PA Museums

Exploring the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton

A collage of photos capturing the history and charm of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

If you’re looking for information about the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, you’re in the right place!

Interior view of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, showcasing a front view of a red and cream historic trolley car number 651, with another vintage trolley in the background. — The museum presents a picture of the electric railway history of eastern Pennsylvania in the 1900s.

Situated on the grounds of Scranton’s Steamtown National Historic Site, the Electric City Trolley Museum offers a captivating journey into the heart of the city’s once-vibrant streetcar network.

A vintage trolley car on display at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with railway tracks in the foreground and the museum buildings in the background on a clear day. — Lackawanna County manages the museum day-to-day.

Scranton earned its nickname “The Electric City” in 1886, becoming the first city in Pennsylvania to successfully operate an electric streetcar system, revolutionizing transportation and forever changing the landscape.

An early 20th-century black and white photo of a busy street scene in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with pedestrians, a horse-drawn carriage, and an electric trolley under a network of trolley wires, amidst period architecture and storefronts with awnings. — Late 1800s street scene in Scranton (public domain image).

Today, a vivid reminder of this “electrifying” era lives on at the Electric City Trolley Museum, where gleaming vintage trolleys whisper tales of the city’s bygone trolley network.

A vintage red and white trolley on display at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, PA. — Streetcars ran through Scranton until 1954.

Directions | Hours | Admission Fees

The Electric City Trolley Museum is located at 300 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503, adjacent to the Steamtown National Historic Site.

The trolley museum (operated by Lackawanna County) is open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM throughout the year, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Days.

Entrance sign of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a large promotional globe and information about the museum's features on a bright sunny day. — The museum is operated by Lackawanna County.

Museum admission fees are: $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for seniors (62+) and $5.00 for children (3-17).

Inside the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a vintage trolley car, educational displays, and a 'POWER OFF' sign in a spacious exhibit hall with industrial lighting. — Scene from inside the museum.

Seasonal trolley rides are also offered for an addition fee on Thursday – Sunday from mid-April through October – please see the museum’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for the most current ride schedule and fees.

Outside view of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with vintage trolleys on display, museum signage, and festive wreaths on a sunny day. — Trolley rides are offered at the museum from mid-April through October.

This scenic 5.5-mile journey along the original “Laurel Line” passes through the impressive Crown Avenue Tunnel, which at 4747 feet long is one of the longest interurban trolley tunnels ever built.

A black and white photo of the historic Crown Avenue Subway Tunnel in Scranton, Pennsylvania, showing the arched brick structure of the tunnel interior and a single track extending into the distance. — The Crown Avenue Tunnel (public domain image).

What You’ll See at the Museum

The museum, housed in a beautifully restored historic mill building, showcases a wide array of exhibits that tell the story of trolley transportation in Scranton and beyond.

Side view of restored green and red trolley cars on display at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, inside a well-lit exhibit space with high ceilings and structural beams. — A few of the trolley cars on display inside the museum.

Interactive exhibits engage all ages, allowing children to become conductors, operate miniature trolleys, and delve into the captivating science of electric propulsion.

Interior of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, showing a children's play area with a toy train set, informative exhibits, and a model carnival, under the industrial ceiling. — Interactive displays geared towards children.

Adults will be enthralled by historical photographs, detailed maps, and artifacts that meticulously illustrate the evolution of Scranton’s trolley system.

Framed historical map titled 'The Electric Northeast, c. 1913' on display at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, showing electric railway lines in the early 20th century. — A 1913 map showing the Scranton area “electric roads”.

A typical electrical substation used to convert AC to DC for trolley operation is displayed.

Exhibit at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, displaying the 'Role of the Substation' with historical equipment and informational panels against a backdrop of a brick wall and a stained glass window. — Electrical substation display.

As are numerous trolley cars, many of which you can climb aboard.

Interior of a vintage trolley car with wooden benches and flooring, displayed at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, illuminated by natural light from the windows. — Interior of a trolley car in the museum.

Several exhibits detail the connection between communities, commerce, and innovation.

A sign at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, PA, explaining the history of the Anthracite interurban railways in northeastern Pennsylvania in the early 1900s. — A map of interconnected regional electric trolley lines in 1915.

And naturally there is a gift shop to meet all your Electric City Trolley and Scranton souvenir needs!

A colorful display of Electric City Trolley Museum merchandise, including coffee mugs, t-shirts, and tumblers, at the museum's gift shop in Scranton, PA. — Items in the museum’s gift shop.

The Trolley Excursion

Riding a vintage trolley at the Electric City Trolley Museum is a nostalgic journey into the past.

Passengers seated inside a vintage trolley car during the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile round-trip excursion in Lackawanna County, with wooden paneling, overhead advertisements, and warm lighting creating a nostalgic atmosphere.

The excursion departs from the passenger platform located between the trolley museum and the Steamtown Museum, giving visitors a unique sense of history before even leaving the station.

A vintage maroon trolley marked “Scranton” sits at the platform during the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile round-trip excursion in Lackawanna County, with a uniformed crew member standing alongside.

Along the 5.5 mile round-trip, the highlight is passing through the impressive Crown Avenue Tunnel, which at 4,747 feet long is one of the longest interurban trolley tunnels ever built.

A view looking down the illuminated Laurel Line tunnel on the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile excursion in Lackawanna County, with blurred reflections creating a glowing, dreamlike effect around the tracks and tunnel walls.

Traveling through the dimly lit tunnel offers an unforgettable experience as the vintage car rattles along the historic track.

Passengers ride through the dimly lit Laurel Line tunnel on the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile round-trip excursion in Lackawanna County, with the tunnel walls rushing past the windows.

The route winds through wooded hillsides and former rail corridors before reaching its turnaround point at PNC Field in Moosic, just south of Scranton.

View from a vintage trolley car on the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile round-trip excursion in Lackawanna County, as the tracks curve through a rocky, wooded passage surrounded by lush green trees.

From start to finish, the excursion blends scenic views with remarkable engineering, making it a must for history and rail enthusiasts alike.

View from a vintage trolley car on the Electric City Trolley Museum’s 5.5 mile round-trip excursion in Lackawanna County, showing the track curving through a green, wooded hillside under cloudy skies.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a history buff captivated by bygone eras, a trolley enthusiast seeking the romance of the rails, or simply a day-tripper looking for a unique family excursion, the Electric City Trolley Museum promises an unforgettable adventure.

The Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring the exterior of the brick museum buildings with large windows, multiple railway tracks in the foreground, and a clear blue sky above. — Trolley enthusiasts will enjoy the museum immensely.

It’s a place where the past comes alive, offering a glimpse into a time when trolleys ruled the streets and electricity sparked a revolution.

Interior of the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, featuring a vintage 'DANGER TROLLEY CARS ONLY' sign, with historical photographs and artifacts on display in the background. — Trolleys were one of the first modes of urban mass-transit in America’s cities.

So, grab your ticket, hop aboard, and discover the magic of the Electric City Trolley Museum for yourself!

The interior of a vintage trolley with wooden seats and a curved ceiling, part of an exhibit at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with the view extending out to the adjacent car and windows. — Scene for the trolley museum.

PA’s Best Trolley Museums | A Visitor’s Guide spotlights three exceptional trolley museums where restored streetcars and scenic rides keep the Keystone State’s electric rail history alive.

Trio of vintage trolleys on display inside the Trolley Display Building at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington County, Pennsylvania, including an orange Crosstown car, a blue and orange Media car, and a yellow maintenance trolley.

Nearby Attractions

16 Must-See Attractions in Lackawanna County showcases more remarkable sights and experiences near the Electric City Trolley Museum.

A collage of four photos taken in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. Top left: Historic steam and diesel locomotives displayed at the Steamtown National Historic Site turntable. Top right: A Stegosaurus skeleton on exhibit inside the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science, and Art in Scranton. Bottom left: A vibrant mural of Dwight Schrute from the television show "The Office" painted on a wall in Scranton. Bottom right: A serene waterfall flowing through the rocky landscape of Nay Aug Gorge at Nay Aug Park in Scranton.

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