Take a drive around downtown Naperville, and you just might spot the Naperville Trolley.
The familiar fixture has been a part of the city for 30 years, offering a unique way to view the sights and seasons of Naperville.
Annette Wehrli is the “Trolley Chick”
For Annette Wehrli, also known as the “Trolley Chick,” driving the trolley and offering tours around town gives her a chance to connect with the community, continuing a tradition started by her father, Don Wehrli.
“Well, we have to go back probably to 1993,” said Annette Wehrli, owner of Naperville Trolley Tours, “and mom and dad went on a trolley tour, and he came home and he told mom he was starting a trolley business. I thought he was crazy. We all did.”
At that point, Don was already retired, so this trek into the trolley world was an unexpected twist.
“And we’re like, dad’s kind of lost his mind. He’s going to start a business at 67 years old, 68, and he’s going to start this trolley business,” said Wehrli. “So, flash forward to him ordering a trolley. It was made in Florida. He picked it up, and I believe it was July 3, 1995, when he parked it in front of Oswald’s.”
Every day, Don would head to the Riverwalk to offer tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Don soon added weddings and holiday light tours. By 1999, Annette realized that her father needed a website and email to keep bookings more organized.
“Dad’s like, well, you have to run the email. I don’t even turn the computer on. So I’m running the office, so to speak, and I’m helping organize the scheduling of the trolleys and the drivers and everything. And dad’s like, well, why don’t you get your CDL so you can drive too,” said Wehrli.
Annette did just that, getting her commercial driver’s license and beginning to chauffeur wedding parties.
Keeping the Naperville Trolley business in the family
“Flash forward to 2013 when dad was really ready to retire and I wanted to buy the business,” said Wehrli. “I think it was February of 2014 when we switched it over from dad to me. And then he perished a year later.”
But her dad’s legacy lives on, with trolley rides taking place throughout the year. Currently, visitors and Naperville residents alike can hop aboard the trolley every Tuesday at 11:00 am.
“I have public tours in the summertime doing our historic Naperville, which I give myself, and I talk the whole time. It’s really fun. And there’s a quiz at the end, but I’ll help you out,” said Wehrli.
Passengers can book online and then meet up at the “Trolley Stop” on the corner of Jackson Avenue and Eagle Street.
Annette also offers Halloween and Christmas tours, private tours, and transportation for special events like weddings, or even funerals.
“And what’s so fun about a funeral on the trolley? It’s because everyone’s together. And once the pressure of the day is released, it’s really cool that they’re all together, interacting, talking about who we just had a ceremony for,” said Wehrli
Annette’s current fleet includes four trolleys and eight drivers.
“And they all either have day jobs like a cement mixer driver or a bus driver. Or they’re retired from their job. So they all have so much fun. And people ask me all the time if I’m hiring. But the thing is, once you drive a trolley, they never leave me,” said Wehrli.
Through the years, most of Annette’s family has worked for the business.
“Some people have helped in the office, all the nieces and nephews have cleaned the trolleys, and some of my siblings have driven the trolleys,” said Wehrli, “but I kind of really took it when I started with Dad. I didn’t plan on doing that at all, but my personality is very similar to Dad’s. We’re both a little goofy, but you have to be goofy to be an entertainer, and you know, bringing people out and everything we do is fun.”
A legacy of laughter and a leap of faith, rolling from one generation to the next.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Naperville Trolley, Annette is planning several events over the summer at Naperville businesses that have been around for 30 or more years. More info is to come on those specifics. Those interested can keep an eye on the Naperville Trolley website.
Photo courtesy: Annette Wehrli
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