Ride the rails in a simulated experience
Experience the Trolley Era at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Call (724) 228-9256 or visit www.patrolley.org.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum's streetcar named Desire.
Ride the rails in a simulated experience
You’ve heard of the Streetcar Named Desire, but have you ever desired to drive a streetcar? If so, you can make that dream a reality at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (and, incidentally, see the original Streetcar Named Desire while you’re there). The museum has a brand-new interactive exhibit that puts you in the driver’s seat of a traditional trolley car.
“Visitors are always fascinated with how we operate trolleys,” said Scott Becker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. “It’s an exhibit we’ve been wanting to do for a while now.”
“We” includes the many volunteers and staff who continue to create an interactive, imaginative learning experience for all ages at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. The museum, at 1 Museum Road in Washington, houses more than 50 street and interurban railway cars, along with various locomotives, railway structures and artifacts from the trolley era. While the museum first opened its doors more than 50 years ago, its newest exhibit provides visitors just another opportunity to experience American history in a fun, stimulating way.
The simulator is the first trolley operator simulator at a trolley museum, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. When you visit, you can can try your hand at operating a trolley, experiencing the rumble of the car and the ding of the bells as you use authentic trolley controls. Three video screens will reflect your progress and allow friends and family to watch and experience with you. While it might seem to be an easy job, most who try the exhibit are surprised to learn otherwise.
“People are always surprised to learn how the brakes work,” Becker said, adding that everyone should try it once. “You’ll get a feeling for what it was like to operate a trolley. It shows you just how different it is than driving a car!”
While you’re visiting the museum, take time to sit behind the driver by taking a ride on an authentic trolley. Each paid admission includes unlimited 4-mile round-trip rides on a beautifully restored, historical trolley, along with one trolley operator simulator experience.
“The museum is definitely a three-dimensional experience,” Becker said, but be sure to visit on the days the trolley operator simulator is open to the public — Nov. 10-11, Nov. 17-18, Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.
If you’ll be visiting the museum in the coming months, you may want to take advantage of its numerous holiday events, including the ever-popular Santa Trolley, where Santa and Mrs. Claus always make a special appearance. Pre-purchased tickets to Santa Trolley are strongly encouraged due to limited seating. Tickets may be purchased through our website. You can also visit the museum’s special events page for more information.
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that the last guided tour is offered at 3 p.m. Hours vary by season, so visit Pennsylvania Trolley Museum online for hours and event information.
A journalism graduate from Brigham Young University, Kristen has experience writing in a variety of fields, including art and culture, health and fitness and financial and real estate services. Kristen has written for USA Today, SFGate and the Knot.
This article is brought to you by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.