See Chatham By Trolley Free Tours Offered During History Month

CHATHAM – Hop on a trolley Saturday, June 20 for a free tour of five historic sites and museums as part of History Month, sponsored by Historic Chatham.

 Free trolley rides, complete with a tour guide, will continue on Mondays and Tuesdays during the next several weeks, courtesy of Chatham Valet, the firm that operates the Eldredge Garage parking lot.

 “It’s a ride through Chatham,” Bill Bystrom, a member of Historic Chatham, told the select board last week in announcing the trolley rides. The one-hour tours will be held at 9 and 10 a.m. on June 22, 23, 29 and 30 and will include commentary from Historic Chatham’s Ron Clark. This isn’t a hop-on, hop-off type tour, but will travel to various points of interest in town stopping briefly for descriptions and commentary.

The June 20 trolley tour is hop-on, hop-off; participants can pick up the trolley at five different locations. The Chatham Railroad Museum on Depot Road is the starting point, with free parking nearby at the elementary school. The trolley will loop past four other historic sites: The Caleb Nickerson Homestead, the Marconi/RCA Maritime Museum, the Godfrey Gristmill and the Atwood Museum. All of the venues are offering free admission during the trolley hours of operation.

 Other History Month events on June 20 include corn grinding at the Godfrey Gristmill from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (also Sunday, June 21); a Women’s Military History display at the Marconi/RCA Maritime Museum at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Chatham History Day at the Nickerson Family Association on Orleans Road from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Later in the week, Chatham Lighthouse will be open for tours on Wednesday, June 24, from 1 to 3 p.m.; “Cape Cod History: 12 Stories For 12 Generations” will be presented at the Eldredge Library June 24 from 1 to 2 p.m.; the library will also be the setting for “Marcellus Eldredge: Catalyst for the Chatham We Know” on Thursday, June 25, at 5 p.m.; and model trains will be running at the Chatham Railroad Museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 26 and 27.

 For more information on these events and Chatham History Month, visit historic-chatham.org.