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	ABOUT US
	We offer many relaxing and interesting tours of Historic Downtown Madison. Our regular daytime tour lasts approximately one hour, and is a live, spoken narrative given by our knowledgeable and friendly drivers. Feel free to ask questions — we know our stuff! History Trolleys have been a part of Madison for many years. Before 1897, trolley cars were driven by mules along dusty streets. It was the earliest public transportation here, and shoppers on Saturday appreciated it as they made their way home with packages and bundles from retailers along Main Street. The building at 403 E. Main Street (now Fair Play Fire Company No. 1) was erected around 1875 by the Madison Street Railway Company as a trolley barn. In 1896, Madison Light and Railway Co. purchased the old farmers' market building at what is now the Trolley Barn retail center at 719 W. Main Street. They established a system of electric trolleys to replace the mule-driven cars, and the Trolley Barn building served as the base of the operation, with the trolley cars pulling in through the arched openings in the front of the building. Tracks ran along Main Street from just below Cragmont Street to St. Michaels Avenue, then turned south to Second Street, then east to Ferry Street. Extensions were later added to Walnut Street, and west to what was then Chautaqua Park (the area below Bella Vista restaurant). Around 1912 the town acquired open-air "summer cars" from Chicago. which were popular for evening "trolley parties" in warm weather. Sometimes the cars would jump the track or the trolley would slip off the power line above. Either a lifting jack had to be summoned to get the trolley back on track, or the trolley conductor would have to "fiddle" with the trolley pole to reconnect it to the power line. The streetcars stopped running in 1919 as brick paving was added to Main Street from Broadway to Walnut Street. Motor cars had arrived, and the trolleys and their tracks disappeared. In 1996, The Madison Visitors Council brought back the spirit of the trolley, offering a "Stop & Shop" concept along Main Street. The trolley body was built by Rader Buggy Works on a farm wagon chassis and pulled by a diesel pick-up truck donated by Cummins Engines. The cost for riders was 50 cents, and advertising on the sides of the trolley car helped defray costs. A decision was made to create a more comfortable motorized trolley, and a second one was built in 1981. In 2003, Dave Daghir and Keith Brubaker, two members of the Madison Visitors Council, purchased the operation as a privately-owned business. They operated the trolleys as transportation for river boat tourists and offered historic tours to weekend visitors. Madison Trolley, Inc. was purchased in 2005 by the current owners, who continue to offer a variety of historic tours and special events. Information for this history was researched and compiled by Austin Gorski and Rian Andreasen as part of the Mayor's Eagles program. We appreciate their dedication and hard work! Back to the top.	In the news... Madison Trolley Has New Owners New owners say both trolleys will remain in Madison Trolley 2 Click to enlarge
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