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Summer is a great time to ride the rails in CT featuring dinosaurs, chocolate and a few laughs

The Connecticut trains are running on time, and they are heading to some intriguing stations.

July is a particularly good month to visit some landmark local train stations and ride the rails. There are plenty of special events featuring everything from chocolate to dinosaurs to stand-up comedy.

The special events are a bonus, but just sitting in an old train car as it rumbles along past old buildings can bring plenty of enjoyment. Many of these tourist trains even offer opportunities to sit in — or near — the conductor’s seat.

Connecticut Trolley Museum
58 North Road, East Windsor

One of the big events at the Connecticut Trolley Museum in July is the Dino-Trolley on July 20 and 21, where families can see and talk about dinosaurs from the trolley car and make some dinosaur-themed crafts. The museum specifies that “these dinosaurs are not animatronics, they are non-moving dinosaur figures.” $13, $6.50 members. ct-trolley.org.

Danbury Railway Museum
120 White St., Danbury

The museum is in a restored 1903 train station. There are regular train rides on weekends through September and again in November, with October devoted to special “Pumpkin Patch Trains.” $7, free for children under 3 years old. danburyrail.org.

Essex Steam Train & Riverboat
1 Railroad Ave., Essex

Many excursions on the Essex Steam Train hook up with the Essex Riverboat for an added dose of atypical transportation. Besides several “Family Pirate Adventures” on Aug. 3 and 10, there is a “Tacos & Tequila Cruise” on July 12 and 19 for ages 21 and over ($79.99 per person) where the train takes you to a taco bar and live music on the riverboat. On Aug. 1, there is a “Cigar & Whiskey Cruise” with train and riverboat rides, cigars, whiskeys and music from the Bart Bryant Blues Band. essexsteamtrain.com.

Railroad Museum of New England
242 East Main St., Thomaston

The latest “Wonka Express” excursion honors both a cherished local chocolate maker and the late actor and longtime Connecticut resident Gene Wilder. A train leaves the Thomaston train station at 2 p.m. on July 13, stops at Fascia’s Chocolates in Waterbury for a chocolate-making demonstration, then goes to downtown Torrington for dinner at Salt 2.0 restaurant and a screening of the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” at the Warner Theatre. Tickets are $59-$79 with added costs for the “make a bar at Fascia’s” activity ($10) and a bag of popcorn ($2).

Other upcoming excursions include a “Comedy Train” on July 19 with onboard comedians, fudge tastings with the Nutmeg Fudge Company and a dinner stop at Salt 2.0, the regular “Naugatuck River Scenic Train” and “Ice Cream Train” trips and much more. The Railroad Museum of New England offers events through October. rmne.org.

Shore Line Trolley Museum
17 River St., East Haven

The Shore Line Trolley Museum captures a time when trolleys crisscrossed Connecticut and could get you almost anywhere in New England. The museum is open for trolley rides and museum tours through the end of August, with trolley cars operating every hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $12, $10 for seniors, $8 for children and free for children under 2 years old. July events include an hour-long “Eco Spiritual Trolley Experience,” which travels through Farm River marsh­land and the estuary ecosystem at sunset as a benefit for East Haven Old Stone Church on July 13,  a “Riding Through the Decades” Happy Hour event with a dress-up 1950s and ‘60s theme on July 11 ($25) and a “Trolley to Trails Walk & Talk” event July 20 starting at West Point Field in Branford where you walk and hear stories about the old Branford trolley system. On the first Tuesday of every month through December, the museum also hosts a bluegrass jam. shorelinetrolley.org.