Meet & Greet at the Trolley Museum

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington will be open seven days a week through Labor Day and the museum is searching for more volunteers.

For those interested in getting involved, the PTM staff will hold an informational Volunteer Meet & Greet on Saturday, June 9, at 9:30 a.m.

Museum staff said volunteers play a key role, with more than 27,000 hours contributed in 2011, filling many different roles at the museum. Volunteers are needed in the areas of: marketing; museum store; guided tours; archives; maintenance and restoration; administration; mobile equipment; buildings and grounds; special events and even trolley operations.

The museum is always looking for new people to become involved, and this volunteer event will provide an opportunity for people to come see the museum in a relaxed, informal session.

Visitors can speak with current volunteers and get an orientation of the museum's collection.

A new exhibit for 2013 is in development.

Next year will mark the museum's 50th anniversary and 60 years since streetcars vanished from Washington County. In an effort to preserve that local history, the museum will collect people's memories of trolleys in Washington County this year for an exhibit in 2013 titled “Washington County Streetcar Stories.” 

“We would like to preserve the oral histories of people in our area,” said Lynne Thompson, the museum's educator and volunteer coordinator. “These are the stories of real people and living history. It should be preserved before these memories are lost to us. Those who remember can tell you how much the streetcars were a part of our local culture.”

The current exhibit, “Streetcar Suburbs: Linking Neighborhoods, Building Communities,” gives perspective on how streetcars affected the development of suburbs. This exhibit, combined with a tour of the 28,000 square-foot Trolley Display Building and a 4-mile ride on a working vintage streetcar, lives up to the museum's motto, “It’s more than a ride, it’s an experience!”

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is located opposite the Washington County Fairgrounds near 1-79 Exit 41 Race Track Road. For more information about volunteering, or for further information about specific hours and programs, email Lynne at educator@pa-trolley.org or call 724-228-9256. 

To learn more about the museum, visit patrolley.org.

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