Accessibilty
Accessibility
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum strives to do our very best to work with guests with disabilities in obtaining reasonable, appropriate accommodations during a visit, while visiting our website, or using our services. We welcome any feedback on how we may better improve our museum's accessibility for all users.
Please note that special requests should be made as early as possible when planning a visit to the museum.
For specific questions, please call the museum at 724-228-9256 or email visitorservices@patrolley.org.
Certified Autism Center
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is proud to be a Certified Autism Center, as recognized by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. We want everyone to be able to visit and enjoy our museum, and we strive to ensure that this is a space that is accessible, accepting, safe, and fun for the whole family. We are the first museum to become a designated Certified Autism Center in Western Pennsylvania!
What does that mean? The certification process involves training for all staff and volunteers, as well as inspections that enable PTM to better welcome and accommodate guests with autism spectrum disorder and other sensory and/or cognitive challenges.
Read more about this process here!
You can find the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum listing on the IBCCES registry.
You can also find us in the IBCCES Accessibility App!
This project is supported in part by a Moonshot Grant from Remake Learning.
General Admission tickets can be purchased at the front desk in the Welcome & Education Center. We accept cash, all major credit cards, and personal checks. Currently, advance tickets and online tickets are not available for general admission.
Current Admission Rates
- Adults $20
- Seniors (ages 62+) $19
- Children (3-18) $15
- Toddler (2 and under) Free
- Members Free
Tickets can be used all day long. Once general admission tickets have been purchased, guests may freely leave the museum and gain re-entry in the same day. Just show your ticket when returning to the museum.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is also participating in the Experience Kits program through the Allegheny County Library Association in partnership with the Heinz Center Affiliates Program. This program offers free admission for two adults and six children. These passes can be checked out at your local library. To find out if your library is participating, please visit the Allegheny County Library Association's website for more information.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) joined museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2024 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, 2024, and ends on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2024. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
To prepare for your visit, please be advised the tour and the ride require some walking, as well as step climbing in order to board our historic cars. The steps on and off of these cars can be tall. For assistance in climbing aboard, please feel free to ask your motorman/guide for portable steps and assistance.
Wheelchairs are available for use and are located in the Welcome & Education Center as well as the Trolley Display Building. Please ask a staff member or volunteer if you need a wheelchair at any point during your visit.
Some of our streetcars are wheelchair accessible. We also have several wheelchair lifts to assist with boarding and disembarking. If you are able to, please provide 24 hours advance notice of your planned visit in order to give our staff and volunteers time to prepare for your visit. Call 724-228-9256 to let us know when you plan on visiting the museum.
Per Pennsylvania law, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum welcomes all mothers to nurse their children in any public space where they are permitted to be regardless of the use of a privacy blanket, drape, or cover.
For guests who may desire a more quiet, private location, we are pleased to provide a Nursing Room. This room is located in the back hallway by the main restrooms just behind the front counter at the Welcome & Education Center. This room includes a sink, chair, outlets, a changing table, diapers, wipes, and a mini refrigerator. Cool water is available here, and breastmilk bags are available as well. The room is available for anyone who needs to pump, feed, change, and/or tend to their children in a private, quiet space.
An additional changing table is located in our Family Restroom.
Accessible parking spaces are located on the right side of the Welcome & Education Center. Once parked, follow the sidewalk to the main entrance.
Restrooms are located in two separate areas in the Welcome & Education Center. All restroom facilities are designated by posted signage located throughout the museum. Please refer to our museum map or ask a museum staff or volunteer member for specific restroom locations.
Additionally, a Family/All Users restroom is located in the hallway just behind the front desk.
Pennsylvania Trolley Museum guests have access to complimentary Sensory Bags. These bags include noise canceling headphones, sunglasses, fidget toys, sensory toys, and a copy of the museum's sensory guide. A backpack may be requested at any time at the front desk, located in the museum store. Guests must provide a valid photo ID. The museum will hold onto this ID until the sensory bag is returned.
The museum offers Sensory Friendly Hours on select days throughout the year. Explore the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in a sensory modified setting with quieter streetcars, lowered exhibit sounds, and soft lighting. Advanced registration is not required for these events. Tickets will be available at our regular admission prices.
In addition, silicone bracelets will be made available in both adult and child sizes to assist with non-verbal communication, particularly for individuals who have autism, sensory processing difficulties, or anxiety. The wristbands are designed to provide a visual indicator of comfort levels and engagement preferences.
- Red bracelets indicate that the wearer may be feeling overwhelmed or anxious and does not wish to engage in any conversation. They may wish to explore the museum at their own pace.
- Yellow bracelets indicate that the wearer may feel uncertain about interactions. They may prefer limited engagement while navigating the museum at their own pace.
- Green bracelets indicate that the wearer is comfortable and open to interaction with others.
Check on Social Media or the Events Page to find dates of the next upcoming Sensory Friendly Hours!
With the help of the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, we are pleased to provide Sensory Guides that can be used to help offer insight to guests on the sensory stimulation of different parts of the museum. These include touch, taste, sound, sight, and smell. This guide is available online. Physical copies are also available at the museum.
Click to download the museum's guide.
Service animals are welcome at our museum. These are animals that are trained to do work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of an individual with disabilities. Following the ADA, all service animals must be properly harnessed, leashed, and/or tethered unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work.
Pets are not permitted at the museum outside of advertised pet-friendly special events, such as the Dog Days of Summer.
The museum's Nursing Room also doubles as a Quiet Space for visitors who need to take a break. This room includes adjustable lighting, an adjustable mood light, and a bin of sensory fidgets. An adjustable, comfortable seat is also located inside.
This room is located around the corner from the main entrance and down the hallway to the right. Follow signs for the restrooms, family restroom, and nursing room.
General
We strive to ensure that its services are accessible to people with disabilities. We have invested a significant amount of resources to help ensure that its website is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, with the strong belief that every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort and independence.
Disclaimer
We continue our efforts to constantly improve the accessibility of this site and services in the belief that it is our collective moral obligation to allow seamless, accessible, and unhindered use also for those of us with disabilities.
Despite our efforts to make all pages and content on our website fully accessible, some content may not have yet been fully adapted to the strictest accessibility standards. This may be a result of not having found or identified the most appropriate technological solution.
If you are experiencing difficulty with any content on this website or require assistance with any part of our site, please contact us during normal business hours as detailed below and we will be happy to assist.
Contact Us
If you wish to report an accessibility issue, have any questions or need assistance, please contact customer support.
