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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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!
Did you know that we have nine PCCs in our collection? Today’s #MuseumMonday update is the ninth in a recent series highlighting each one. The last PCC for us to highlight is…Port Authority Transit 1799.
This PCC - originally built in 1945 - is one of a handful treated to an extensive rebuilding by the Port Authority in 1970s. (By that time, their salt-rotted structural components needed replacing.)
Car 1799 was completed in 1979, and was the final car to receive rehabilitation through this particular PAT program. It was painted in colors approximating its original delivery scheme (when it was numbered 1613). The car was used on the South Hills routes until 1986; and it came to us in 1990.
Note that 1799, like several other cars in our collection, is currently not on display. #VisitWashingtonPA #trolley #streetcar #museum
Behind the scenes: reprofiling a wheelset!
This week at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, our restoration team used a lathe to reprofile the 33-inch wheels for Red Arrow car 73. Volunteer Bill Fronczek took this short video of the significant achievement! This lathe was donated to PTM by United Industrial Group.
Interested in sharing your machine work skills with the museum? We`re in need of volunteer machinists - reach out at our website - link in bio!
Assist us in improving the Trolley Display Building with our Exhibit Enhancement Challenge! GBU Life is matching contributions up to $5,000 dollar-for-dollar, so donate today and make double the impact. This challenge will allow us to update our exhibits in the TDB by upgrading the existing signage and adding signage where none exists, allowing visitors to enjoy a more informative self-guided tour that will enhance their experience at the museum. Exhibit signage will include colorful photos, simple narratives, and QR codes that will link to informative videos about the trolley cars. Persons who donate $200 or more will have their names included in the video credits of one video of their (streetcar) choice from a provided list. Check out the link in bio to donate or learn more!
Join us next Friday, May 1st, to kick off the start of @remakelearningdays across our region! Celebrate ten years of Remake Learning at our family-friendly event designed to engage homeschool students from PreK – 12th grade to dive into all five areas of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math with interactive activities, and experiments at stations spread throughout the museum - and, of course, trolley rides all day long. We`re excited to be one of over 800 events happening this year in partnership with Remake Learning.
Thanks to our sponsor, the Dollar Bank Foundation, we’re offering free admission in May 2026 to kids ages 0-17! This event will be FREE for all children to attend! #remakedaysswpa #RemakeDays #RemakeLearning
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!