My wife and I recently made out first trip to Pittsburgh, but before exploring the city we rented a car and drove through the Pennsylvania countryside: my wife’s goal to see Frank Lloyd Wright‘s Fallingwater, my goal to visit yet another railroad museum. Pennsylvania has many railroad museums and this museum seemed promising and was logistically convenient.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is located in Washington, roughly 30 minutes southwest of Pittsburgh. We visited the museum early on a Sunday morning after driving from Fallingwater and spending the night in Washington. We arrived just after it opened for the day, and at that time it wasn’t crowded (though I have no idea how crowded it gets).
The Museum
The museum itself is fairly compact, composed of two buildings open to the public, plus the exterior grounds. The museum has other nearby buildings for storage and restoration work, but these are off-limit except to volunteers.
Welcome and Education Center
The Welcome and Education Center building is brand new, only opening in November 2023, and even includes an event area: on the day of our visit, a wedding reception was being hosted. Their new building is large, well-light and very welcoming – no pun intended.
After buying the ticket, walk towards the back of the building where you’ll find two large galleries – one left and one right – telling the story of trolleys and railroads in Pennsylvania through their collection of memorabilia: maps, signs, equipment, tracks, model trains, uniforms, pictures, and more. Placards abound, describing each exhibit and explaining its importance clearly.
The left-side gallery has interactive exhibits for children.
During our visit, a wheel-chair bound man was visiting, reliving his youth as a trolley engineer in Pittsburgh, describing his experiences to his children and grandchildren as he went from exhibit to exhibit. Even as an old man, he was excited to be there.
Collection Shed
Exit the Welcome Center opposite the parking lot, cross the (working) tracks and enter the building housing the museum’s collection of trolley cars, work cars, miscellaneous engines, and other special purpose cars.
Many (most?) of the trolleys are open for you to walk through, with their lights on and era-appropriate advertising (most reproductions but still very enjoyable). The trolleys are restored by volunteers to the look from their heyday – and, without the day-to-day wear-and-tear, likely better – and they feel authentic.
Each trolley or car has a placard explaining its history and relevance: year built, year acquired, manufacturer, city and line, type, and other triviata that adds to the display. As a history buff nut, I read almost everything, even finding out-dated data (the Cubs have won a World Series since 1908!). The web site’s collection section is excellent, with the detailed descriptions and high-quality pictures that aren’t always publicly displayed.
Trolley Rides
The museum owns its own tracks and right-of-way which allows them to give rides on restored trolleys in their collections, the longer of which is about twenty minutes and passes the museum workshops and the county fairgrounds.
Trolley rides are free with your museum ticket and are given throughout the day: listen for announcements on the public address system. Most importantly, you can ride as many times as you like!
Final Thoughts
Though seemingly small, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is interesting, fascinating, and well worth the time if you are in the vicinity.
For children infatuated by anything train-related – typically the boys – they have trollies to ride, trollies to walk around, trollies to walk in, and interactive exhibits.
For adults still infatuated by anything train-related – like me – the historical descriptions, the era-specific advertising, the attention to detail, and the work-in-progress make the museum even more of a must-see.
Overall, I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. In fact, would volunteer myself if I lived closer!
Logistics
As of July 2024
Web Site: https://pa-trolley.org/
Address: 1 Electric Wy, Washington, PA 15301
Hours:
- September-May: 10am-4pm, Friday through Sunday
- June-August: 10am-4pm, Tuesday through Sunday
- Open Memorial Day, Labor Day, and during the Washington County Fair
Entrance Fee:
- Adults: $20
- Seniors: $19
- Children (3-18): $15
- Children Under 2: Free
Recommended Visit Length: 1.5-2 hours, though young children will likely want to ride the trolley multiple times!
Appropriate For Children: Oh my gosh, yes. You’ll be lucky to leave without a meltdown!
Image Credits
All images © 2024, Scott C Sosna
