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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Events
Education

Summer Camp

Summer Camp 2023 registration is now open! Campers will investigate electricity, build giant LEGO® towers, design a robot-powered horsecar, shrink a trolley down to pocket size, and much, much more! Give the gift of a summer camp experience this holiday season.

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Exhibit

Preview of New Interactive Exhibits

Our trolley simulator is gone for a makeover before we move it to our new home, but we have some fun exhibits for you to test out. Stop by the Museum to try out an exclusive preview of two of our new exhibits that will be housed in our new building when construction is complete.

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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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#ThrowbackThursday - to the days when PCCs still ...

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#ThrowbackThursday - to the days when PCCs still ran in downtown Pittsburgh! This 1984 photograph (taken by Steve Morgan) shows a PCC car operating on 4th Avenue. This is a particularly noteworthy image because during their last years of service, streetcars only used the 4th Avenue tracks for a few rush-hour trips. At the time, Port Authority Transit referred to this routing in downtown as the "short loop". Traditional streetcar services in downtown Pittsburgh ended in 1985 - the year after this photograph was taken - and a light-rail subway replaced in-street operations completely. #history #transit #pittsburgh #trolley #streetcar

Philadelphia and West Chester Traction 07 moved ...

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Philadelphia and West Chester Traction 07 moved into the shop this week and already significant progress has been made installing the specially milled lumber. After the first coat of paint went on one side, the car was looped so that volunteers and staff can access the other side more easily. Car 07 will help tell the story of trolley freight in the Trolley Display Building later this year! Learn more about the freight motor at our website: https://pa-trolley.org/collection/philadelphia-west-chester-traction-07/

Ding ding! This #ThrowbackThursday shot shows PCC ...

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Ding ding! This #ThrowbackThursday shot shows PCC 1676 in-service in Bellevue - specifically on Lincoln Avenue, near Fremont Avenue. The photo is dated to June 1965. What details in this image do your eyes focus on as you look back in time? #pittsburgh #history #transit #trolley #streetcar

Since the PA Trolley Museum is closed for the ...

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Since the PA Trolley Museum is closed for the winter, we thought we'd use this #MuseumMonday to highlight other local museums worth visiting: the @carnegiemnh and the @carnegiemuseumofart! These museums are located in the same beautiful building in Oakland, and a single ticket covers admission to both. Whether you're drawn to the art galleries or the exhibits that explore the wonders of nature, you're sure to find, appreciate, and learn about something new. Did you know that staff from the Museum of Natural History have joined in the fun during our Dinosaur Train and Dinosaur Trolley weekends? Or that the Museum of Art's collection includes photographs of streetcars in Pittsburgh? We're big fans of both museums regardless, but these connections to our own mission certainly don't hurt! #museums #thingstodo #pittsburgh #familyfun #art #history #naturalhistory

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 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!

A Collection of Nearly 50 Cars and Counting

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