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 historic 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.

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.

Nearby Attractions

Steamtown National Historic Site is both a museum and an active railyard, located on the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W).

A four-image collage from Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. Upper left shows a vintage steam engine number 26 inside a roundhouse with steam rising. Upper right features two locomotives, including engine 790, displayed on a turntable with a modern building in the background. Lower left is the Union Pacific 'Big Boy' steam engine number 4012, a large black locomotive parked outside. Lower right is the National Park Service round emblem displayed at the historic site. — Scenes from Steamtown in Scranton.

The Electric City Aquarium and Reptile Den in Scranton is a must-see for lovers of all things aquatic and reptilian.

Collage of Electric City Aquarium exhibits in Scranton: mural entrance, shark display, coral reef tanks, and a crocodile. — Scenes from the Electric City Aquarium in Scranton.

The Everhart Museum is a natural history, science, and art museum founded in 1908 by Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart, a prominent Scranton physician and passionate naturalist.

A collage showcasing various exhibits at the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The top-left image features a reconstructed dinosaur skeleton in a dynamic pose. The top-right displays a collection of bronze busts. The bottom-left picture presents an array of bird taxidermy, and the bottom-right shows an art gallery with paintings hung on white walls, with a bench for contemplation. Each image captures the museum's diverse offerings, from natural history to fine arts, providing an engaging experience for visitors of all interests. — Scenes from the Everhart Museum in Scranton.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton offers a rare glimpse into the life of an underground coal miner by taking visitors deep below ground into an actual anthracite coal mine.

Collage of four photos from the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour in Scranton, PA. Top left: The welcome sign against a backdrop of the tour building and clear skies. Top right: View from inside a mine car, with visitors wearing hard hats. Bottom left: A tour guide in reflective gear stands before a statue of a miner and a mule at the mine's entrance. Bottom right: A dimly lit mine tunnel with a wooden walkway and electrical lighting extending into the darkness, showcasing the mine's depth and historical ambiance. — Scenes from the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour.

The Scranton Iron Furnaces stand as a monumental emblem of the city’s industrial past, dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Scranton was a thriving center of iron production.

A collage of images from the Scranton Iron Furnaces in Scranton, PA. The upper left image shows the exterior of the stone furnaces with arches and a modern observation deck. The upper right image features a closer view of an interior arch with a protective gate. The lower left image is a view looking down into the depths of a furnace, revealing its brick lining. The lower right image displays the site's welcoming sign, indicating it is managed by the Anthracite Heritage Museum and designated as a state historic site by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. — Scenes from the Scranton Iron Furnaces historic site.

On and On is a 6,000 square foot multivendor antique store and vintage marketplace, housed inside a repurposed factory building on the outskirts of downtown Scranton.

Exploring On and On Vintage and Antique Marketplace in Scranton PA — Scenes from On and On vintage marketplace in Scranton.

Nay Aug Falls is a rarity in Pennsylvania, in that it is located in and owned by a city (in this case – Scranton).

View from the Nay Aug Falls overlook in Scranton PA — Nay Aug Falls in Scranton.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum in Huntingdon County is the oldest operating trolley museum in Pennsylvania.

A Johnstown trolley car, built in 1925, in the Rockhill Trolley Museum collection. — Scene from the Rockhill Trolley Museum.

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