Frequently Asked Questions

The Discover Sarasota Tours Trolley Cottage is open Tuesdays-Thursdays 9 AM – 3 PM, Fridays 9 AM – 9 PM, Saturdays 9 AM – 3 PM, and Sundays 12 PM – 5 PM. We are closed Mondays for private tours.

Tours that are running are listed on our calendar. If a tour is not listed, it is not running on that day or time, is already sold out, or is booked for a private event. All available tours and seats are listed on the website.

Cancellation Policy

We run tours as scheduled rain or shine. If you cancel at least 24 hours in advance or miss your tour, we will do our best to move you to another tour based on available space. However, ALL SALES ARE FINAL and we do not provide refunds for no-shows/tours you booked and missed. If your plans change, we will rebook any adult/child ticket for a $10 per ticket fee. If your tour is booked through an Affiliate, then the policies of the Affiliate will apply.

Our cancellation policy for deposit refunds on Group Tours is 50% with 60 days or more notice, and 25% with 30-59 days notice. There are no refunds for tours cancelled with less than 30 days notice. We will make every attempt to move you to a new date if you need to change the tour.

Masks are optional aboard our vehicles. We encourage you to wear your mask if you feel more comfortable on our tours. All guides have been fully vaccinated.

All tours depart from and return to our Trolley Cottage, 1826 4th Street in Sarasota (behind The Breakfast House off Fruitville & Osprey).

We have a cute Vintage Sarasota Gift Shop where you can browse for souvenirs before boarding.

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the tour leaves to check in and check out our Vintage Sarasota gift shop or The ChillMobile, our vintage ice cream truck, while you wait to board.

Trolleys leave at your scheduled time. If you don’t arrive within 5 minutes of departure time, we reserve the right to resell your ticket.

Easy FREE on-site parking is available right around the Trolley Cottage!

We have some tours that are specifically designed for kids and families: The BooMobile in October caters to kids 3-11 and bigger people 12+. Please note that strollers and car seats are not permitted on any trolley or van tours.

Young people 12-20 may join the Psychic Sundays, Haunted Sarasota, or Murder Mystery Trolley tours if accompanied by a parent or guardian. All other evening tours that include beer and wine are 21+ only.

All guests must have a ticket, and (with the exception of The BooMobile), children under 7 are not allowed; most of our tours are created for adults.

All tickets must be paid at time of booking.

We do not allow any coolers or personal alcohol on the tours.

We have a variety of options to book a trolley tour for a group! See our group tours page for more information on how to book a group tour.

The handling fee added to each ticket covers a bottle of chilled water, your program and map, and it helps us maintain our public restroom. It is part of the ticket price whether you book online or in person.

Our tours run year-round, but during the hottest months of the summer, we don’t run all tours every day, so please check the activity calendars. If there is a date not listed, please email us at [email protected].

Also, during the summer months, tours generally run in “Dolly The Trolley” in the morning and in “Vanna White” (our 9-passenger van) in the afternoon, to provide the most cool and comfortable experience for our guests. Check each tour listing for vehicle that will be used.

Max, our DST mascot and greeter!

Small dogs (under 20 pounds) in carriers are welcome. Please note that a few smaller groups travel in our high-top van and there isn’t a lot of room.

Our cute Vintage Sarasota Gift Shop features curious collectibles and memorabilia curated to complement our eighteen trolley tour themes.

We carry Ringling Brothers Circus, Ghost, Psychic, Sports, and Public Art items as well as a bevy of Old Florida/Old Sarasota books, cards, t-shirts, magnets, flamingos, pins, art boards, drinkware, candles, tablecloths, tea towels, soaps, food items & vintage memorabilia.

The ChillMobile is our groovy vintage 1979 ice cream truck, which sells cool locally-produced ice cream, popsicles & novelty treats!