Pumpkin Trolley ready to roll from museum
The Fox River Trolley Museum's Pumpkin Trolley will take families to the "Ole Pumpkin Patch" starting this weekend.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the month, the Pumpkin Trolley will depart the museum at 365 S. LaFox St. (Route 31) in South Elgin and take them to the pumpkin patch at the Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve. The ride is $4 for adults, $3 for people 65 and older, and $2 for kids 3 to 11.
Get dressed in a costume and pack a lunch to bring to the pumpkin patch and enjoy a fall day under the vibrant leaves. Ride the old-time electric trolley car from the 1900s along a 2-mile track alongside the Fox River. The trip takes about 30 minutes.
"Along the way the conductor shares stories about the history of the trolley cars and the railroads," said Robert Bresse-Rodenkirk of Wilmette, volunteer and publicity director for the museum.
The two trolley cars are more than 85 years old and can accommodate up to 55 people as they travel to the forest preserve.
"The fall colors are so pretty right now and you get to see so much beautiful nature along the way," Bresse-Rodenkirk said.
At homes along the route, residents have decorated their backyards with train signs to look like something seen in the 1900s. Scarecrows, hay bales and caskets are some of decorations along the ride as well and in the pumpkin patch.
Twenty-five volunteers set up decorations and find the perfect pumpkins for kids to take home. The pumpkin patch can only be accessed by trolley car.
"This is a real operating railroad with a conductor and everything. We use a trolley car from 1902 and it's the oldest car in North America," Bresse-Rodenkirk pointed out.
Many people enjoy a good ghost story around the campfire during the Halloween season. Another great fall experience the museum offers is the Ghost Story Train ride through the forest preserve. The Ghost Story Train operates 5 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 26. Admission is $13.20 and reservations are required.
The hourlong ghost story ride allows guests to enjoy a trip through the forest preserve to get to a roaring campfire to roast s'mores and sing campfire songs.
"Lots of kids come in costumes and even some adults, too. I've seen anything from princesses to skeletons," Bresse-Rodenkirk said.
The conductor tells ghost stories along the way, appropriate for all ages, to the campfire where marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers are provided. On the way back, guests will experience a short "lights off" period on the train.
"It adds a spooky feeling that Halloween is all about," Bresse-Rodenkirk said, "It's fun to get into the spirit of Halloween and dress up in a costume and enjoy the changing leaves and go home laughing and smiling at the end of the day."
For more information and to make reservations, call (847) 697-4676 or visit www.foxtrolley.org.