After World War II, the New Haven Railroad began offering “Pilgrim Tours” of New England and eastern Canada. This booklet describes 51 two- to fifteen-day tours that were offered in 1947. The tours were unescorted but the ticket prices included transportation, lodging, and most food.

Click image to download a 17.5-MB PDF of this 40-page booklet.

These tours continued through the early 1960s. While the name “Pilgrim Tours” obviously relates to the Pilgrims who colonized New England in 1620, by the late 1950s the tours had expanded first to Washington, DC, and then to Florida. Somehow I doubt any of the original pilgrims ever went to Florida.

Click image to download a 1.1-MB PDF of this brochure.

The rate sheet accompanying this booklet indicates that the tours cost about $15 to $17 a day, including tax but not gratuities. That’s about $210 to $240 a day in today’s money.

The booklet includes ten black-and-white photos, two of which show the interiors of New Haven trains and the rest showing various sights and destinations. Both front and back covers have brightly colored images that appear to be heavily retouched photographs.

There is also a map of New England and parts of Quebec that does not show any roads or rail lines. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were left off the map possibly because only one of the 51 tours went to those provinces.