Molly the Trolley makes her 2018 debut!
2018-05-11

Molly the Trolley makes her 2018 debut!

Guest Blogger: Kim Smith

Presque Isle Historical Society’s Molly the Trolley is getting spiffed up to make her 2018 debut! Molly is quite the social ol’ gal. She served the Saco-Biddeford transit System for several years and now lives out her “retirement” in historic Presque Isle. Molly attends numerous birthday parties, class reunions, proms, festivals, and weddings each year. In addition, she is known as the Presque Isle attraction that takes residents and visitors alike to other local attractions!

Molly also really likes to clown around. She transports the Shrine Klowns each year as they visit area schools. The popular red and green trolley bus is certainly a colorful sight on Shrine days each year in early May!

The trolley is a 1985 bus with a gas-driven engine and aluminum body. Molly seats 32 passengers on quaint wooden benches with seat cushions and is fully enclosed. It was manufactured by Molly Trolley in Ogunquit, Maine and is the only known operating trolley north of Maine’s coast. Interestingly enough, Presque Isle’s Molly the Trolley also has a children’s book written about her.

Tours aboard Molly the Trolley include Narrated City-Wide Tours of Presque Isle held monthly during “season” on May 12, June 9, July 14, and August 11. This tour takes riders to over 40 historical sites, many with direct ties to state, national and international history. Included is the Double Eagle II launch site, the first successful transatlantic balloon flight; the SNARK missile silos and launch pads, America’s first ICBM; the field from which the 1959 National Christmas Tree was cut;

Molly also takes history buffs on the Amazing Mystery History Tour on Labor Day. This tour focuses on the hidden historical tidbits not covered in other local history tours such as the Model T embedded in the stream, the unmarked grave of the headless corpse of Jim Cullen, the only known lynching in New England, the location of an underground bowling alley, and much more.

Fall here in Aroostook County is breathtaking. In fact, Men’s Journal states that leaf peeping here is a must for anyone’s bucket list. The Fall Foliage Tours showcase the vibrant colors of two nations as riders scan the vistas of central Aroostook County and the neighboring Canadian Province of New Brunswick while hearing area historical snippets from entertaining and knowledgeable guides. These three hour trips depart from the Historical Fire Station on October 7, 13 and 14.

Looking for a hauntingly good time around Halloween time, but not looking forward to walking around outside in the dark and cold. Crawl aboard the heated trolley for the Haunted Lantern Tours! This one-hour tour features “kinda’ creepy, slightly scary true tales of historic downtown” with historical interpreters at 13 sites in the immediate downtown. Tours are held on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20.

The trolley also offers a unique way to experience the annual Holiday Light Parade. On the first Saturday of December each year, you can actually be a part of the parade by riding aboard the heated trolley decorated for the holidays. The trolley starts out at the beginning of the parade, pulls over into a reserved parking space allowing participants to watch the many festive floats, enjoy Christmas cookies and cider, and then pulls back into the actual parade to drive the route.

For more information on the trolley tours, trolley charter availability, or any of the other tours and programs offered by Presque Isle Historical Society, visit www.pihistory.org.