The trolley tours detailing the Town of Bethlehem’s history have been very popular, so much so in fact that tour organizers have added Sunday, April 27, as another date for the tour.
The tours, which begin at 12:45 p.m. at the public parking lot at the Four Corners in Delmar, give an overview of Bethlehem history, pointing out the town’s many historic areas along the way. The tour winds through the hamlets of Delmar, Slingerlands, Elsmere, Glenmont, Cedar Hill and Van Wies Point covering history from 6,000 B.C. to the present.
I’m having great fun sharing Bethlehem’s history with so many interested people, and learning from the people who take the tours, said Town of Bethlehem Historian Susan Leath. `On a recent tour, we learned that the Welch family tended the lighthouse at Van Wies Point for over 75 years. While stopping at the Bethlehem Historical Association’s Cedar Hill Schoolhouse, we met a person on the tour who went to school there in the 1920’s, and another who’s mother and aunt went there.`
Organizers say the remaining tours dates, Sundays, April 6 and 27, are filling up fast. To make a reservation, call the Albany Aqua Ducks and Trolleys at 462-3825 or visit www.albanyaquaducks.com. Cost is $23 per person, and includes a donation to the Bethlehem Historical Association. A tour stop at the Bethlehem Historical Museum and snacks from the Perfect Blend are included.
Organizers say trolley tours will be offered again next winter, emphasizing the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial.
The tour experience has been made possible by the Town of Bethlehem, Bethlehem Historical Association, Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce, Perfect Blend, and Albany Aqua Ducks and Trolleys.“
