History That Connects Us
A day at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museums is a full sensory experience, from the ring of the bell to the hum and shake of the trolley as it rides down the tracks. Our Museum brings a unique experience to visitors of all generations, connecting us all to the past. From the moment they arrive, our visitors enter a world of timeless memories, historic innovations, and interactive discoveries.
@patrolleymuseum
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It`s time for some Volunteer Spotlights: Family Edition!
Pick any day to visit PTM, and it`s likely that you`ll see family members volunteering together. This National Volunteer Week, we wanted to shout-out some of the wonderful families on our team. Check out these photos and the following captions to learn all about them.
⭐️ Wayne and Jane: Husband and wife who volunteer as an operator and museum store helper
⭐️ Sarah and Art: Granddaughter and grandfather. Art is our longest-serving volunteer at 104 years old! Many other members of their family also volunteer at PTM...
⭐️ …including Sarah`s sister, Laura. This is a throwback photo of the pair working on Car 101. Thanks to dad Bruce for the pic!
⭐️ Jennifer and Aaron: Mother and son operating team
⭐️ Ashley and Tori: Mother and daughter who help with special events
⭐️ In this photo, Kevin, previously a volunteer, currently Director of Facilities, Safety, and Operations, works together with his children in our shop.
Interested in volunteering? Visit the page linked in our bio to get started.
#museumvolunteers #nationalvolunteerweek #pittsburghhistory
Meet some of PTM`s next generation of volunteers!
This January, we introduced the Next Generation Committee with the goals to recruit younger members, engage them in preservation and museum administration, and provide a voice to the people who will make up the next generation of museum leaders. PTM currently has 25 volunteers under age 30!
Learn more about what this group of young people has accomplished already this year at our website - link in bio!
#volunteer #nationalvolunteerweek #patrolleymuseum #washingtonpa #pennsylvaniatrolleymuseum #visitpittsburgh
Happy National Volunteer Week! Did you know that, last year, over 170 volunteers donated more than 26,000 hours of their time to the PA Trolley Museum?
PTM’s beginnings date back to the 1940s when a club of volunteers resolved to save the trolleys as they disappeared from city streets. Today, our volunteers continue to keep trolley history alive. They restore and operate streetcars, give tours, maintain our track and power line, and do so much more!
Stay tuned throughout this week for special posts about some of our fantastic volunteers! To kick things off, check out the new Volunteer Spotlights page on our website (link in bio).
#nationalvolunteerweek #museumvolunteers #pittsburghhistory
This #MuseumMonday, in honor of #EarthDay, we turn the spotlight on our Swanson Solar Energy System!
The growth of the electric power industry is an important part of the Trolley Era. By producing electricity from the sun to power our streetcars, PTM is demonstrating the natural progression of electricity in the industry and why it is relevant today.
Read more in our blog, where you will find a link to our SolarEdge monitoring panel to see how this system helps our planet every day! Link in bio.
#streetcar #washingtonPA #patrolleymuseum #trolley #solarpower
Another season kicks off at @kennywoodpark tomorrow! #Kennywood is a special place to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum - partly because we love our local amusement park, and partly because Kennywood’s founding ties directly into the history we want to remember and preserve.
The park originally opened on May 30, 1898, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family’s Monongahela Street Railway. While the trolley company stopped managing the park in less than a decade, Kennywood continued to operate under new management into the 20th and the 21st centuries. Visitors also continued to travel to the park aboard Pittsburgh Railways Company streetcars until 1958. #FlashbackFriday #pittsburgh #history #transit #trolley #streetcar
Clang, clang, clang went the trolley! We had so much fun this February hosting the cast of Mt. Lebanon High School`s production of Meet Me in St. Louis!
This classic musical features "The Trolley Song," a number debuted by Judy Garland in the 1944 film. This catchy tune tells the story of a young woman finding love aboard her city`s open-air trolley. We couldn`t think of a better way to help these young actors promote their musical then inviting them to take pictures with our Rio De Janeiro 1758!
Visit our website (link in bio) to plan your museum visit and ride on our open car and head to https://www.mtlsd.org/fine-arts/tickets to buy your tickets to the show!
Photo credits to director Ethan LaPlaca.
Education
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum provides unique, exciting, and fun educational opportunities for students, educators, and life-long learners! Our museum is dedicated to sharing stories, insight, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) themed opportunities and experiences that will bring the trolley era to life. Check out our Education page to learn about field trip opportunities, Scout workshops, summer camps, and more!
History
Take a ride into the past at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum where the trolley era is alive and well. The Museum uses daily tours, interactive exhibits, multidimensional programming, and special events throughout the year to transport visitors back in time. Our history and STEAM exhibits tell the stories of the people, places, and things that made the trolley era such an exciting and unique time to be alive!
Collection
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is focused on preserving and restoring our collection of antique streetcars. The Museum was founded in 1953 and has continued to conserve, preserve, and restore cars through a mostly volunteer effort. Today, we house a collection of 50 streetcars, many of which are operational and used for daily rides. Visit our Collection page to learn more about all of our different trolleys!