Dave Hershey's white, horse-drawn carriage clip-clopped through the streets of downtown Bellefonte last weekend, resembling a scene from Victorian times.

Hershey, owner of Lasting Moments Carriage Service, held the reins of Julia and Lady, two shiny black Percherons. The service gives visitors the chance to feel what it was like to travel through the town as people did in the 19th century.

The 10-minute rides were offered from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday as part of Bellefonte's 25th annual Victorian Christmas celebration.

Families, friends and lovers sat excitedly in the carriage's red velvet seats as Hershey pulled them on a bouncy, yet romantic journey through town.

Onlookers walking by and passing in cars stared in wonder.

"People like it because it's a lot of fun and they are nostalgic for the past," Hershey said. "Wherever we go people are just in awe."

The horses are sometimes an even bigger draw than the carriages, Hershey said.

"At a lot of events, people are more interested in getting their pictures taken with the horses than getting a ride," he said.

A second carriage, owned by the town of Bellefonte, also offered rides to visitors last weekend.

While Hershey's carriage is a reproduction, Bellefonte's carriage actually dates back to the Victorian era. The carriage originally belonged to Andrew Gregg Curtin, Pennsylvania's governor during the Civil War, said Shirley Wilt, a volunteer ticket vendor.

Eager visitors, mostly families with young children, lined up in front of the historical Brockerhoff Hotel for a chance to ride on the carriages. Depending on the number of adults and children in each party, four to seven people could ride in each carriage at a time.

Wilt said the carriage rides are very popular and sold out on both Saturday and Sunday.

"It is reminiscent of the Victorian days," Wilt said. "Since Bellefonte is an old Victorian town, it gives people a flavor of the town."

Other events offered as part of the Victorian Christmas celebration included an arts-and-crafts show, tea parties, musical concerts and a tour of some of Bellefonte's Victorian homes.

Hershey said his carriage service is used for weddings, anniversaries and birthdays throughout Pennsylvania. Yet one of his more memorable experiences happened at last year's Victorian Christmas in Bellefonte when a couple rode along on the carriage.

"The boyfriend asked if he could get a special ride, and then he proposed," Hershey said. "She said yes."

For those who did not get a chance to take a carriage ride in Bellefonte last weekend, Hershey's carriage service will be coming to "First Night," State College's New Year's celebration, to give rides through town.

The rides will depart from the Municipal Building and travel around the State College Area High School field, Hershey said. For more details on the New Year's Eve rides, visit www.firstnightstatecollege.com.