Astoria Riverfront Trolley, Oregon
Trolley and streetcar museumTrain ridesTypically runs daily May to September, noon to 6 pm in summer
The Astoria Riverfront Trolley is a volunteer-run heritage streetcar line that carries riders 3 miles along the Columbia River aboard Old 300, a 1913 American Car Company streetcar that has become one of the city's best loved symbols.
- Old 300, built in 1913
- Running since June 8, 1999
- 3 miles along the Columbia
- $1 a boarding, $2 all day
- Volunteer motormen and conductors
- Second car: Melbourne tram 183
Astoria Riverfront Trolley at a glance
- Hours
- Typically noon to 6 pm daily, Memorial Day to Labor Day; fewer days in late spring and early fall
- Admission
- $1 per boarding or $2 all-day pass; cash or Venmo
- Train rides
- 3-mile heritage streetcar line, about 60 minutes round trip, roughly hourly in each direction
- Plan for
- About 1 hour for a round trip
- Best for
- Families exploring the Astoria waterfront
- Best ages
- All ages
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Astoria Riverfront Trolley? Bring Rally along.
In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Astoria.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
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See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
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25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
How a Texas streetcar became Astoria's mascot
Astoria had real streetcars from 1892 to 1924, and the idea of bringing one back to the waterfront first came up in 1980. A 1986 attempt stalled over insurance costs. The opening came in 1996, when Burlington Northern abandoned its Portland to Astoria freight line and the city bought about 6 miles of track and right-of-way in and around downtown to keep for future use.
City officials learned that a genuine vintage streetcar was sitting unused in Oregon. Car 300 had been built in 1913 by the American Car Company for San Antonio, Texas, ran there until 1933, and later carried riders at the San Antonio Museum of Art. It came to Oregon in 1990 for the Willamette Shore Trolley, then sat outdoors at the old Trolley Park near Gales Creek. In November 1998 Mayor Willis Van Dusen signed a five-year lease for $1 a year.
Volunteers raised $40,000, restored the car and repainted it red and green. Rather than string overhead wire, they gave it a diesel generator on a trailer, which it pulls westbound and pushes eastbound. Service began on June 8, 1999. In 2005 the Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association bought the car for $50,000, almost entirely with donations. In November 2023 an anonymous donor funded a second car, a rebuilt Melbourne M-class tram, No. 183.
The line has weathered setbacks, including a full pause in 2020 and a shortened route after the Buoy Beer building collapsed in 2022, with full service back in July 2024. Local leaders credit the volunteers' trolley with helping revive the downtown waterfront.
A slow ride along the Columbia
The trolley runs about 3 miles between the West End Mooring Basin by the Astoria Riverwalk Inn and the East End Mooring Basin at 39th Street. The river is in view most of the way, and in a few spots the car crosses low trestles over the water. It passes under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, through the Downtown Historic District, by the Columbia River Maritime Museum and past a 1924 Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway depot.
Board at the rear door, where the conductor helps you up, collects the fare and talks about Astoria's history as you roll. Stops are by request, with posted stops along the way, and you can flag the trolley down in between. A round trip takes about an hour, and the car comes by roughly once an hour in each direction. Its 4,000-square-foot carbarn sits on Industry Street at the west end.
Don’t miss
- Old 300Built in 1913 for San Antonio, it ran on Portland's Willamette Shore Trolley before coming to Astoria, and it has carried riders here since 1999.
- Car 183A rebuilt Melbourne M-class tram, once Ballarat No. 30, acquired in 2023 as a backup car and for private events.
- The Astoria-Megler BridgeThe trolley's western section passes right underneath the long bridge to Washington.
- The 1924 SP&S depotA former Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway depot near 20th Street, just east of the Maritime Museum.
- The river trestlesShort stretches where the tracks sit on low trestles over inlets of the Columbia River.
A dollar ride with a storyteller
This is an easy, low cost outing for families: $1 per boarding, or $2 to ride all day, as reported by local tourism listings. Kids can watch ships and sea birds on the river, wave at people on the Riverwalk and duck as the car rolls under the giant bridge. The conductor's running commentary keeps older kids interested.
Because stops are by request and you can hop off and back on with a day pass, it is simple to split the ride around a visit to the Columbia River Maritime Museum or a snack downtown. The full round trip takes about an hour, which suits most young riders.
Plan your visit: tips for Astoria Riverfront Trolley
- There is no exact timetable; the car comes by about once an hour each way.
- Board at the rear door; the conductor collects fares there.
- You can flag the trolley down between posted stops.
- The Columbia River Maritime Museum at 17th Street is a handy place to start.
- Check current status before you go; schedules change by season.
A volunteer crew of motormen and conductors
The nonprofit Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association runs the line, and its volunteers operate the car as two-person crews of motorman and conductor and maintain both the streetcar and the track. The city of Astoria owns the carbarn and has helped with key purchases. Riding, buying an all-day pass and donating to the association all help keep Old 300 rolling.
Rail rides within reach of Astoria
The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi is about 44 miles south. Across the river in Washington, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum is about 52 miles away, and the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad about 72. See all train museums in Oregon for more.
- Oregon Coast Scenic RailroadGaribaldi, OR · about 44 mi
- Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad historic collectionOregon, OR · about 51 mi
- Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & MuseumChehalis, WA · about 52 mi
- Oregon Pacific Railroad historic excursionsPortland area, OR · about 69 mi
- Chelatchie Prairie RailroadYacolt, WA · about 72 mi
- Portland Vintage Trolley historical collectionPortland, OR · about 72 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
On this trolley the conductor stands at the back door, helping each rider up and telling Astoria's story along the way. That is exactly the kind of person I wanted in our book: Mr. Conductor in his blue uniform, holding out a hand to Rally so he feels welcome. My mom believed kind grown-ups make a trip magical for a child. You can read her part of our story on our story page.
Free for train families
Print the Rally coloring pages before you go
Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.
Get the free coloring pages
A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)More for train families
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- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.
Sources
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Astoria Riverfront Trolley: 20 questions riders ask
How much does the Astoria Riverfront Trolley cost?
The fare has always been $1 per boarding, and an all-day pass costs $2, according to Wikipedia and local tourism listings, as of October 2026. With the day pass you can ride as long as you like and hop on and off. Tourism sites say you can pay with cash or Venmo.
Do you need tickets for the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
No advance tickets are needed. You pay when you board at the rear door, where the conductor collects fares: $1 per boarding or $2 for an all-day pass. Bring small bills or use Venmo, which local tourism listings say is accepted.
What are the Astoria Riverfront Trolley hours?
The trolley typically runs noon to 6 pm daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with fewer dates and shorter hours in late spring and early fall, and sometimes during spring break. Schedules change seasonally, so check Travel Astoria or the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce before you go.
Is there an Astoria Riverfront Trolley schedule?
There is no exact timetable. The car makes a trip roughly once an hour in each direction during operating hours. The Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce has shown the trolley's GPS location on its website, updated every two minutes while it runs, which helps you time your wait.
What is the Astoria Riverfront Trolley route?
The trolley runs about 3 miles along the south bank of the Columbia River, from the West End Mooring Basin near the Astoria Riverwalk Inn to the East End Mooring Basin at 39th Street. It passes under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, through the Downtown Historic District and past the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Is there an Astoria Riverfront Trolley map?
Wikipedia's route diagram lists stops at the Riverwalk Inn, the Maritime Memorial, 3rd, 6th, 11th and 14th streets, the Columbia River Maritime Museum, 36th Street and 39th Street. All stops are by request. Local visitor centers and tourism sites also carry route information.
Where do you board the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
You can board at any posted stop along the riverfront, and you can even flag the car down between stops. The traditional main boarding spot is the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 17th Street, near the middle of the route. Boarding is at the rear door.
How long is the Astoria Riverfront Trolley ride?
A full round trip takes about an hour. The line is about 3 miles long, so a one-way trip end to end is roughly half that. With an all-day pass, you can get off to explore and catch the next car, which comes about once an hour.
Is the Astoria Riverfront Trolley a tour?
In a sense, yes. The conductor talks about Astoria's history and points out sights along the route as you ride, so the trip doubles as a narrated tour of the waterfront. There is no separate guided tour product online.
Where do you park for the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
Parking details are not posted online. Many riders start near the Columbia River Maritime Museum or downtown, and a Sunset Empire Transportation District transit center sits near the line at Ninth Avenue and Marine Drive. Check with the Astoria visitor center for current parking.
Is the Astoria Riverfront Trolley dog friendly?
The trolley does not publish a pet policy online. Policies can vary by crew and by crowd, so ask the conductor at the rear door before boarding, or check with the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce. Service animals are a separate question worth asking about too.
What is Old 300 on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
Old 300 is the trolley's main streetcar, built in 1913 by the American Car Company of St. Louis for San Antonio, Texas. It ran there until 1933, later gave museum rides in San Antonio, then ran on Portland's Willamette Shore Trolley from 1990 to 1994 before coming to Astoria in 1998.
How does the Astoria Riverfront Trolley run without wires?
The streetcar's electric motors are powered by a diesel generator mounted on a small trailer. The car pulls the trailer when heading west and pushes it when heading east. This avoided the cost of overhead wire, poles and substations, and it is the same arrangement car 300 used on the Willamette Shore Trolley.
When did the Astoria Riverfront Trolley start?
Service began on June 8, 1999, on a 2.7-mile route from Portway Street to 36th Street. Around 2006 the line was extended east to 39th Street, making it about 3 miles long. The idea of a heritage trolley in Astoria had first been raised in 1980.
Does the Astoria Riverfront Trolley have more than one car?
Yes. In November 2023 the association acquired a second car with money from an anonymous donor: a rebuilt Melbourne M-class tram, No. 183, once numbered Ballarat No. 30. It serves as a backup to Old 300 and is meant for dedicated runs and special event rentals such as group outings and weddings.
Can you rent the Astoria Riverfront Trolley for a group or wedding?
The association has said car 183 is meant for special event rentals like group outings, weddings and conferences. Rental details and prices are not posted online. Contact the Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association through the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce or Travel Astoria to ask.
Is the Astoria Riverfront Trolley running now?
It runs seasonally, usually May through September. Service was suspended in 2020, and after the Buoy Beer building collapse in 2022 rides were shortened until full service returned in July 2024. Some travel sites mention outages, so confirm current status with Travel Astoria before you plan around it.
Who runs the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
Volunteers from the nonprofit Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association run the trolley, working as two-person crews of motorman and conductor and maintaining the car and track. The city of Astoria owns the carbarn on Industry Street and has helped fund purchases, including part of the cost of buying car 300.
What can you see near the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
The route passes the Columbia River Maritime Museum, a 1924 Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway depot, the Downtown Historic District and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Since stops are by request, it is easy to hop off downtown for food or shops along the riverfront and catch the next car back.
What train rides are near the Astoria Riverfront Trolley?
The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad in Garibaldi is about 44 miles south and runs steam and diesel trains along Tillamook Bay. In Washington, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad and Museum is about 52 miles away and the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad about 72 miles.
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