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.
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Whether you’re celebrating in a galaxy far, far away…or right here in Pennsylvania…
May the Fourth be with you!
#MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay
For today’s #MuseumMonday collection highlight, we’re talking about Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company’s refrigerated milk car F-22. Like its name and number implies, this trolley was originally built for a very important job: transporting milk from rural farms to Philadelphia.
Built in 1913, F-22 ensured that a highly perishable product could be moved quickly and safely. Farmers in very rural areas would bring their milk cans to a local trolley freight station; and F-22 would transport and deliver the cans, refrigerated, to dairies in the city.
The service was short-lived (and replaced by trucks), but the car itself kept working for decades - rebuilt as a trash collection vehicle - before joining our collection in 1982.
This car is currently not on display, but is safely stored indoors waiting to be restored back to its 1913 appearance. #history #trolley #streetcar #philadelphia
For #FlashbackFriday, step back in time to June 26, 1965, at South Hills Junction in our very own Steel City.
This photo captures what was once a common sight at South Hills Junction: Pittsburgh’s fleet of PCC streetcars, lined up and ready for operations.
These days, when people remember Pittsburgh’s streetcars, they are often remembering cars like these (although we do still talk to visitors who remember the city’s “yellow cars”!)
📷 Photo Credit: Roger Puta
#pittsburgh #trolley #streetcar #history
Today is the last day of #NationalVolunteerMonth, so please join us in giving our amazing volunteers a final round of applause!
Throughout the month we’ve spotlighted our volunteers and the work they do across the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. They support us in all of the following departments:
📅 Special Events
🚋 Operations and Museum Tours
🗄️ Archives
🛠️ Maintenance & Restoration
🛞 Mobile Equipment
🛤️ Way & Track
🚦Power & Signals
🌳 Buildings & Grounds
⚙️ Engineering
Last year over 200 active volunteers across these departments served for a record-breaking 31,000 hours! We also welcomed more than 56,000 visitors last year, and this would not have been possible without the hard work of each one of our volunteers. Whether you’ve been supporting us for years or are just discovering us, your time and talent made a real impact!
Have you been thinking about getting involved? We’re always looking for new volunteers to join the effort and help keep our mission on track - learn more at our website (link’s in our bio!). #museum #trolley #streetcar
Free Kid May starts this Friday! 🥳
Thanks to the @dollar.bank Foundation, kids ages 0-17 can visit for free the entire month of May! Stop by to ride some trolleys, explore our interactive exhibits, and enjoy our park and playground.
We`re open from 10 AM to 4 PM on Thursday-Sunday, and also on Memorial Day!
Learn more on our website (link in bio).
#PATrolleyMuseum #ThingsToDoPittsburgh #VisitWashingtonPA
From the grounds you walk on to the projects that shape our future, our volunteers make it all possible.
For example, our Buildings & Grounds volunteers help keep the museum looking great by mowing, planting, weeding, trimming trees, and more. If you enjoy working outside, we invite you to help them keep our campuses looking their best.
We’re also fortunate to have a team of engineering volunteers who contribute their skills in building design, construction, and project management; and they help our facilities grow and improve year after year!
This #NationalVolunteerMonth, why not get involved? Join our team and help keep the Pennsylvania #Trolley #Museum moving forward for years to come!
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!