Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

The mission of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) is to preserve and perpetuate its collection of historic transportation equipment, artifacts and archives and utilize the collection and other resources to provide an unparalleled immersive experience that brings the technology and culture of the Trolley Era alive through entertaining, educational and diverse programming.

The vision of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is to enhance the knowledge of transportation technology and culture to educate and inspire future generations of Innovators.

In the late 1940’s a dedicated group of trolley enthusiasts formed the Pittsburgh Electric Railway Club. On June 23, 1963, they finally realized their goal of opening what was then known as the Arden Trolley Museum in Washington, PA. Today, PTM boasts a collection of 50+ historic railway cars, over 700 members worldwide, 170 active volunteers, and over 38,000 visitors each year.

To date, PTM has beautifully restored 22 antique streetcars that are fully operational and are used to take visitors on scenic rides "back in time". Our dedicated volunteers meticulously restore and maintain these cars, but the cost to do so takes hundreds of thousands of dollars. Funding is needed to maintain these historic streetcars and restore others in our fleet.

As we look forward to the future of the Museum, we are developing new educational content for schools, scouts, students of all ages and those with special needs. Current educational offerings include field trips, Scout merit badge workshops, and summer camps combining science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) along with local history for children ages 6 – 12. Funding is needed to continue to cultivate innovative programs that not only bring the Trolley Era to life but also encourage tomorrow’s innovators in every community to pursue STEAM related careers.