The Door County Trolley runs from a single base, the Trolley Station at 8030 Highway 42 in Egg Harbor, roughly in the middle of the peninsula's Green Bay side. The operator lists a long menu of tours, so the practical question is which one suits your group. This guide sorts them by the kind of day you want. Seasons, days and start times change from year to year, so confirm each on the operator's tour page before you commit.
If you want to understand the peninsula
The Narrated Scenic Trolley Tour is the easiest first choice. It runs about 90 minutes, from May through October, with about three departures a day, through villages and along bluffs, with a stop at a vantage point around 225 feet up that looks over the islands. The Lakeside Scenic Trolley Tour is its counterpart for the Lake Michigan shore: about 1 hour 45 minutes, running June through October on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1:30pm, with extra Saturday departures in late September and October. It passes Hickey Brothers Fisheries, Frogtown and the Baileys Harbor Range Lights.
If you are traveling with young children
Narrated tours are open to ages five and up, and children under five are not permitted, so the Family Ride is the tour built for the youngest. It takes about 30 minutes and has sing-along songs and an I Spy game. The operator also runs seasonal rides: an Easter Family Ride, and a heated Santa Trolley Express in the holiday season.
If you love lighthouses
The Lighthouse Trolley Tour lasts about 4.5 hours, runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from June through October, and leaves at 10am. It visits Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Cana Island Lighthouse and the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, with a private tour at each and a made-to-order box lunch. Hotel pickup from select Egg Harbor hotels can be added for an extra cost.
If you like spooky stories
The Ghost Tour, called the Trolley of the Doomed, lasts about two and a half hours and departs at 7pm from May through September and at 6pm in October and November. It visits a historic lighthouse, a cemetery and a building said to be haunted, with shipwreck stories along the way. The Murder and Mayhem Tour is true crime, with six cases including the Canal Shack Killing and the Furnace Murder, on about five days a week from June through October. The operator also runs a Haunted Pub Crawl for adults, aimed at the peninsula's haunted taverns.
If you came to taste
Two of the tasting trolleys have their own pages. The Wine, Spirits and Brew Trolley Tour lasts about 4.75 hours and visits a winery, a distillery and a microbrewery with lunch and dessert. The Premier Wine Trolley Tour lasts about five hours, visits several award-winning wineries and includes lunch and dessert. Both are for guests aged 21 and over. The operator lists shorter options too, such as the Uncorked Wine Tour in the afternoon, a Cocktail Tour, a Wine, Chocolate and Artisan Cheese Tour, and a Bloody Mary and Brunch Tour on Sunday mornings. In the cooler months it runs seasonal outings such as a spring blossom tour and a winter wine tour.
Booking rules to know
The operator recommends advance purchase because tours often sell out, and its tickets are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled for any reason. Choose the day with care, and watch the forecast for the outdoor stops. Groups of six or more can arrange pickup and drop-off by phone. Ticket types split adults aged 16 and over from children aged 5 to 15, and children under five are not permitted on the narrated tours.
Sample combinations
For a relaxed first day, take the Narrated Scenic Tour in the morning, have lunch in Egg Harbor and spend the afternoon in Peninsula State Park. For a lighthouse weekend, take the Lighthouse Trolley Tour on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, and the Ghost Tour that evening. For a couples' tasting day, choose the Premier Wine Trolley Tour and finish with a fish boil dinner, since someone else did the driving. For a family, pair the Family Ride with a beach stop and the Narrated Scenic Tour a day later for older children.
Where to stay
Egg Harbor and Fish Creek are closest to the station, so a stay there means a short ride or no driving at all. The Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor and the Fish Creek inns are the natural bases. If you stay farther north, allow about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the station, and plan evenings accordingly, especially for the Ghost Tour.