By Morgan Meer, Coordinator of Volunteers and Public Programs

When you visit the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, the first things that you’ll see are the smiling faces of our store staff and volunteers. They’ll greet you, help you purchase or pick up your tickets, and wish you well on your journey back in time to the Trolley Era.

The Museum currently has more than 200 active volunteers encompassing a wide range of skills and interests. Some volunteers restore streetcars. Others operate trolleys for our visitors or help with special events. Most find out they enjoy doing a little bit of everything. 

Store volunteers have the special job of making a great first impression of the Museum to our visitors. This opportunity is what attracted Jane Cass to the role when she first started volunteering.

“When you work in the store, you get to meet all the people that come in and out. It’s great to see the excitement and smiles on guests, old and young alike. They are amazed at how much there is to see and do.”

Jane also has fun helping visitors select souvenirs. “There’s children’s toys, trolley-related apparel, seasonal gifts- something for everyone who wants to take home a keepsake of their visit.”

(Left: Jane’s husband, Wayne, volunteers at the Museum as an operator. Here, they take a break for a photo in front of West Penn 832.)

Richard Dulaney, pictured at the top of this post, is another store volunteer who loves our merchandise. He says that he’s always purchasing items from the store, or wearing them. “If I have to buy a gift for somebody, I’m always buying from the Trolley Museum.” 

Richard has been volunteering here for almost three years. During his time with us, he’s had the chance to greet visitors from far-away places like England, Germany, Japan, and even Australia. “It just blows my mind. They come from all over, and they still hear about us.”

He says that visitors are always impressed by their experience at the Museum. Jane agrees. She likes to hear about it when visitors stop in the store on their way out. 

Her favorite conversations are often with the Museum’s older visitors. “They just love to tell you where they used to ride the trolley, where they got on the trolley, or that their mother used to take them on the trolley. They love to share their stories.”

Volunteering in the store means many rewarding moments like these. Jane enjoys working with Connie Clutter, Store Manager, who Jane says is “so helpful” to new volunteers. Jane goes on to mention more highlights of the volunteer experience: “It’s schedule-friendly, everybody is really fun to work with, and you can see all the education that goes on here.” 

Richard echoes her sentiments when he explains why individuals should consider joining our volunteer program. “You’re never gonna get a better experience being a volunteer than you would at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.”

Click here to learn how you can get involved as a volunteer. Thank you to the rest of our team in the Mary V. Dillon Museum Store: Lynn Caffrey, Dave Woods, Seth Berkowitz, Jared Hager, Brenda Kerns, and Jessica Jost!

(Right: Dave, Jared, and Seth greet visitors as they enter the Museum.)