Trolley Tours Show Denver's Past And Present
A friendly hello has greeted passengers for the past 20 years on the latest incarnation of a 100 year plus Denver tradition.
It was July, 1989, that the Platte Valley Trolley began service on the banks of the South Platte River along a portion of the Platte Valley greenway.
"Denver had quite an extensive trolley system once upon a time like many cities did," says Darrell Arndt, a Platte Valley Trolley motorman. "It had some 300 miles of track, 250 cars serving all points of the compass around the city."
The leisurely, nostalgic ride makes stops at some of Denver's most popular attractions on the route. From the Downtown Aquarium, the trolley rolls on.
"The trolley was fun and I learned a lot and it was very interesting," says Collette Richardson from Miami. "I hadn't known anything about this area before so I was just so excited to see and hear all the things that were happening on the train tracks."
The Platte Valley Trolley is run entirely by volunteers and the motorman's dedication to duty rivals that of the postman.
"We run a Broncos shuttle every Broncos game," says motorman Bruce Vincent. "Rain, shine, snow, sleet and even blizzards."
The Platte Valley Trolley operates Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. The half-hour round trip is only $4 for adults and $2 for kids 4 to 12. The little ones are free.
Get more information by calling them at (303) 458-6255 or log on to their Web site at DenverTrolley.org.
