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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Did you know that we have nine PCCs in our collection? Today’s #MuseumMonday is about Pittsburgh Railways 1467, built four years after 1138 (which is the oldest PCC in our collection).
Pittsburgh Railways 1467 was built in 1941, and is an example of a wartime era PCC. This car has also worn at least two special paint schemes in service; this is because the 1400-series cars were chosen to display various public service advertising paint schemes, beginning in 1943.
In the 1960s, 1467 was sold to Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO) for rapid transit equipment testing. After WABCO was finished with the car, they donated it to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. #history #streetcar #pittsburgh #trolley
Yesterday the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum hosted a well-attended special event!
Known as Winterfest, this event is an annual tradition shared by various transit museums. Each year, a museum in our NEATO network organizes a weekend of operations, tours, and more, providing a unique setting for our staff and volunteers to network, socialize, and celebrate the accomplishments and work being done at each museum.
Between our visiting sister museums and our own hard working volunteers, almost 270 people registered to attend Winterfest 2026!
We had a blast teaching our guests how to run different cars in our fleet; providing tours of our Display Building, Artifact Preservation Building, Restoration Shop, and Car House; and participating in nighttime photo shoots.
We also shared some of our (now not so secret!) volunteer activities with our guests, including our beloved Karaoke Trolley ride.
It was quite the memorable weekend! Whether this was your first Winterfest or your 28th (we did the math!), thank you very much to all who traveled to take part in Winterfest 2026. We hope you had as much fun attending as we did hosting!
🎥 Credit: PTM volunteer Larissa Gula took the clips used in this video! #VisitWashingtonPA #museum #trolley #streetcar
Today’s post celebrates both Women’s History Month and local history alike!
When the United States joined the fight during World War II, transit companies across the nation needed to replace the motormen who entered the armed forces. The result was the “motorettes” - women who served as operators and (dependent on the type of streetcars being run) conductors.
Pittsburgh Railways was no exception; they also hired motorettes, including Anna Nixon. She qualified to operate at the Glenwood Car Barn on February 17, 1945; and she worked with the company until 1958.
Today her uniform is on display in our Welcome & Education Center. We hope you’ll visit and see it for yourself during this #WomensHistoryMonth! #VisitWashingtonPA #history #pittsburgh #museum
Today, to start off #WomensHistoryMonth, we’re recognizing the women of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum who work every day to preserve the history of the Trolley Era.
From restoration and maintenance to education and guest services, their skills and dedication keep our mission on track; and they ensure that stories and artifacts from the Trolley Era are preserved and shared with our community. Thank you for the work you do, everyone! #museum #trolley #streetcar #history
Join us at Bunny Trolley on March 27-29 and April 3-4! 🐰🌼
Meet the Easter Bunny, pet rabbits with 4-H, go for a trolley ride and search for giant easter eggs, and enjoy a springtime snack and craft. Also, get your face painted at no extra cost by @facepaintpittsburgh!
Get your tickets today on our website (link in bio).
#PATrolleyMuseum #ThingsToDoPittsburgh #VisitWashingtonPA
Did you know that we have nine PCCs in our collection? Today’s #MuseumMonday is about the first one we ever acquired: Pittsburgh Railways Co. 1138. This is a very early example of a PCC streetcar – one of 201 delivered to Pittsburgh Railways in the first two years of production. Since coming to us in 1961, this car has been restored (functionally and/or cosmetically) three times, and it’s currently part of our operating fleet! #museum #trolley #streetcar #transit
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!