Brooklyn haunted trolley tour mixes ghost stories with mob history and forgotten graves
A 90-minute haunted trolley ride through Williamsburg, Park Slope and Cobble Hill tells stories of unmarked cemeteries, mob hits and a ghost with no head.
This fall, a guided ride takes on 400 years of Brooklyn’s darkest stories. Madame Morbid’s Haunted Trolley Tour lasts 90 minutes and starts from 510 Driggs Ave.
The vehicle is part of the show. The custom-built trolley is fitted out as a Victorian sitting room. Passengers sit on tufted leather under chandeliers, with red velvet drapes on the windows and deep red carpet underfoot. Guides tell the stories as the trolley rolls through Williamsburg, Park Slope, Cobble Hill and other neighborhoods.
What the Brooklyn haunted trolley tour covers
Ghost lore is only part of the program. Guides also cover mob hits, Revolutionary War battles most people have forgotten and local accounts of alien abductions. Other stories include unmarked graves hidden in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and in Prospect Park, a parlor séance in 1864 that ended in disaster and the spot where 300 people died in a theater fire. The Gowanus Canal, today an EPA Superfund site, also gets its turn.
Video plays a role too. Screens inside the trolley run short documentaries, and their archival footage shows each neighborhood as it looked centuries ago, cued to match the legends of the streets outside. According to one of those legends, a ghost with no head wanders the Brooklyn Bridge. To keep the grim material from getting too heavy, riders also compete in trivia rounds for eerie prizes.
Haunted trolley tour times and ticket prices
Trolleys leave Wednesday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday there is also a 4 p.m. trip before the two evening rides. Tickets are $69 in September and October and drop to $59 in November and December. Groups can book private tours.
Madame Morbid has operated since 2017. Weekend seats have tended to sell out weeks ahead, so anyone hoping to ride on a fall weekend should reserve early.
Quick answers
How much does the Brooklyn haunted trolley tour cost?
Tickets are $69 in September and October and $59 in November and December. Private group tours can also be booked.
When does the haunted trolley tour run?
Wednesday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday add a 4 p.m. trip to the 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. rides.
Where does the haunted trolley tour start?
At 510 Driggs Ave. in Brooklyn.
