Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Scranton, Pennsylvania · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Trolley and streetcar museumTrain ridesMuseum open daily April to December; trolley excursions Thursday to Sunday in season

Scranton earned the name the Electric City in 1887 with Pennsylvania's first successful trolley line, and the Electric City Trolley Museum tells that story in a restored 19th-century mill building, then takes visitors for a ride on the old Laurel Line interurban route.

  • Scranton's first trolley line, 1887
  • Rides on the Laurel Line route
  • 4,747-foot Crown Avenue Tunnel
  • Car No. 76, built by Brill in 1926
  • Restoration barn with viewing gallery
  • On the Steamtown grounds

Electric City Trolley Museum at a glance

Hours
April to December: daily 9 am to 4 pm. January to April 8, 2027: Wednesday to Sunday 9 am to 4 pm, closed Monday and Tuesday
Admission
See the route map and rate page on ectma.org or call (570) 963-6590
Train rides
Trolley excursions Thursday to Sunday in season at 10:30 am, 12 pm, 1:30 pm and 3 pm from the Steamtown passenger platform
Plan for
About 2 hours with a trolley excursion
Best for
Families pairing a trolley ride with Steamtown
Best ages
Ages 3 and up

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Electric City Trolley Museum? 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 Scranton.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

How the Electric City got its trolley museum

In 1887 Scranton became the first city in Pennsylvania with a successful pioneer trolley line, and the nickname the Electric City stuck. More than a century later, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority created a museum to tell that story. Lackawanna County runs it day to day, the building sits on the Steamtown National Historic Site under a long-term lease from the National Park Service, and the volunteers of the Electric City Trolley Museum Association are close partners. Wikipedia dates its establishment to 1999.

The association's own road to Scranton was long. It began in the 1960s as the Metropolitan Philadelphia Railway Association, with a first car site in Tansboro, New Jersey, and later a site in Jobstown, where a 1973 town ordinance banned trolley operation. It became the Buckingham Valley Trolley Association in Bucks County in 1978, ran the Penns Landing Trolley on the Philadelphia waterfront from 1982, and lost parts of its cars to scrap thieves before leaving for Scranton in 1996.

Here the cars finally found a lasting home. Car No. 76 made the first test run on the excursion line on November 21, 2000. In 2006 a 2,000-foot extension opened to a new station and a trolley restoration barn beside the Lackawanna County baseball stadium in Moosic, part of a $2 million county and state project. Members like the late Henry J. Adamcik have also left the association rich photo and paper archives of Philadelphia trolleys.

Exhibits in an old mill, then a ride through the tunnel

The museum building is a restored late 19th-century mill on the Steamtown grounds, where interactive exhibits and vintage trolleys explain how electric traction shaped the Lackawanna Valley and the industrial Northeast. The collection traces electric railways across eastern Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to Northeast Pennsylvania. Since 2017 the museum has also displayed a large model train scene of Scranton, gifted to WNEP-TV by the show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and too big for the station to keep.

In season, trolley excursions leave from the main passenger platform at Steamtown. The route follows part of the old Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley third-rail interurban, the Laurel Line, beside Roaring Brook and past the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces, then through the Crown Avenue Tunnel, 4,747 feet long, on its way toward the stadium in Moosic. Visitor guides describe the trip as about 5.5 miles on a 1926 or 1932 trolley.

Don’t miss

  1. The Crown Avenue TunnelAt 4,747 feet, it is one of the longest interurban tunnels ever built, and the trolley ride goes right through it.
  2. Car No. 76Built by J.G. Brill in 1926 for the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company, it made the first test run on the excursion line in November 2000.
  3. The Scranton model train sceneA big diorama of Scranton that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver gave to WNEP-TV, which found it too large and passed it to the museum in 2017.
  4. The restoration barn in MoosicBuilt in 2006 with room for nine trolleys, it has a gallery where visitors can watch repair work.
  5. The Historic Iron Furnaces stopThe trolley rolls past Scranton's old iron furnaces, where the excursion line's very first test run was photographed in 2000.

Dark tunnels and a giant model Scranton

For kids, the trolley ride is the main event: the clanging car, Roaring Brook out the window and the long, dark run through the Crown Avenue Tunnel. Inside the museum, interactive exhibits and the large model train scene of Scranton give younger children something to look at closely, and the vintage trolleys on display let them see the cars up close.

Because the museum shares the Steamtown grounds, it is easy to combine both in one day. Trolley tickets are sold only at the museum building, not on the car, so buy them before you head to the platform.

Plan your visit: tips for Electric City Trolley Museum

  • Buy trolley tickets in the museum building at least 15 minutes before departure; they are not sold on the car.
  • Call (570) 963-6590 before you go to confirm the excursion schedule.
  • Use 300 Cliff Street and follow the Steamtown signs from Exit 185 off I-81.
  • Groups of 20 or more can ask about group rates.
  • Ask about chartering the trolley for a special trip.

A county museum with a volunteer heart

Lackawanna County runs the museum day to day, and the Electric City Trolley Museum Association, the nonprofit group of trolley fans whose cars came to Scranton in 1996, keeps the story going through its members and archives. Visitors support the museum by buying excursion tickets, booking group visits or charters, and joining the association as members.

More to see in downtown Scranton

Steamtown National Historic Site shares the same grounds, so you can walk straight from the trolleys to the roundhouse. The Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour is also in Scranton, and the Stourbridge Line in Honesdale is about 24 miles away. There is more on our page of train museums in Pennsylvania.

Every train museum in Pennsylvania

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach and cliffs
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The trolley here rolls into the Crown Avenue Tunnel, almost a mile long, and I can only imagine how quiet a car full of kids gets in the dark. In our book there's a tunnel too, and when the train bursts back into the light everyone cheers. My mom dreamed up that moment before she died in 2021. Our train books for toddlers list has more stories like it.

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
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

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

Work or volunteer at Electric City Trolley Museum?

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.

Electric City Trolley Museum: 20 common questions

Where is the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton, PA?

The entrance is at 300 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503, on the grounds of the Steamtown National Historic Site next to downtown. Take Exit 185 off Interstate 81 and follow the signs to Steamtown. The museum is in a restored late 19th-century mill building beside the Steamtown facilities.

What are the Electric City Trolley Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum is open seven days a week from 9 am to 4 pm from April through December. From January to April 8, 2027, it is open 9 am to 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Call (570) 963-6590 to confirm holiday hours.

What is the Electric City Trolley Museum excursion schedule?

On operating days, Thursday through Sunday during the excursion season that starts in spring, trolley trips leave at 10:30 am, 12 noon, 1:30 pm and 3 pm from the main passenger platform at Steamtown. The museum asks visitors to call (570) 963-6590 in advance to verify the schedule, since it can change.

How much are Electric City Trolley Museum tickets?

Prices are listed on the museum's rate page rather than its main page. The museum's website links to a route map and rate information page, and group rates are offered for 20 or more people. Call (570) 963-6590 for current museum admission and trolley excursion prices before your visit.

Where do you buy Electric City trolley ride tickets?

Buy them inside the Trolley Museum building. Tickets are not sold on the trolley itself, and visitor guides advise buying them at least 15 minutes before your trolley departs. Then walk to the boarding area between the museum building and the main Steamtown facilities.

Where is the Electric City Trolley Museum passenger platform?

Trolley excursions board at the main passenger platform of the Steamtown National Historic Site. The boarding area sits between the Trolley Museum building and the main Steamtown facilities, so it is a short walk once you have your tickets from the museum.

What is the Electric City trolley ride like?

The trolley follows part of the old Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Laurel Line, a third-rail interurban, alongside Roaring Brook and past the historic Iron Furnaces, then through the 4,747-foot Crown Avenue Tunnel toward the stadium in Moosic. Visitor guides describe it as about a 5.5-mile trip on a 1926 or 1932 trolley.

What is the John Oliver connection at the Electric City Trolley Museum?

In September 2017, the museum became home to a model train scene of Scranton. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver had given the diorama to WNEP-TV to replace the train in the station's backyard, but it was too large for them, so it went on display at the trolley museum instead.

Can you see the restoration shop at the Electric City Trolley Museum?

Yes. A trolley restoration barn opened in 2006 next to the baseball stadium in Moosic, at the end of the trolley line. It has room for up to nine trolleys and a gallery where visitors can watch repairs. Call (570) 963-6590 to ask when the gallery is open.

Why is Scranton called the Electric City?

In 1887 Scranton became Pennsylvania's first city with a successful pioneer electric trolley line, and it became known as the Electric City. The museum tells how electric traction shaped the Lackawanna Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, with exhibits and trolleys from across the eastern half of the state.

Who runs the Electric City Trolley Museum?

The museum was created by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and is managed day to day by Lackawanna County. Its building is leased long term from the National Park Service on the Steamtown site. The Electric City Trolley Museum Association, a nonprofit of trolley fans, is a key partner and is named by Wikipedia as the owner.

When did the Electric City Trolley Museum open?

Wikipedia dates the museum's establishment to 1999, after the trolley association moved its cars to Scranton from Philadelphia in 1996. Car No. 76 made the first test run on the excursion line on November 21, 2000, and the extension to Moosic was completed on July 14, 2006.

Is there a gift shop at the Electric City Trolley Museum?

The trolley museum does not describe a gift shop on its website. Steamtown National Historic Site, on the same grounds, has a Park Store with gifts and memorabilia. Call the trolley museum at (570) 963-6590 to ask what it sells on site.

Is the Electric City Trolley Museum good for kids?

Yes. Kids enjoy the interactive exhibits, the vintage trolleys and the big model train scene of Scranton, and the excursion's long dark tunnel is usually the highlight. Since the museum shares grounds with Steamtown, families can add steam locomotives and a roundhouse to the same day.

Can you charter a trolley at the Electric City Trolley Museum?

Yes. The museum invites people to call (570) 963-6590 to ask about chartering the trolley for a special excursion trip. Groups of 20 or more can also ask about group rates for regular visits. Book well ahead, since charters depend on the operating schedule and crew.

What trolleys run at the Electric City Trolley Museum?

Car No. 76, built by J.G. Brill in 1926 for the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company, later Philadelphia Suburban Transportation, has been a mainstay since the first test run in 2000. Visitor guides mention excursions on a 1926 or a 1932 trolley, and more cars from eastern Pennsylvania are on display.

Does the Electric City Trolley Museum have archives?

Yes. The association keeps collections such as the H. J. Adamcik photo collection of Philadelphia area trolleys, mostly from the 1940s and 1950s, and his collection of Philadelphia Transportation Company transfer instructions. Scans are shared on ectma.org under the Archives section.

Does the Electric City Trolley Museum hold events?

The museum has staged a historical production called Trolley Through Time aboard a trolley, with actors playing an iron furnace worker and his daughter. The museum does not keep an event calendar on its main page, so check the museum's Facebook page or call (570) 963-6590 for upcoming events.

How do I contact the Electric City Trolley Museum?

Call (570) 963-6590 or email trolleymuseum@lackawannacounty.org. The museum is at 300 Cliff Street, Scranton, PA 18503. The Electric City Trolley Museum Association's mailing address is PO Box 20019, Scranton, PA 18502. For the visit itself, the museum's phone line is the quickest way to check the trolley schedule.

What train attractions are near the Electric City Trolley Museum?

Steamtown National Historic Site is on the same grounds, and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour is also in Scranton. The Stourbridge Line and the Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale are about 24 miles away, and the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Jim Thorpe is about 38 miles away.

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Kelsey Cecil
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