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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Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is pleased to announce it received an Institutional Achievement Award today at PAMuseums annual conference in Harrisburg!
PTM is receiving special recognition for the new Welcome & Education Center. Scott Becker, Executive Director/CEO, was on hand to accept the award from Rusty Baker, PAMuseum’s Executive Director.
If you haven`t visited us in a while, plan a trip today to see this magnificent building for yourself!
It’s #MuseumMonday, which means it’s time to shine the spotlight on part of our collection: PTM 89!
Originally built by the General Electric Co. in 1953 to switch railroad freight cars at an industrial plant in eastern Pennsylvania, diesel-electric locomotive PTM 89 now performs a range of tasks on our line.
It can be used as a shop switcher (to move equipment in and out of the repair and restoration shop), as a rescue locomotive (should a trolley be stranded out on the line by any sort of electrical problem), and as a snowplow (to clear the trackage for winter operations).
While being modified and repaired, 89 received new wheels and other drive train parts, as well as an overhauled Cummins diesel engine. #museum #transit #railroad #locomotive #history
4-14-24 will have special meaning for the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in the years to come. Some supporters might recognize the numbers because they’re assigned to cars in our collection. As of today, 4-14-24 is also the wedding anniversary of Beau Miller and Laura Wells!
Beau and Laura are both volunteers at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, and are the first couple to host their wedding in our Welcome and Education Center. Join us today in congratulating the newlyweds! #WeddingDay #PATrolleyMuseum
MEMBERS: Watch your mailbox for the Spring 2024 issue of Trolley Fare!
Features include our new Welcome & Education Center ribbon cutting ceremony, stories about the 1954 trip that brought the first streetcars to PTM, an overview of the Anthracite region including Scranton, and much more!
Trolley Fare is published twice a year and mailed to all members. Not a member? Join today!
#FlashbackFriday - To Winterfest 2024! Last month some of our volunteers made a trip north to visit the @seashoretrolleymuseum, which hosted this year’s Winterfest event.
The Winterfest get-together is one of the highlights of our year! It’s a great time to see friends and explore the collections and exhibits at sister museums. Events like Winterfest are also a perk of being a PTM volunteer.
Stay tuned for other volunteer spotlights throughout the month - in addition to celebrating #NationalVolunteerWeek, we’ll be thanking our volunteers for their dedication and hard work at our annual Volunteer Banquet later this month! #museum #volunteers #BehindTheScenes #transit
If you love visiting the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, you’ll definitely want to stop by to enjoy the PTM experience during a special event!
Save the date(s) for our 2024 special events:
🥃 The New Roaring ’20s Gala & Speakeasy (on May 16)
🎈 Our first ever Street Fair (on May 18 and 19)
🚋 The West Penn Trolley Meet (on June 7 and 8 )
🛻 Anything on Wheels (on June 8 and 9)
🎡 Park & Ride to the Washington County Fair (on August 10 through 17)
🎃 Pumpkin Patch Trolley (on October 18, 19, and 20)
👻 Trick or Trolley (on October 26 and 27)
🎅 Santa Trolley (starting on Black Friday and running on weekends through December 22)
Tickets are on sale now for our May and June events! 🎟️
Keep an eye on our website and social media for more details in the coming months as we announce future event ticket sales, event activities and programs, and more! #VisitWashingtonPA #History #museum #transit #trolley #streetcar
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!