History That Connects Us

A day at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museums is a full sensory experience, from the ring of the bell to the hum and shake of the trolley as it rides down the tracks. Our Museum brings a unique experience to visitors of all generations, connecting us all to the past. From the moment they arrive, our visitors enter a world of timeless memories, historic innovations, and interactive discoveries.

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Weather Alerts

Winter Season

During our first ever Winter Season, please keep an eye on our Facebook and Website as we will announce any weather related closures or trolley ride issues there!

Plan your Visit!
It's a New Trolley Era

Now Open!

Starting Friday, November 10th, we will be operating from our new Welcome and Education Center at 1 Electric Way, Washington, PA 15301. Visit us at our new address!

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Give the gift of summer camp!

Summer Camp 2024

Our STEAM Camps for ages 6 - 12 are designed to ignite the curiosity and creativity of young minds, blending history with hands-on STEAM activities. Give the gift of summer camp this holiday season!

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Tickets on sale now!

Bunny Trolley

Hop on over to the Museum as we bring back one of our favorite events, “Bunny Trolley.” Ride a beautifully restored antique trolley to see the Bunny on March 22, 23, 24, 29, & 30. Ongoing activities include a Scavenger Hunt, Four-Leaf 4-H Club’s live rabbits, and a photo opportunity with the Bunny. This event is sponsored by Sarris Candies.

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Spring Scout Workshops

Check out our Girl Scout and Scouts BSA merit badge workshops! These workshops fulfill Scouting requirements, but are also open to non-Scouts of the appropriate age.

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Program

Trolleyology Zoom Series

Check out all of the recordings from our previous Trolleyology programs and sign up to join us for the next one. We host these virtual presentations regularly on a variety of transit topics.

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Celebrate the "New Roaring 20's" in style at our Gala on May 16th! Enjoy an elegant dinner by Bella Sera and music by the Washington Jazz Society. Black Tie and Roaring '20s attire optional!

A special Speakeasy event begins at 8:00 pm in our Trolley Display Building with live music, refreshments and whiskey tastings by Liberty Pole, Red Pump, and B&B. This event is included with your dinner, but you may also purchase separate tickets.

Proceeds from this event keep the trolleys running!
It’s #MuseumMonday, which means it’s time to shine the spotlight on part of our collection: Rio de Janeiro 1758!

No other streetcar attracted the riding public’s attention quite like the open car. These streetcars disappeared from most American cities in the late 1920s; in addition to being a safety risk, they were difficult to maintain in cities like Pittsburgh, which is not known for its warm weather. In Rio de Janiero, however, use of the cars continued into the 1960s. After being removed from service, a dozen cars of JG Brill design and Brazilian manufacture were brought to the United States by a group of trolley museums. 

Car 1758 is one of these cars. It was originally purchased and restored by the Magee Transportation Museum. When this museum closed, the car was moved to New Jersey and then Florida. 1758 finally came to us in 2006, and it’s safe to say it’s one of our most popular cars! #museum #history #trolley #streetcar #VisitWashingtonPA
Did you know that our streetcars are powered by the sun?

Solar panels cover our Trolley Display Building and our new Welcome & Education Center, which means our cars run on the sun most days. Streetcars are a sustainable transportation option and using clean, solar power to operate them not only lowers electricity costs but creates educational opportunities for students of all ages.  This project has made the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum the first museum to showcase solar powered electric transit vehicles and demonstrates our commitment to renewable energy applications. 

Our solar panel project was generously funded by Dr. John & Janet Swanson. Dr. Swanson is the founder of ANSYS, Inc., a John Fritz Medal winner, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
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Education

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum provides unique, exciting, and fun educational opportunities for students, educators, and life-long learners! Our museum is dedicated to sharing stories, insight, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) themed opportunities and experiences that will bring the trolley era to life. Check out our Education page to learn about field trip opportunities, Scout workshops, summer camps, and more!

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History

Take a ride into the past at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum where the trolley era is alive and well. The Museum uses daily tours, interactive exhibits, multidimensional programming, and special events throughout the year to transport visitors back in time. Our history and STEAM exhibits tell the stories of the people, places, and things that made the trolley era such an exciting and unique time to be alive!

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Collection

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is focused on preserving and restoring our collection of antique streetcars. The Museum was founded in 1953 and has continued to conserve, preserve, and restore cars through a mostly volunteer effort. Today, we house a collection of 50 streetcars, many of which are operational and used for daily rides. Visit our Collection page to learn more about all of our different trolleys!

A Collection of Nearly 50 Cars and Counting

support our mission to keep the trolley era alive