Field trips – an exciting and memorable day spent outside of the classroom! As a child, a field trip is easily one of the most exciting experiences of the entire school year. Students have the opportunity to see, hear, and interact with history, specimens, paintings, interactive exhibits, and much more. These invaluable opportunities and experiences often spark curiosity and encourage new hobbies, interests, and passions that can stay with students throughout the rest of their lives.

Students on a guided tour of the Trolley Display Building hear all about the rise and fall of the Trolley Era.

Sudents pose for a picture in the Welcome & Education Center.

Teachers today face numerous challenges when it comes to planning field trips. From budget cuts and administrative requirements to a lack of available transportation and a shortage of chaperones and classroom coverage, it can be much easier to just stay at school. At the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, the cost of admission should never stand in the way of students having the opportunity to visit the museum. Thanks to generous support from EQT Foundation (EQT), reduced-cost field trip options are available to any school in need.

Since 2024, EQT has helped make it possible for over 1,800 students and 650 teachers, school staff, and chaperones to visit the museum who otherwise would not have been able to come. The help that EQT has provided has also opened the door for many new schools to have the opportunity to visit the museum for the very first time. School districts from Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties have been able to take advantage of this wonderful program. We have also been able to welcome a handful of students and teachers from West Virginia as well.

Students try their best to avoid hitting obstacles as they practice their trolley operating skills on the trolley simulator.

High school students combine science, technology, and art to build their own functional paper circuits to create a light-up streetcar greeting card.

All field trips include age-appropriate guided tours of the Trolley Display Building and a chance to explore, compare, and contrast a variety of different trolleys and streetcars. Students are always in awe of having the opportunity to take a historic trolley ride aboard any number of our beautifully restored antique streetcars. The fact that many streetcars are 70, 80, 90, or even older than 100 years and still running is always quite a surprise (with one student once exclaiming, “Whoa. That’s even older than my grandma!”). There is also time for schools to freely explore the interactive exhibits in the Welcome & Education Center, including the very popular Trolley Simulator. When the weather is nice, most schools also take advantage of our trolley-themed playground and outdoor picnic tables.

Schools can also choose from over 25 different STEAM Modules, which are optional student-centered, hands-on classroom activities to further enrich their visit. Most modules can also be easily adapted to accommodate different grade levels. Some of the most popular STEAM Modules include T Is For Trolley, perfect for early learners. Students focus on the letter “T”, enjoy a trolley-centered story, and then design their own paper trolley operator, conductor, and motorman hats to wear and take home. Circuits 101 is a very popular classroom activity that challenges elementary students to see if they work together in small groups to use conductive play dough, a battery pack, and an LED light to make a real working circuit.

Students investigate the pH scale and make predictions about which everyday household liquids and cleaning products would be an effective (or not so effective) way to clean and shine up potentially priceless artifacts from the Trolley Era.

Excited preschoolers show off their conductor hats as they get ready for a trolley ride.

Solar Power! has been growing in popularity since it was added earlier this year. This module, available for students from Kindergarten to 8^th grade, examines the many different kinds of renewable energy sources and focuses on solar energy and the museum’s solar panels, which on a sunny day can fully power all of our running streetcars. Students then get to use special beads that react to ultraviolet radiation to create a keepsake bracelet or keychain. Trolley Token Chemistry is popular with students in middle and high school. This activity combines history and chemistry as students get a chance to examine real trolley tokens from across history, investigate museum practices of preservation and restoration, then experiment to determine if everyday household substances and cleaners are appropriate to use on potentially priceless museum artifacts. With over 25 different modules to choose from and options that range from PreK clear to 12th grade, there is something for everyone.

What are teachers saying about their visits?

• “We loved all of it! Being able to immerse ourselves in the Trolley Museum portion and actually explore each trolley was really neat!”

• “They enjoyed it all. None of the students had ever experienced the museum and enjoyed the tour and learning the history of trolleys.”

• “I had never been there before and was just blown away by the history and the kindness of your staff. They were really wonderful with the students and so knowledgeable. We will definitely be back. We cannot thank you enough for hosting us.”

• “Very accessible to all students with different needs and ability levels. It was a wonderful experience and my students really enjoyed it!!”

• “One of our students had such a good time that he returned to the Trolley Museum the next weekend with his mom!”

We are incredibly grateful to EQT for supporting our mission and investing in education. By making these educational experiences accessible to more students, EQT is giving more students than ever before the opportunity to experience one of the most transformative periods of American history like never before. We want to say THANK YOU to EQT for their ongoing support of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s educational mission to continue to provide opportunities for hundreds of students and teachers to experience the technology and culture of the Trolley Era firsthand.

THANKS, EQT!

Teachers interested in more information about field trips can visit our Education Page.