Every October, the Stillwater Trolley Company turns its Victorian-style trolley into a haunted ride. The Rivertown Terror Tour is a ghost tour after dark in which actors portray characters from Stillwater folklore, so the lumber barons, prison tales and riverfront legends that the daytime guide tells calmly become staged encounters along the route. It departs from downtown, with the boarding point near Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub, and it fits neatly into a Halloween-season weekend in a town whose brick streets, lift bridge and Victorian houses already look the part. The experience is theatrical rather than gory, and it suits adults, teenagers and brave older children who enjoy a story with a few jumps. It is a seasonal event, so it is not available in the spring or summer, when the regular daytime tour takes over.
Planning
The haunted tour runs every October, which makes it one of the busiest times to be in Stillwater, with hotels filling early and downtown parking tight on weekends. Book your seats as soon as your dates are fixed, and build your evening around the departure time. The boarding point is downtown near Charlie’s, so arriving early for an early dinner nearby works well. Because the tour is after dark, expect cooler temperatures than the daytime, and dress warmly for an open-air ride in an autumn evening.
What to expect
This is a staged ghost tour, with actors in character telling the town’s darker stories. The details come from the same well of local history as the daytime tour, including the territorial prison, the lumber era and the river, but with a theatrical twist. Parents should judge for themselves whether younger children will enjoy it, since the tone is spooky and the actors can startle. The operator describes it as a haunted adventure rather than a guaranteed fright, so most visitors treat it as lively entertainment with a good story.
Making the most of it
Combine the evening with a daytime Warden’s House visit for the prison backstory, which makes the ghost tale land harder, and with a leaf-peeping drive up the valley earlier in the day. Many visitors also add the Murder Mystery Detective Experience or a cocktail stop in the evening.
If you want more of the same atmosphere, the Stillwater Lift Bridge looks particularly good after dark, and the riverfront is quiet and atmospheric once the day crowds go home. Outside October, the same operator’s daytime tour is the way to see the town by trolley.
What to expect
The experience
A staged, after-dark haunted trolley ride with actors portraying Stillwater folklore.
Best time
October evenings, the only month the haunted tour operates.
How long
An evening ride; check the operator for the exact running time.
Tips
Book early, dress warmly for an open-air ride and arrive in time for a pre-tour dinner nearby.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Halloween-season visitors and ghost-story fans.
- Families
- Better for teens and brave older children than for little ones.
- Couples
- A fun, spooky date night with dinner beforehand.
- Pair with
- Warden’s House Museum by day and a Main Street dinner.
- Time needed
- An evening.
Good questions
When does the Rivertown Terror Tour run?+
The haunted tour runs every October, after dark.
Where does it depart from?+
It departs from downtown Stillwater, with the boarding point near Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub.
Is it scary?+
It is a theatrical ghost tour with actors in character, so expect atmosphere and a few startles rather than gore.
Is it suitable for children?+
Older children and teenagers who enjoy ghost stories usually do well. Use your own judgement for younger children.
What should I wear?+
Dress warmly. The trolley is open-air and October evenings in Minnesota can be cold.