Mike Frost of Kennebunk, a longtime volunteer at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, stands next to Car 38, which is decorated for the holidays and will be where children can visit with Santa. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

KENNEBUNKPORT — Rick Wolf has many roles at the Seashore Trolley Museum: conductor, operator, docent and dispatcher.

The retired innkeeper turned public transit enthusiast enjoys them all, especially the jobs that bring him face-to-face with visitors of all ages who come to experience the museum’s restored trolley cars.

“There’s almost a sense of disbelief,” Wolf, 76, said of watching people ride a 100-year-old trolley along the museum’s 3.5-mile heritage railway.

Those personal connections are even more poignant during the holiday season, when the museum opens during Kennebunkport’s Christmas Prelude for rides in trolleys decked out with lights, pine garland and wreaths. For passengers, the trolley rides feel a bit like stepping back in time to when street cars crisscrossed cities small and large.

“We’re not static. We are, in fact, history in motion,” Wolf said. “And when they see these (trolley cars) coming at them and know they’re going to ride on them, whether it’s a little kid or an adult, there’s a real fascination.”

At the first and largest electric railway museum in the world, volunteers work alongside the staff to help run all facets of the operation, from research to restoring trolleys to collecting tickets. During Prelude – the annual festival that earned Kennebunkport a reputation as a top holiday destination – it’s all hands on deck to create extra holiday cheer.

During both weekends of Prelude, the museum is open for trolley rides, hot chocolate, marshmallow roasting and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. This year, visitors can also view the new model railroad built by the late Harold Beal in his Jonesport home and donated to the museum by his wife, Helen.

Now housed in a new building on the museum campus, the display features Maine Central Railroad cars wending their way over bridges, past the West Quoddy Lighthouse and through villages modeled after real towns. The Beals spent 20 years building the display and ran the trains for visitors every summer.

Katie Orlando, executive director of the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, hangs lights in Car 38, which is where children can visit with Santa during the two weeks of Christmas Prelude. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

After Prelude ends on Dec. 15, the display will stay open, marking the shift to a year-round museum.

Katie Orlando, the museum’s executive director, said there is a lot of excitement about offering trolley rides again during Prelude.

“It’s just magical,” she said. “I will never get tired of seeing guests of all ages just marvel at everything. It brings another layer of joy to this campus.”

Orlando said that running the museum and participating in special events would not be possible without volunteers. There are currently 14 professional staff, but the volunteer roster has now swelled to 525 people who donate at least six hours of time each year.

Among them is Jim Mackell, 78, of Arundel, who has volunteered at the museum for the past 17 years. After retiring from a career in banking, he put his woodworking skills to work on trolley restoration. This year, he has spent 250 hours reconditioning every window and door on car 38, the trolley that Santa and Mrs. Claus will use during Prelude.

On a recent rainy afternoon, Mackell wore an elf hat as he carefully applied a coat of varnish to a window frame from car 38. The window was the last one that needed work and his goal was to have it reinstalled well before the holiday rides begin.

That same afternoon, a group of volunteers spent several hours decorating cars 38 and 639. Mike Frost, an operator from Kennebunk, sported his conductor’s hat with his motorman number, 355, while he chatted with other volunteers.

Volunteer Jim Mackell of Arundel puts a coat of urethane on a trolley window frame in a shop at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

At 81, Frost is one of the longest-serving volunteers, with more than 50 years of experience. He first learned how to operate the streetcars in the 1970s, but since retiring, he’s had more time to volunteer. His interest in street cars dates back to his childhood north of Boston, where streetcars were common. Now, he finds it rewarding to help younger generations learn about the history of mass transit and see them experience their first trolley ride.

John Mercurio, 84, said he was always interested in railroading in general and came across a magazine article back in the 1980s about the need for volunteers at the trolley museum. Months later, he was training to be an operator and couldn’t imagine not being involved with the museum.

He said it’s easy to believe in the museum’s mission to restore and preserve history, but he also loves teaching people about the trolleys and the important role they played in communities.

“People come from all over the country and it gives me the opportunity to tell them about the history of mass transportation and the museum,” he said. “And seeing the families and the kids, especially during our special events, it’s just so satisfying to be part of giving them a day that they remember.”

IF YOU GO

Mike Frost of Kennebunk, a longtime volunteer at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, stands next to Car 38, which is decorated for the holidays and will be where children can visit with Santa. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald

Christmas Prelude Trolley Rides will be held on Friday-Sunday, Dec. 6-8 and 13-15. Trolleys operate on the museum’s 3.5-mile heritage railway every 30 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. with a break from noon to 1 p.m. each day. Tickets are $14.

Santa will be on campus and available for complimentary photos during the following dates and times: Sunday, Dec. 8 from 3-5:30 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 13, Saturday, Dec. 14 & Sunday, Dec. 15 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1-5:30 p.m. Because the museum caps the number of tickets sold per thirty minutes, the lines to meet Santa are short.