This weekend marks the first runs for the historic Jim Thorpe Trolley, a hop-on hop-off tour that will have eight stops around the area.

Ed and Lynn Humphreys brought the trolleys to the area after well over a year of planning and coordination.

“Everyone we talked to loved the idea, and we just thought it was something that would be well-received by the tourism community, local residents and Jim Thorpe as a whole,” Ed Humphreys said on starting the trolley tours.

Eight loops will run Friday through Sunday starting at Penn’s Peak with stops including Lehigh Gorge State Park, the Mauch Chunk Opera House, Old Jail Museum, Stabin Museum and Gallery, Carbon County Environmental Education Center, Mauch Chunk Lake, Switchback Railroad trail and the downtown historic district.

The 80-minute tour will include historical narration about Jim Thorpe’s early settlers, famous citizens and sights through interesting stories and colorful anecdotes.

If you ride this trolley, you’re going to get a great education,” Ed said. “There is so much to learn about, going back to the Packers and what they meant to this town. It’s going to be a great experience.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.jimthorpetrolley.com, or at a ticket booth in Jim Thorpe’s Josiah White Park.

The Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp. hosted a ribbon cutting for the trolley tours on Friday afternoon.

The Humphreys purchased the two trolleys, around 12 years old, from a tour company in Asheville, North Carolina. The trolleys hold about 35 passengers.

“You can hop on or off at any stop, but we reached an agreement with Penn’s Peak where they are going to let people park for free up there,” Ed said. “We’re going to have signs directing people to that parking area. A lot of times people avoid Jim Thorpe because of the parking and congestion and I think this really is going to help with that.”

Humphreys said the couple plans to add a wine tour using the second trolley. The tour would visit three local wineries for tastings, which are included in the ticket price. Penn’s Peak will also serve as the pickup and drop off point for those tours.

Tickets are currently available on the website for that tour starting in July.