EAST HAVEN — If you have been meaning to get down to the Shore Line Trolley Museum this fall, this is the week. The museum’s Halloween hit, The Haunted Trolley: In Search of Sasquatch, has just three nights left: Friday, Oct. 30, Saturday, Oct. 31 (yes, Halloween itself) and Sunday, Nov. 1. It is a short drive down I-95 from Milford, at 17 River St.
Save on tickets: use promo code DISCOVERCT at checkout to save. Tickets are sold in advance only, and you can grab yours at the museum’s ticket page.
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The museum bills it as a comedy adventure, not a fright night. According to the museum, there are no zombies, no clowns and no masked monsters, no chainsaws or loud music, and no teenaged actors screaming in your ear. What you get instead is a ride on a vintage trolley, a few laughs and a hunt for Bigfoot.
What the ride is like
Forget the haunted house where you stand in line for hours. This one is built around a trolley. The museum describes a 30 to 45 minute interactive show that mixes a search for Sasquatch with theater, audience participation and, in its words, “a heavy dose of comedy.” You help decide how the Bigfoot adventure ends.
Before you board, the hosts run a short pre-ride orientation and introduce the plot. Then you climb aboard an old trolley with a carload of fellow riders. The small crowd is the point: the museum limits each ride to 40 passengers, so the whole car is in on the joke together.
Don’t expect to be chased through the woods, either. The museum says it is not a hayride, not a trail and not an indoor or outdoor haunted attraction. “Expect fun + mystery + a lot of laughs,” the event description promises.
Families are welcome. All ages can ride, but anyone under 16 needs an adult with them. If you are bringing little ones, the museum calls the earliest rides on Sunday, at 5 and 6 p.m., “more family/kid friendly.”
The final three nights: what’s left
Every ride is timed, and the museum lists these departures for the last weekend of the run:
- Friday, Oct. 30: 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween): 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m.
Saturday is the only night with five departures, so Halloween is the easiest night to find a time that works, and likely the busiest. Sunday is the other thing to know: clocks fall back that night, and as we reported Monday, Milford’s sunset jumps to 4:47 p.m. That means even the 5 p.m. ride will start after sunset.
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Why the Shore Line Trolley Museum is worth the drive
The ride is a good excuse to see a local treasure. The Shore Line Trolley Museum calls itself the home of the oldest continuously running suburban trolley line in the country, and it is a National Historic District. The collection includes dozens of preserved trolleys and other transit vehicles, and the trolley line runs through the salt marsh on the East Haven shoreline.
It is also a nonprofit, run by the Branford Electric Railway Association. A night out here pays for itself in atmosphere, and you are helping keep a piece of Connecticut history on the rails.
Tickets, V.I.P. seats and the DISCOVERCT code
Admission is $29 per person, and it is advance purchase only, so you cannot count on buying at the door. A limited number of $49 V.I.P. tickets are offered for every ride. They get you first boarding, your choice of seats on the trolley and a free souvenir logo shirt.
Milford Voice readers: use promo code DISCOVERCT at checkout to save on your tickets. Start at the ticket page and pick your night and time. With only 40 seats on each ride, book soon.
Before you go
A few rules from the museum: no alcohol, drugs or weapons, and no masks other than Halloween costumes. If you are running late, the museum says it will try to fit you onto the next ride. Historic trolleys also have a few steps to climb to board, so plan for that if anyone in your group has trouble with stairs. Groups of 10 or more can ask about a discount by contacting the museum.
The info line is (203) 795-4737, and the museum’s own number is (203) 467-6927. You will also find details at thehauntedtrolley.com and shorelinetrolley.org.
If you miss it
The Haunted Trolley wraps up Sunday night, but the museum’s season keeps going. Its calendar lists scenic trolley rides and museum tours on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and its holiday run, Next Stop, Santa!, is set to start Friday, Nov. 27. The museum’s Pumpkin Patch Trolley dates on its calendar ended Oct. 25, so check the schedule or call before you head down for anything other than the Sasquatch ride.
One last reminder before you go hunting for Bigfoot: use promo code DISCOVERCT at checkout to save on your tickets, and book your ride here before your night sells out.
HAUNTED TROLLEY: IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH, AT A GLANCE
Where: Shore Line Trolley Museum, 17 River St., East Haven
Friday, Oct. 30: 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween): 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1: 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m. (5 and 6 p.m. are the more family-friendly rides)
Tickets: $29 per person, advance purchase only. A limited number of $49 V.I.P. tickets include first boarding, your choice of seats and a free souvenir logo shirt.
Promo code: DISCOVERCT at checkout
Book: events.ticketleap.com · thehauntedtrolley.com
Questions: (203) 795-4737 · museum, (203) 467-6927
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