PA Trolley Museum

Pumpkin Patch Trolley
2023-10-20 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
As summer winds down and fall approaches, it means one thing: fall fun at Museum! We will host our annual Pumpkin Patch Trolley. Visitors are invited to experience the fall season with rides on trolleys that are outfitted with autumn decorations. Visitors can ride to the Trolley Display building where they can tour the large collection of trolleys. Children can select a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and then take it to the events room where they will be able to decorate it. Each purchase of a child’s ticket includes a pumpkin; those who would like to purchase an additional pumpkin may do so for an additional cost. There will be children’s games and complimentary fall themed refreshments. Add to the fall fun by dressing up in your favorite costume. The last trolley of the day will leave for the pumpkin patch at 3:30PM.
Admission includes tours of the museum and unlimited rides on the trolleys. This is a rain or shine event. Advanced tickets are encouraged. Visitors are encouraged to arrive 10-15 minutes before their ticket time.
Buy Tickets Here!
Adults $15, Seniors $14, Children $14, 2 and under require free tickets and must ride in the lap of an adult.
In addition to this great event, we will once again offer park and ride service to the Washington County Fairgrounds during the Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival. Visitors can park in the museum’s parking lot and ride to the fairgrounds. This service does not represent or include the Pumpkin Patch activities nor admission to the Museum. Park and Ride service will be $5 per person.

Trolleyology: Cemetery Transit: A History of Death Riding the Rails
2023-10-10 19:00 - 20:30
Join PTM staff, volunteers, and members for our Zoom series, Trolleyology! These programs feature Pennsylvania transit history topics and tales of our collection that you can experience from home. Registration is required but free of charge. Donations are welcome and encouraged.

Cemetery Transit: A History of Death Riding the Rails
10/10/2023 – 7 PM ET – Presented by Allison C. Meier

REGISTER HERE

Transportation and the cemetery have been linked for centuries, from 19th-century ferries carrying the dead in New York City to early 20th-century funerary street cars in Mexico City. Every city had to find a way to move its departed citizens to their final stop, such as Pittsburgh’s Citizens Passenger Railway Horsecar, which in 1859 established a route between Fifth Avenue and a cemetery. This online talk led by Allison Meier, the author of Grave (Bloomsbury, 2023) and a cemetery tour guide, will chronicle these surprising connections between the dead and transit both in the United States and around the world, including a look at some historic curios like the London Necropolis Railway and presidential funeral trains.

This program will be recorded and available at a later date on the PTM YouTube channel.

Trolleyology presentations will continue on a regular or semi-regular basis. Interested in presenting? Email assistant@patrolley.org! We’re specifically looking for programs related to the Trolley Era in general, Pennsylvania transit history, or stories about our collection. Please join our e-mail list to stay up-to-date with program announcements and other PTM news!
*For the best experience, we recommend downloading Zoom in advance.
NOTE: This is a virtual event

Scout Workshop: BSA American Heritage Merit Badge Workshop
2023-10-07 13:00 - 16:00
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in grades 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA scouts meet requirements for the American Heritage merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, and 6.
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 3c. Research your family’s history. Find out how various events and situations in American history affected your family. If your family immigrated to America, tell the reasons why. Share what you find with your counselor.
American Heritage Merit Badge Requirements
American Heritage Merit Badge Workbook
Pre-registration is required: Click here to register.

Scout Workshop: BSA Railroading Merit Badge Workshop
2023-10-07 09:00 - 12:00
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in grades 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA scouts meet requirements for the Railroading merit badge. We will be covering ALL requirements for this merit badge! While there are no pre-requisites, we strongly encourage participating Scouts to review the Railroading Merit Badge Requirements and workbook prior to the workshop. Requirements 8b parts 1 and 2 will be fulfilled by visiting the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Scouts should bring a camera or drawing materials.
Railroading Merit Badge Requirements
Railroading Merit Badge Workbook
Pre-registration is required: Click here to register.

New Operator Training
2023-09-24 09:00 - 16:00, 2023-09-23 09:00 - 16:00 | Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1 Electric Way, Washington, PA, 15301, United States
Join the volunteer team at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum as a trolley operator!
This fall, the museum is offering two classes for those interested in educating visitors about the Trolley Era. Our New Operator Training offers a fun, hands-on opportunity to learn how to operate a trolley and qualify to be a museum operator. During Tour Guide Training, our experienced guides will teach students how to lead a successful museum tour. We encourage those interested in operating to attend both classes, but we are also looking for volunteers just interested in giving tours and sharing history with others.
As the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum prepares to open its new Welcome & Education Center, we are looking for lots of new volunteers! This is a great opportunity to meet people who share a passion for trolleys, transportation, and history education. If you or anyone you know is interested in attending a class, please see the following instructions to register. Please send all questions to Morgan Meer, Volunteer Recruiter and Coordinator, at mmeer@patrolley.org. Can’t wait to see you there!
New Operator Training
Class Dates:

Saturday, September 23
Sunday, September 24
An additional training day to be scheduled with our instructors at your convenience

Attendance is required on both dates. Class will be held from 9:00 am to approximately 4:00 pm. Please bring a copy of your driver’s license and lunch for both days. Materials will be provided, including a binder with an Operations Manual and other training info. If you’d like to get a head start, please reach out, and we’ll send you the materials! Interested operators are encouraged to register for a Tour Guide Training session in addition to New Operator Training.
All student operators will need to be museum members and submit up-to-date clearances (instructions below) by the time of training .
Sign up with the following form: New Operator Application
Space is limited so RSVP today!
Clearances
Volunteers in Pennsylvania and at PTM are required to have up-to-date clearances. For PA residents, that’s the Act 33 Child Abuse History and Act 34 PA State Police Criminal Record Check. If you’ve lived out of state within the past 10 years, you’ll also need the FBI fingerprint-based background check. The two PA clearances are free for volunteers! The FBI check is approximately $23, but the Museum has a limited budget to reimburse volunteers who provide a receipt.
Minors should complete the Minor consent form and Act 34 background check (email mmeer@partrolley.org for more information).
Instructions:

Child Abuse History (free)

Go to https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS
Select “Create a New Account.” When asked for a Keystone ID, you need to create your own username.
Complete all of the appropriate boxes and a temporary password will be sent to the email address that you have provided. Once you have the password, you re-enter the website and complete the request for the clearance.
If a clearance is not issued immediately, you can log into your account at a later time to see the status of the request.
To be safe, check the box requesting a written copy of your clearance in the event that you have trouble printing it. Print 2 copies of the clearance, one for your personal records and one for the Volunteer Coordinator.

PA State Police Criminal Record Check (free)

Go to https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp
Select “New Volunteer Record Check” and follow the prompts to complete the application
The security check is usually completed within a few minutes. Print 2 copies of the completed clearance form provided, one for your personal records and one for the Volunteer Coordinator.

FBI fingerprint-based Criminal Background Check

Only for those who have lived out of state within the past 10 years
Register at identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania .
Select Digital Fingerprinting.
The Service Code that is requested is 1KG6ZJ .
The fee can be paid using a credit or debit card.
You may choose the most convenient site to go to be fingerprinted, the site list can be found at the above mentioned website.
A photo ID is required at the time of fingerprinting.

Tour Guide Training
2023-09-17 13:00 - 16:00, 2023-09-09 10:00 - 13:00
We’re expanding!
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum will soon be moving to the new Welcome and Education Center, opening Fall 2023. With the move, visitors will get to experience the Museum in a whole new way – the Trolley Display Building will be open for guests to explore at their own pace in addition to regularly scheduled guided tours.
We’re seeking a core group of volunteers with great people skills who enjoy history, transportation, technology, education, or storytelling! These volunteers may help not only with tours but also answering guests’ questions as they explore the museum and conducting museum programming such as ticket punch activities or “trolley talk” demonstrations.
Tour Guide Training
Session Dates (Pick One):

Saturday, September 9, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Sunday, September 17, 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Everyone, no matter their interest in operating streetcars, is welcome to attend! (Operator training is offered separately on September 23-24.) We’re specifically looking for those with an interest in history, transportation, technology, or education AND great people skills! This class will highlight important aspects of customer service and how to give a successful tour. Content-related materials will be provided along with other training resources.
All prospective volunteers will need to submit up-to-date clearances (instructions below) by the time of training. Museum membership is encouraged, but not required.

Sign up with the following form: Tour Guide Application

Clearances
Volunteers in Pennsylvania and at PTM are required to have up-to-date clearances. For PA residents, that’s the Act 33 Child Abuse History and Act 34 PA State Police Criminal Record Check. If you’ve lived out of state within the past 10 years, you’ll also need the FBI fingerprint-based background check. The two PA clearances are free for volunteers! The FBI check is approximately $23, but the Museum has a limited budget to reimburse volunteers who provide a receipt.
Minors should complete the Minor consent form and Act 34 background check (email mmeer@partrolley.org for more information).
Instructions:

Child Abuse History (free)

Go to https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS
Select “Create a New Account.” When asked for a Keystone ID, you need to create your own username.
Complete all of the appropriate boxes and a temporary password will be sent to the email address that you have provided. Once you have the password, you re-enter the website and complete the request for the clearance.
If a clearance is not issued immediately, you can log into your account at a later time to see the status of the request.
To be safe, check the box requesting a written copy of your clearance in the event that you have trouble printing it. Print 2 copies of the clearance, one for your personal records and one for the Volunteer Coordinator.

PA State Police Criminal Record Check (free)

Go to https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp
Select “New Volunteer Record Check” and follow the prompts to complete the application
The security check is usually completed within a few minutes. Print 2 copies of the completed clearance form provided, one for your personal records and one for the Volunteer Coordinator.

FBI fingerprint-based Criminal Background Check

Only for those who have lived out of state within the past 10 years
Register at identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania .
Select Digital Fingerprinting.
The Service Code that is requested is 1KG6ZJ .
The fee can be paid using a credit or debit card.
You may choose the most convenient site to go to be fingerprinted, the site list can be found at the above mentioned website.
A photo ID is required at the time of fingerprinting.

Trolleyology: Frank Who?
2023-08-29 19:00 - 20:30
Join PTM staff, volunteers, and members for our Zoom series, Trolleyology! These programs feature Pennsylvania transit history topics and tales of our collection that you can experience from home. Registration is required but free of charge. Donations are welcome and encouraged.

Frank Who?
8/29/2023 – 7 PM ET – Presented by Tom Laurenson

REGISTER HERE

Frank Sprague is an unsung electrical genius who was born in Milford, Connecticut. People traveling today in modern trolleys/streetcars/trams are doing so courtesy of his inventions, and anyone taking a train into Grand Central Terminal in New York can see another of his inventions, from 1903, in daily use. To find out more about this remarkable man and his influence on modern transport, join Shore Line Trolley Museum volunteer Tom Laurenson on August 29th. And what could be the connection between Frank Sprague and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art? Find that answer too!

This program will be recorded and available at a later date on the PTM YouTube channel.

Trolleyology presentations will continue on a regular or semi-regular basis. Interested in presenting? Email assistant@patrolley.org! We’re specifically looking for programs related to the Trolley Era in general, Pennsylvania transit history, or stories about our collection. Please join our e-mail list to stay up-to-date with program announcements and other PTM news!
*For the best experience, we recommend downloading Zoom in advance.
NOTE: This is a virtual event

Park and Ride to the Washington County Fair
2023-08-19 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-18 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-17 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-16 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-15 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-14 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-13 10:00 - 23:00, 2023-08-12 10:00 - 23:00
Take part in the 112 year-old tradition of riding a trolley to the Washington County Fair. During the dates of Saturday, August 12 through Saturday, August 19, the Museum will shuttle guests from the Eaton parking lot at 2800 North Main Street to the Fair from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. In addition, visitors can purchase Park ’N’ Ride tickets or regular admission tickets at the Museum’s main location of 1 Museum Road, across from the Fairgrounds. Trolleys will depart every 10-15 minutes and tickets are good for multiple trips throughout the day of purchase. The trolley takes you to the newly rebuilt and enlarged Fairgrounds Trolley Platform which is conveniently situated at the front entrance to the Fair and features a covered canopy to shelter riders during inclement weather.
Those interested in riding the trolley to the Fair will pay $5 per person round trip and children aged 2 and under are free. This fee does not include admission to the Fair. It also does not include admission to the museum. Visitors interested in a tour of the museum may upgrade their Park ’N’ Ride pass to the regular admission.

Scout Workshop: BSA Programming & Girl Scout Cadette Coding Basics
2023-08-07 13:00 - 16:00
Dive into the world of coding and make some trolley-themed programs and apps! This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA Scouts meet requirements for the Programming merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1b, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 1a. Scouts must have their current, up-to-date Cyber Chip in order to complete this merit badge. Scouts can bring their up-to-date Cyber Chip patch, pocket card, or picture of the certificate with them and show them to the merit badge counselor during check-in. To learn more about the Cyber Chip, visit www.scouting.org/cyberchip.
This merit badge is also designed to help Cadette Girl Scouts meet requirements for the Cadette Coding Basics Badge. We will be covering requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Pre-registration is required: https://pa-trolley.org/scouts-bsa/

Scout Workshop: BSA Electricity
2023-08-07 09:00 - 12:00
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA Scouts meet requirements for the Electricity merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11.
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 2, 8, and 9. Requirement 2 requires an electrical home safety inspection of a Scout’s home to be completed. Requirement 8 requires a floor plan wiring diagram to be drawn of a room in the Scout’s house. Requirement 9 requires a Scout to read an electric meter, discuss their family’s electric bill, determine energy costs, and come up with 5 ways their family can conserve energy. If participants do not complete these requirements ahead of time, Scouts must follow up with the counselors before a completed signed blue card will be issued.
Pre-registration is required: https://pa-trolley.org/scouts-bsa/

Trolleyology: Where the Heck is Hecla?
2023-07-25 19:00 - 20:30
Join PTM staff, volunteers, and members for our Zoom series, Trolleyology! These programs feature Pennsylvania transit history topics and tales of our collection that you can experience from home. Registration is required but free of charge. Donations are welcome and encouraged.

Where the Heck is Hecla?
7/25/2023 – 7 PM ET – Presented by Dennis Cramer

REGISTER HERE

Join Pennsylvania Trolley Museum volunteer Dennis Cramer for a route by route look at West Penn Railways in Westmoreland County including historical and current photographs, maps showing consolidation of operation over the years, and some reflections on life in a patch.

This program will be recorded and available at a later date on the PTM YouTube channel.

Trolleyology presentations will continue on a regular or semi-regular basis. Interested in presenting? Email assistant@patrolley.org! We’re specifically looking for programs related to the Trolley Era in general, Pennsylvania transit history, or stories about our collection. Please join our e-mail list to stay up-to-date with program announcements and other PTM news!
*For the best experience, we recommend downloading Zoom in advance.
NOTE: This is a virtual event

Scout Workshop: BSA Communications
2023-07-18 09:00 - 16:00
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA Scouts meet requirements for the Communications merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1C, 2A, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9. Additionally, Scouts will need to complete some of the work for Requirements 4 and 6 prior to the start of the workshop. Scouts will need to complete the interview for Requirement 4 and be prepared to give a short speech to complete the requirement during the merit badge workshop. Scouts will also need to prepare a plan to teach another Scout a skill or inform them about something (example: How to make the perfect paper airplane).
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 3 and 8. Requirement 3 requires the Scout to write a 5-minute speech and present it at a meeting. Scouts should bring a copy of their speech and either photographs or a video recording of their presentation. Requirement 8 states that the Scout must plan, write, and prepare a troop or crew court of honor, campfire program, or interfaith worship service and serve as the master of ceremonies for this event. Scouts should bring a copy of the program write-up and pictures from the program.
Scouts should bring a bagged lunch!
Pre-registration is required: https://pa-trolley.org/scouts-bsa/

Scout Workshop: BSA Weather
2023-07-17 13:00 - 16:00
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA scouts meet requirements for the Environmental Science merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9b, and 11.
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 10. Requirement 10 requires the Scout to write a 5-minute speech about outdoor safety weather rules and present it to a group. Scouts should bring a copy of their speech and either photographs or a video recording of their presentation. If participants do not complete these requirements ahead of time, Scouts must follow up with the counselors before a signed blue card will be issued.
Pre-registration is required: https://pa-trolley.org/scouts-bsa/

Scout Workshop: BSA Environmental Science
2023-07-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1 Electric Way, Washington, PA, 15301, United States
This merit badge workshop is open to any youth in 6th – 12th grade and is designed to help BSA scouts meet requirements for the Environmental Science merit badge. We will be covering requirements 1, 2, 3.a, 3.b, 3.c, 3.d, 3.f, 3.g, 3.h, 5, and 6.
Scouts are responsible for the following pre-requisites: 3.e, 4 Requirement 3.e requires scouts to do research on an endangered species and write a 100-word report or visit a site that features a project to improve the habitat of a threatened or endangered species. Requirement 4 involves choosing two outdoor study areas and carrying out observations. If participants do not complete these requirements ahead of time, Scouts must follow up with the counselors before a signed blue card will be issued.
Pre-registration is required: https://pa-trolley.org/scouts-bsa/

Transportation Station Camp (Ages 6-8)
2023-07-14 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-13 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-12 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-11 09:00 - 12:00, 2023-07-10 09:00 - 12:00
Explore trolleys and trains to boats, cars, and planes! Investigate the motion and physics of how things move, test different flying contraptions, and launch tiny rockets. Build barges, design racecars, and learn the ins and outs of being a trolley conductor.
DATES

July 10 – 14 (Ages 6 – 8)

CAMP THEMES: Science, Physics, Math, Technology, Engineering, History, Transportation
COST

$150 Member / $175 Non-Member (Early Bird Special until January 31st)
$175 Member / $200 Non-Member after Feb 1st

Pre-registration is required! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Trolleyology: Railroads, Art, and American Life
2023-07-11 19:00 - 20:30
Join PTM staff, volunteers, and members for our Zoom series, Trolleyology! These programs feature Pennsylvania transit history topics and tales of our collection that you can experience from home. Registration is required but free of charge. Donations are welcome and encouraged.

Railroads, Art, and American Life: An Artist’s Memoir
7/11/2023 – 7 PM ET – Presented by author and artist J. Craig Thorpe
REGISTER HERE

Collecting more than thirty years of paintings and renderings (including 2 featuring the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum), Railroads, Art, and American Life tells the story of rail transportation in America through the life and works of artist J. Craig Thorpe. His artwork depicts not only the golden age of train travel but considers the present and looks forward to a potential future.
Featuring more than 130 color illustrations and combining history, biography, ethics, and humor, Thorpe’s personal story joins with his paintings to invite the reader to relive the heyday of American rail and better understand the role of railroads in our society today.
This presentation highlights the book and Thorpe’s story and is specially tailored to an electric railway and traction audience.

This program will be recorded and available at a later date on the PTM YouTube channel.

Trolleyology presentations will continue on a regular or semi-regular basis. Interested in presenting? Email assistant@patrolley.org! We’re specifically looking for programs related to the Trolley Era in general, Pennsylvania transit history, or stories about our collection. Please join our e-mail list to stay up-to-date with program announcements and other PTM news!
*For the best experience, we recommend downloading Zoom in advance.
NOTE: This is a virtual event

STEAM Camp (Ages 6-8)
2023-06-30 09:00 - 12:00
It’s full STEAM ahead in a camp dedicated to all things science, technology, engineering, art, and math! Build, test, and measure the tallest towers, longest bridges, strongest structures, and fastest vehicles. Explore the history of transportation, construct working circuits out of dough, and shrink a trolley down to pocket-size!
DATES

June 26 – 30 (Ages 6 – 8)

CAMP THEMES: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math, History, Electricity
COST

$150 Member / $175 Non-Member (Early Bird Special until January 31st)
$175 Member / $200 Non-Member after Feb 1st

Pre-registration is required! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
