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.
@patrolleymuseum
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Behind the scenes: reprofiling a wheelset!
This week at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, our restoration team used a lathe to reprofile the 33-inch wheels for Red Arrow car 73. Volunteer Bill Fronczek took this short video of the significant achievement!
Interested in sharing your machine work skills with the museum? We`re in need of volunteer machinists - reach out at our website - link in bio!
Assist us in improving the Trolley Display Building with our Exhibit Enhancement Challenge! GBU Life is matching contributions up to $5,000 dollar-for-dollar, so donate today and make double the impact. This challenge will allow us to update our exhibits in the TDB by upgrading the existing signage and adding signage where none exists, allowing visitors to enjoy a more informative self-guided tour that will enhance their experience at the museum. Exhibit signage will include colorful photos, simple narratives, and QR codes that will link to informative videos about the trolley cars. Persons who donate $200 or more will have their names included in the video credits of one video of their (streetcar) choice from a provided list. Check out the link in bio to donate or learn more!
Join us next Friday, May 1st, to kick off the start of @remakelearningdays across our region! Celebrate ten years of Remake Learning at our family-friendly event designed to engage homeschool students from PreK – 12th grade to dive into all five areas of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math with interactive activities, and experiments at stations spread throughout the museum - and, of course, trolley rides all day long. We`re excited to be one of over 800 events happening this year in partnership with Remake Learning.
Thanks to our sponsor, the Dollar Bank Foundation, we’re offering free admission in May 2026 to kids ages 0-17! This event will be FREE for all children to attend! #remakedaysswpa #RemakeDays #RemakeLearning
As Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft, we are excited to be featured in the Guide to Pittsburgh! Visitors can stop by and see the Terrible Trolley and the rest of our historic collection Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Check out the guide on the official NFL website!
How’s this for a #ThrowbackThursday shot? This specific image is dated June 7th, 1917 - almost 110 years ago. It gives us a look back at Sixth Street in downtown Pittsburgh (in what is now known as the city’s Cultural District).
Back then, you could regularly see people traveling through the city using different methods of transportation. This particular shot includes a streetcar from the Pittsburgh-Butler Short Line; a horse cart; and an early automobile. #pittsburgh #history #SteelCity
It takes a team to keep the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum on track…well actually, it takes several teams!
Our Mobile Equipment team maintains and repairs essential machinery, including forklifts and cranes.
Our Way & Track volunteers ensure our line is safe and operational by both maintaining our existing line and assisting with the construction of new track when it needs replacing.
Finally, our Power & Signal volunteers keep operations moving by maintaining overhead wires and signal systems. Our Trolley Display Building, Fairgrounds siding and platform improvements, and more were all made possible by our Power & Signal team.
These “behind-the-scenes” volunteers all work together to keep our fleet moving, ensuring that our visitors enjoy their 4-mile round-trip trolley ride through Washington!
Interested in joining one of these crews as a volunteer? Learn how you can do just that at our website! #NationalVolunteerMonth
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!
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!
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!