Seashore Trolley Museum announced that it will host a New Volunteer Open House on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 to 5 p.m. Those interested will learn more about seasonal and year-round volunteer opportunities available this winter and during the 2025 season. The campus is located at 195 Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport.

Jennessa Kimball, of Atkinson, New Hampshire, volunteers at the Seashore Trolley Musuem special events each summer, including Dino Trolley and Daniel Tiger Visits Seashore. Contributed

Seashore Trolley Museum, according to a news release, just opened the Maine Central Model Railroad exhibit and building in 2024 and is transforming from a seasonal to a year-round museum. The museum’s most critical need this fall and winter is to recruit new volunteers from the community to support the new, year-round operations. Several opportunities to support the Maine Central Model Railroad exhibit are available, from greeting guests and providing docent-guided tours, helping to build new sections of landscape and new buildings on the model railroad, maintaining model trains and existing track and structures, setting up the new retail area inside the building, and more.

The campus has other volunteer needs this winter and in 2025, including:

· Restoring and maintaining trolleys and other transit vehicles in the museum’s year-round Restoration Shop.

· Learning how to operate trolleys for the public on the museum’s 1.7-mile heritage railway.

· Supporting special events like Christmas Prelude, Dino Trolley, and Pumpkin Patch Trolley.

· Maintaining and building track and overhead wire infrastructure on the museum’s railroad.

· Taking care of the facilities and grounds across campus.

· Helping out in the library and archives.

Rick Whetstone, of Wells, helps repaint the Seashore Trolley Museum’s Visitors’ Center lobby. Whetstone is in his fifth year at Seashore Trolley Museum and said he enjoys helping with projects on a regular weekly schedule, year-round. Volunteers of all levels of experience are needed to take care of the museum’s 350-acre campus and buildings. Contributed

· Serving on planning committees.

· Operating the museum’s pump car for guests to enjoy.

The New Volunteer Open House schedule on Nov. 16 is as follows:

2 p.m.: Intro to the museum’s volunteer opportunities

2:30 p.m.: Off-season model railroad volunteer needs

3 p.m.: Take a trolley ride and learn about the steps to become an operator

4PM: Break-out sessions by interest areas

4:45PM: Closing and refreshments

For more information or to RSVP, email email volunteer@trolleymuseum.org or call 207-967-2800, ext. 104.

Seashore Trolley Museum will re-open its Heritage Railway for Christmas Prelude trolley rides the first two weeks of December. For more information, visit www.trolleymuseum.org.