Gas too expensive? Here’s a great local Day Trip that is very close: Shelburne Falls!

Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, MA (c) Sienna Wildfield

The summer vacation time is in full swing! And, with gas prices still topping recent highs, more and more vacationers are opting to stay close to home. With forty five minutes of Springfield, Holyoke and Northampton is the delightful town of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.

Shelburne Falls is located in the Franklin County area of Massachusetts along the scenic Mohawk Trail. It is also home to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum. The museum is a great operating attraction for families of all ages. Featuring restored Trolley Number 10, the original trolley which ran across the Bridge of Flowers, plus an operating pump car and steam locomotive display.

Besides the operating trolley museum, the town features cafes, artisan shops, restaurants, the historic Bridge of Flowers and the famed glacial potholes of the Deerfield River.

Visitors to the trolley museum can board the beautifully restored trolley Number 10 at the visitor’s center and ride it to the end of the line at Salmon Falls. The Salmon Falls stop is high above the Deerfield River – with a breathtaking view of the river, waterfall, glacial potholes and the town center of Buckland and Shelburne Falls.

With the purchase of a train ticket, visitors can park at the museum all day and shuttle to the Salmon Falls for easy access to Shelburne Falls village attractions.

The museum is situated just above the Bridge of Flowers and the Deerfield River in the former Buckland rail yard. Its growth and success over the years has been attributed to its easy proximity to the downtown area of scenic Shelburne Falls, as well as the many attractions and rides on both trolley Number Ten and other working railroad equipment.

The Museum is open Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, from Saturday May 5 until Sunday November 4, 2007. Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In July and August, the museum will also be open Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Admission to the shop and the Visitors Center and grounds is free. Tickets for a 15-minute ride on the trolley car, with interpretive talk on the history of the trolley, the Bridge of Flowers and the Shelburne Falls & Colrain Street Railway, are $2.50 for adults, $1.25 for children ages 6-12, children 5 and under are free. Your ticket is good for rides for the remainder of the day. Members always ride free!

The Visitors Center, car barn and Museum store may be open at other times and other days by chance. They will provide a complete tour, including trolley rides for your school, group or party, outside of the scheduled hours and/or days for a fee. See their Group Reservation page for more information. On the web at: www.sftm.org.