By Kristen Fredriksen and Morgan Meer

Malaskovtiz’s path to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is not particularly unusual among the many unique backgrounds exhibited by the museum’s team of 130+ volunteers. 

Gary is one of the newest tour guides and trolley operators at the museum, jumping right in during the Washington County Fair in August 2023.  After volunteering with animal welfare organizations before and after his retirement in 2022, Gary sought a new place to dedicate his time and had recently visited PTM with his parents. 

“I’ve always had an interest in history. What attracted me was the variety of opportunities here.”

Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, Gary had a trolley line on either end of the block of his childhood home, and every year at Christmas time, his family took the trolley downtown to see the Kaufmann’s windows, visit with Santa, and simply enjoy the holiday ambience.

“A lot of visitors here have very similar stories that they share when they tour the museum.  It’s interesting that they sometimes don’t remember the trolleys themselves, but they do remember where they were going and who they were with.”

Gary, like many other great guides, enjoys chatting with guests and sharing with them the exciting stories of the Trolley Era. 

“On a typical day, you’re talking to visitors and explaining where to go around the museum so they can get the full experience.  I just want them to have a fun time when they’re here.  I love when you’re giving a tour and a visitor says, ‘I never knew that before!’  That makes you feel good.”

When he started, Gary didn’t have much prior streetcar knowledge or experience beyond riding the cars growing up.  He enrolled in a guide training class which gives volunteers an overview of how to present trolley history, interact with guests, and how to adjust your tour depending on the interests of your audience.  Working with the museum’s other guides and shadowing their tours, Gary has enjoyed picking up historical tidbits and has developed some favorites among the collection. 

“I tell everyone they MUST go inside the Toledo because it’s so spectacular.”

Gary thinks that being a good storyteller is one key quality of an outstanding guide. 

“I was kind of nervous on my first tour, but it went really well.  I recall there was a young girl with her parents in the group, and I said to them, ‘I hope I didn’t bore her too much!’ and they said, ‘Oh no, you were able to keep her attention the whole time!’  I’m not too technical about the museum pieces, but I like to share the stories behind them and bring back nice memories for people.”

Something that has surprised Gary is people’s reactions to Wexford Station, relocated to the museum in 2015.

“I can’t believe how many people recognize Wexford not as a station but as a deli.  They remember getting sandwiches there, and it’s really interesting to see people’s reactions to having the building here now, a place that they used to visit.”

We thank Gary for all his hard work at the museum!  To learn how you can join him as our guide and operators, visit patrolley.org/volunteer. 

Want to meet more individuals on our volunteer team?  Check out our Volunteer Spotlights or the interviews on our Youtube Channel.