Santa greets trolley riders during previous Holly Trolley rides. Photo by Jim Dierks.
Continuing its holiday tradition, the New York Museum of Transportation, in Rush, will welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus on December 7, 8 and 15. They’re eager to meet the kids and pose for pictures. Holiday decorations, complimentary cookies and hot chocolate, and the fondly remembered Midtown Plaza Monorail will add to the fun in this unique celebration of the holidays.
Admission including the trolley ride is $17 adults, $13 age 3 – 14. Rides depart at 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45 and 3:30. Reservations are required: www.nymtmuseum.org/Christmas
The only operating trolley museum in New York State features a ride through the country that harks back to the era of interurban trolleys carrying holiday shoppers between cities and their rural homes. The vintage trolley car is heated and ticks off the miles in style as it has for almost a century.
The Midtown Plaza Monorail exhibit brings back memories of Christmas at that downtown shopping mall. The exhibit features the two-car train suspended from its original rails, along with photos and descriptions of the monorail’s history.
A popular attraction at the museum is the model railroad room with its huge HO gauge model railroad running several trains at once. A 20 foot long N gauge representation of the Rochester Subway provides a complete view of the Subway from Rowland’s Loop to the car barns on Rochester’s northwest side.
Kids will also want to sit in the driver’s seat of a fire truck, climb into the cab of a steam locomotive, and ring the bell in a trolley snow sweeper, all inside the museum’s spacious main hall.
The New York Museum of Transportation is located just 20 minutes south of Rochester at 6393 East River Road in Rush, and can be reached from I-390 exit 11.
