major let-down (sorry). The biggest problem was in the trolley building itself, where I found the trolleys (around eight, I think; tightly packed) to be in need of restoration. I took the liberty of climbing up a step to peer inside and noticed that one of the trolleys was serving as a junk repository, sort of like a giant basement closet. That’s just not right for a museum, geez! Also, the building is a little dingy and needs to be cleaned up. I think I spent 15 minutes in there. Perhaps all that’s needed to get the place spiffed up is a major donor or some other funding source.The ticket price covers an unlimited number of trolley rides, so I hopped on. It’s a ride—about one hour—on a straight track, a half-mile long: up and back. About half the riders were youngsters (“let’s go for a ride, kids!”) who engaged in the requisite shouting and moving from seat to seat. The trolley conductor had to blow the horn at every crossing, which made me cover my ears (I wasn’t the only one). Dang, that thing is loud!Something else: there seemed to be some sort of a mini-faire happening on the lawn in front of the museum. There were several arts/crafts(?) tents and a band playing country/rock tunes. I had no idea what that was, or if it was a normal occurrence at the museum.Two things keep this review out of the 1-star category:(1) The documentary film covering the history of trolleys was actually pretty interesting. I love archival film footage. Kids will surely be bored by this.(2) Halfway through the trolley ride, the conductor stops and talks for about 15-20 minutes about the history of the trolley and the particular car (there are several) you’re riding in. In my case, I found the conductor to be pretty knowledgeable, so that was a plus.

A nice collection of old trolley cars, most of which you can walk into. There is also a short ride on an actual trolley track. Its a good place for the very young and very old. We live near the Trolley Museum, and have been a few times. When you purchase tickets to ride the trolley, you get an authentic punch ticket, which makes a nice souvenir. During the short trip up the tracks (maybe 10-15 minutes each), the conductor provides historical information about the trolleys - some were local, but some of the trains were brought in from other places. Also located on the same property is the Fire Museum, which, of course, was geared more towards fire trucks. The people that run the Trolley Museum are very nice, and it is sure to be a quaint, enjoyable experience for everyone.

The trolley rolls along 1.5 miles of track. The fare includes as many rides as you desire. Allot of fun!!

I have been to many trolley museums and feel for the cost this is an ok attraction. You will get a good ride on one of three old trolleys. The staff and the equipment are fun to ride and if your age allows you will remember the trolleys. This facility is a work in progress and the folks that run it are all volunteers. The movie is a must see and will educate you was well as entertain you. For me the best was the additional free fire museum that is included with your admission. There equipment here is exceptional. So you will enjoy the rides, you will admire the fire equipment, and you will have fun for very little money. .

This is our second visit. The museum is fun, educational and friendly. The trolley conductors make the trip entertaining as well as enlightening. This is a great place for the whole family to enjoy.

Just visited the museum. The trolley ride is really nice. It takes you a mile and a half in one direction, then you flip the seats and return. The conductors, give you a brief description of the car you are riding in and some of its history. The museum has a twenty minute film, that traces the trolley from its beginning to its near demise. I admire the devotion and dedication these volunteers portray, which is rapidly becoming extinct. In my opinion, it was time well spent. You can ride the trolley as often as you like, and they do switch trolleys. Your visit will help support their funding for restoration of the cars they have in the museum.

The Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor, CT. www.ct-trolley.org. . Be prepared to ride back in time on several old fashioned trolleys on their 3 mile long track. This will appeal to all ages. The conductor will provide some historic information regarding the history of trolleys and an interesting 20 minute film will cover the evolution of trolleys. There are several beautifully restored vintage trolleys you can travel in: open air tramways, traditional, and Interubans; you can even drive one yourself! In addition to dozens of trolleys from around the Country, there is also an old fire fighting museum with vintage trucks and equipment.

We have been here many times including rails to the darkside, pumpkin patch and most recently the Christmas light ride. There are many trolley’s run on a short track by enthusiastic volunteers. The restored cars are a step back in history whether it is a nostalgic ride or a new experience for the kids it is great to recognize our past. There are many cars in different stages of restoration by these dedicated members.

Fun place to go Lots to see and do Lots of trolly rides and Picnic areas old fire trucks also enjoy the day