Ride the rails as they did in the last century

The Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven offers summer programs specifically geared for the educational commitment to the communities it serves. For younger children, Story Time Tuesday includes a story and trolley ride. For older children, tours tailored to age groups are available. Groups often take advantage of picnic tables in the trolley yard for snack time or lunch. Visitors can take a ride on an authentic, antique restored trolley car on a real trolley line. Experienced tour guides explain the rich history of the trolley car, how it shaped cities and suburbs and take visitors through car barns where meticulously restored vehicles are displayed.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum is home to the remaining 1.5 miles of the Connecticut Company’s New Haven trolley system. The line opened on July 31, 1900, connecting the city to the shoreline communities. In 1947, the trolley line was turned over to the Branford Electric Railway Association and in 1983 the museum was designated a National District of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior.

During your visit, you may even ride the Connecticut trolley that has operated on this line since the car was built in 1904. The museum is also home to a collection of NYC subway cars and one of the only surviving 9-11 NY Port Authority subway cars. As our trolley cars are considered museum artifacts, they have not been modified. Your ride is identical to the ride experienced by millions of people during the first half of the last century.

The museum is open year-round for private reserved charters and the general public operation runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day with special events in April, May and September through December. Reservation inquiries can be made by calling the museum at (203) 467-6927 or e-mail to reservations@shorelinetrolley.org.