Market Street Railway in San Francisco, California
Rail preservation groupTrain ridesStreetcars run daily in regular Muni service
Market Street Railway is the independent nonprofit that campaigned to put vintage streetcars back on San Francisco's Market Street and waterfront, and that still works to keep the city's historic streetcars and cable cars running well. The collection is not behind glass: you ride it.
- Independent nonprofit, no government money
- Streetcars from around the world
- PCC cars in tribute liveries
- San Francisco originals built 1896 to 1924
- Founded by volunteers
- Runs the San Francisco Railway Museum
Market Street Railway at a glance
- Hours
- Streetcars run in daily Muni service; the group's site lists 7 am to 11 pm every day
- Admission
- Regular Muni fare to ride; check SFMTA for current prices
- Train rides
- Vintage streetcars on Market Street and the northeastern waterfront, every day
- Plan for
- 1 to 2 hours for a ride and a museum stop
- Best for
- Families exploring the waterfront, and transit fans
- Best ages
- All ages
Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.
Contact and directions
- WhereSan Francisco, California(opens in a new tab)
- Phone(415) 956-0472
- Emailinfo@streetcar.org
- Websitestreetcar.org/san-franciscos-historic-streetcars(opens in a new tab)
Follow Market Street Railway
Look inside the book
Taking the kids to Market Street Railway? 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 San Francisco.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
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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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
How a volunteer campaign put vintage streetcars back to work
The name Market Street Railway goes back a long way in San Francisco. The original Market Street Railway Company was a commercial operator that ran streetcars and buses across the city, built around its namesake street. Today's Market Street Railway borrows that name, and the group says the story of the name is in many ways the story of transit in San Francisco.
The modern organization is an independent nonprofit, founded by volunteers, that set out to turn a dream into reality: vintage streetcars rolling again on Market Street and along the city's northeastern waterfront. It led that campaign and won. It does not own or operate the cars. San Francisco's public transit agency, SFMTA, known as Muni, does that. Instead Market Street Railway advocates for strong service, helps keep the cars looking good, and works with the city to make sure these vehicles get the funding and attention they need.
Over four decades the group has worked alongside eight mayors, dozens of supervisors and many city leaders while staying separate from Muni. It has acquired historic streetcars from around the world for San Francisco and brought cable cars home as well, and it pushes for route extensions and better service. It takes no government money at all, relying instead on tax-deductible membership dues and donations. The group says its work matters more than ever as the city faces a hard financial road after COVID, and it is building alliances with people and businesses who benefit from these streetcars to protect service from cuts.
A rolling collection, from Brooklyn to San Diego
There is no single building to walk through. The collection is out on the street, carrying riders on Market Street and the waterfront, and Market Street Railway's website has a live map showing where the cars are running right now. Streetcars, also called trolleys or trams elsewhere, are a different technology from the cable cars, and the group points out that both are fun to ride.
Most of the fleet is streamlined PCC streetcars, which the group calls the most successful streetcar type in American history. Built between 1946 and 1952, many wear tribute liveries for cities that once ran them: No. 1053 for Brooklyn, No. 1059 for Boston Elevated, No. 1058 for Chicago, No. 1061 for Pacific Electric, No. 1074 for Toronto and No. 1072 for Mexico City, among others. Alongside them are San Francisco Originals, streetcars built between 1896 and 1924 that carried generations of locals. The group also operates the San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street, along the F line.
Don’t miss
- PCC No. 1078, San DiegoBuilt in 1946 and painted in tribute to San Diego, it is a fun one to spot if your family knows Southern California rails.
- PCC No. 1011, Market Street Railway CompanyA 1948 car in a tribute livery honoring the original company whose name the nonprofit carries today.
- PCC No. 1008, Muni WingsA 1948 car in the Muni Wings scheme, one of several liveries from San Francisco's own transit history.
- The San Francisco OriginalsStreetcars built between 1896 and 1924 that served the city for generations, the oldest part of the collection.
- The live streetcar mapCheck it on the group's website before you head out to see which cars are on the line that day.
- San Francisco Railway MuseumMarket Street Railway developed and runs this museum at 77 Steuart Street on the Embarcadero route.
Spot the colors, then climb aboard
For kids, the best part is that they get to ride. Because the cars wear liveries from so many cities, a ride along the waterfront can turn into a game of guessing where each passing streetcar is pretending to be from. Older kids can look up the car they rode on the group's website, where each one has its own story.
Pair a streetcar ride with a cable car ride to show the difference between the two, then stop at the San Francisco Railway Museum on Steuart Street for exhibits on the city's rail history. Market Street Railway does not post accessibility details for individual cars, so ask Muni about boarding if you have a stroller or wheelchair.
Plan your visit: tips for Market Street Railway
- Use the live map on streetcar.org to see which cars are running.
- Each car has its own history page on the group's website, fun to read after a ride.
- Visit the San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street on the F line.
- Streetcars and cable cars are different systems; plan to try both.
Members, volunteers and donors keep it going
Market Street Railway was founded by volunteers and still relies on them, along with tax-deductible membership dues and donations, since it accepts no government money. A volunteer board leads the group, and its website lists fun ways to help, from volunteering to joining as a member. Business supporters are recognized on the site, and the group's Facebook page shares news about the fleet.
Pair the streetcars with cable car history
The San Francisco Cable Car Museum is about a mile away inside the Cable Car Barn & Powerhouse, where you can watch the wheels that pull the cables. The San Francisco Railway Museum is about 2 miles off. For trips farther out, browse California train museums by town.
- San Francisco Cable Car MuseumSan Francisco, CA · about 1 mi
- San Francisco Railway MuseumSan Francisco, CA · about 2 mi
- Redwood Valley RailwayBerkeley, CA · about 15 mi
- Niles Canyon RailwaySunol, CA · about 30 mi
- Napa Valley Wine TrainNapa, CA · about 37 mi
- Santa Clara Depot / South Bay Historical Railroad SocietySanta Clara, CA · about 39 mi
Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive
One of these streetcars, No. 1078, wears colors honoring San Diego, where Rally's train in our book begins. Before that trip Rally packs his suitcase with care: his turtle toy, his green bone and his yellow ball. I love picturing a family packing a bag for a day on these streetcars, with a snack, a jacket for the waterfront wind and one favorite toy, just like Rally would.
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
- Train museums in California: every museum by town, with a map
- Train museums in every state: search by town or near you
- Christmas train rides in California
- Halloween train rides in California
- Every Amtrak route with kids
Work or volunteer at Market Street Railway?
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
- Market Street Railway official website(opens in a new tab)
- Market Street Railway on Facebook(opens in a new tab)
- Market Street Railway on X(opens in a new tab)
Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.
Market Street Railway streetcars: 20 questions answered
What is Market Street Railway?
Market Street Railway is an independent nonprofit that preserves historic transit in San Francisco. It led the campaign that put vintage streetcars back on Market Street and the waterfront, and it advocates for good service on both the streetcars and the cable cars. It was founded by volunteers and is funded by members and donors.
Does Market Street Railway own the vintage streetcars?
No. The streetcars and cable cars are owned and operated by SFMTA, San Francisco's public transit agency, known as Muni. Market Street Railway is a separate nonprofit that acquires historic cars for the city, helps keep them looking good, and advocates for funding and service. It keeps a positive working relationship with Muni.
Where do the San Francisco historic streetcars run?
The vintage streetcars run along Market Street, the city's main thoroughfare, and along its northeastern waterfront. Market Street Railway's website has a live map showing where the cars are operating at any moment, which is handy for catching a particular car. The San Francisco Railway Museum sits along the F line at 77 Steuart Street.
What hours do San Francisco's historic streetcars run?
As of October 2026 Market Street Railway's home page lists vintage transit service from 7 am to 11 pm every day. Service is run by Muni, so schedules can change with city budgets and special events. Check the group's live map or Muni's schedule before you go if you are hoping to catch a ride early or late.
How much does it cost to ride a historic streetcar in San Francisco?
Market Street Railway does not post fares because Muni runs the streetcars and sets the prices. Riding a vintage streetcar costs a regular Muni fare, so check SFMTA's fares page for current prices and pass options before your trip. There is no separate museum ticket for the collection itself.
What is the difference between a streetcar and a cable car in San Francisco?
Streetcars, called trolleys or trams in other places, are a different technology from cable cars. Market Street Railway explains the difference in detail on its website and points out that both are fun to ride. The vintage streetcars run on Market Street and the waterfront, while the cable cars climb the hills on their own routes.
What are PCC streetcars?
PCC streetcars are the streamlined cars that make up most of San Francisco's vintage fleet. Market Street Railway calls them the most successful streetcar type in American history; the design served San Francisco and 32 other cities for decades. The cars in the collection were built between 1946 and 1952.
Why are San Francisco streetcars painted for other cities?
Many of the PCC streetcars wear tribute liveries, paint schemes honoring cities that once ran this type of car. In San Francisco you might see cars painted for Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Toronto, Mexico City, Pacific Electric in Southern California and more. Each car's story is on Market Street Railway's website.
What are the oldest streetcars in the Market Street Railway collection?
The oldest are the San Francisco Originals, vintage streetcars built between 1896 and 1924 that carried generations of San Franciscans. They sit alongside the newer PCC cars from the 1940s and 1950s. Which cars are out on a given day varies, so check the live map on the group's website.
Is there a Market Street Railway museum I can visit?
Yes. Market Street Railway developed and operates the San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street, along the F line on the Embarcadero. Its exhibits cover the history of municipal rail in San Francisco, including the cable car system. Check the museum's page for its current hours before visiting.
Is riding the vintage streetcars good for kids?
Yes, it is a low-cost way to give kids a real ride on historic equipment. Children enjoy spotting the different city liveries as cars pass, and the waterfront route has plenty to look at. Pairing a streetcar ride with a cable car ride is an easy way to fill a morning in San Francisco.
Are the historic streetcars wheelchair and stroller accessible?
Market Street Railway does not post accessibility details for individual vintage cars. Because Muni operates the service, contact SFMTA for boarding information if you use a wheelchair or have a large stroller. The group's general phone line is (415) 956-0472 if you have questions about the collection itself.
How long should I plan for a historic streetcar ride?
Plan about one to two hours to ride a stretch of the line and stop at the San Francisco Railway Museum. A short ride along the waterfront can take far less, and you can hop off whenever you like since it is regular transit. Rail fans hoping to ride a specific car may want extra time and the live map.
Can I see where a particular streetcar is right now?
Yes. Market Street Railway's website has a map showing the current location of the streetcars operating at that moment. It is useful if your child has a favorite livery or you want to ride one of the San Francisco Originals. You can also click any car on the site to read its history.
How is Market Street Railway funded?
Market Street Railway receives no government money at all. It relies on tax-deductible membership dues and donations, plus support from business partners it recognizes on its website. The group says its advocacy matters more than ever because of the city's financial challenges after COVID.
How can I volunteer with Market Street Railway?
Market Street Railway says it was founded by volunteers and remains proud to support them. Its website has a volunteer page listing ways you can help. To ask about current opportunities, email info@streetcar.org or call (415) 956-0472. Volunteers have helped acquire and restore vintage transit vehicles and staff the San Francisco Railway Museum.
How do I become a member of Market Street Railway?
Membership is one of the main ways the nonprofit is funded, and dues are tax deductible. Join through the group's website at streetcar.org, or email info@streetcar.org with questions. Members help pay for the advocacy and restoration work that keeps the vintage streetcars and cable cars on the street.
Does Market Street Railway work on the cable cars too?
Yes. Besides the streetcars, Market Street Railway works to improve San Francisco's cable cars cosmetically, historically and operationally, including pushing for management that reduces waits for riders. The group has also brought historic cable cars home to San Francisco. Muni owns and runs the cable cars.
How do I contact Market Street Railway?
Call Market Street Railway at (415) 956-0472 or email info@streetcar.org. The group also posts news on its Facebook page and on X. For questions about fares, schedules or service problems on the streetcars, contact SFMTA, which operates the service.
What rail museums are near the San Francisco historic streetcars?
The San Francisco Cable Car Museum on Nob Hill, about a mile away, lets you watch the machinery that pulls the cable cars. The San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street is run by Market Street Railway itself. Across the bay, the Redwood Valley Railway in Berkeley is about 15 miles away.
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