Did you know there’s a mass grave of 30,000 bodies beneath a Williamsburg arcade? Another fun fact: A Park Slope mansion built by the inventor of Chiclets gum might still be haunted by the ghosts of his household staff. And if you’ve ever stopped by the Trader Joe’s on Court Street, rumor has it the building itself has a few lingering spirits.
These are just some of the stories shared aboard Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours, a 90-minute journey through Brooklyn’s darker side.
Guests step onto the trolley and straight into the 19th century, greeted by a waft of fog and vintage music. Over the next hour and a half, they travel past landmarks such as the Brooklyn Naval Cemetery, McCarren Pool and the site of the 1876 Brooklyn Theatre fire — all while learning about true crime, tragedy and local legend.
At the helm is Allison Huntington Chase, the tour’s owner and creator, joined by her canine co-host, Lulu. Known on the trolley as “Madame Morbid,” Chase is part historian, part showwoman and part set designer.
“I give some of the tours myself a couple of times a week,” she told Brooklyn Paper. “I guess you could call me a professional spooky ghost historian, if that’s a thing.”
Chase launched Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours eight years ago, drawing inspiration from her childhood.
“My dad had a haunted house in the ’90s,” she said. “It was in an old department store, and he put some amazing detail into it. I wanted this to be a mobile version of that.”
The result is a fully immersive trolley experience that blends Brooklyn history with ghost stories, urban legends and true crime. Although the vehicle looks antique, it’s brand new and custom-designed by Chase herself. She said she wanted it to “look” haunted, but not “be haunted.”
The seats are tufted in a Model T pattern, green velvet drapes line the windows, and chandeliers hang from the ceiling.
“My dad did all the electronics and lighting. It doesn’t always work — he’s not an electrician — but it’s got personality,” she laughed.
Over the years, the tour has evolved from a simple storytelling ride into a multimedia experience. Videos and lighting cues now punctuate the route, and the script changes annually.
“Every year, it gets better,” Chase said. “We add new information, new locations. Some of our guests come back just to see what’s changed.”
Chase said each tour guide is given creative freedom to interpret the stories in their own style, adding that some take a serious approach while others emphasize comedy.
“I want them to find their own characters,” she said. “Some dress like flappers, others lean steampunk. That way, no two tours are the same.”
In the 2025 iteration, the trolley travels under the Brooklyn Bridge, over the Gowanus Canal and through neighborhoods packed with historic intrigue. The stories blur the line between documented history and whispered legend.
One of Chase’s favorite stops involves the site of a long-buried cemetery in Williamsburg.
“There are about 30,000 bodies buried under Barcade,” she said. “That one always gets a big reaction.”
Another tale centers on a Park Slope mansion built by the inventor of Chiclets gum, Thomas Adams Jr., whose household staff reportedly starved to death in the home’s private elevator.
Despite her line of work, Chase doesn’t actually believe in ghosts.
“I’ve been to the most haunted places in the country, and I’ve never seen anything,” Chase said. “I think if they existed, I’d have seen one by now.”
Still, she admits to a lingering fear. “I’m terrified of them, though. I never want to see one.”
What sets Madame Morbid apart from other ghost tours is its grounding in real local history. The stories may feature restless spirits, but they’re rooted in verifiable events and old Brooklyn lore.
“You walk away learning something,” Chase said. “It’s not about making people believe in ghosts, but about giving them great stories to tell later.”
