Old Pueblo Trolley in South Tucson, Arizona

Written By Kelsey Cecil

South Tucson, Arizona · Updated October 19, 2026 · 11 min read

Trolley and streetcar museumTransit Museum open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm

Old Pueblo Trolley is a volunteer, nonprofit operating transit museum founded in 1983 to bring back Tucson's trolley, and its South Tucson operations center now preserves streetcars, buses and archives from southern Arizona's transit history.

  • Founded in 1983
  • Ran Tucson trolleys 1993 to 2011
  • Streetcars from three continents
  • 1886 San Antonio horsecar
  • Large vintage bus fleet

Old Pueblo Trolley at a glance

Hours
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm
Admission
Not posted online; call to ask
Plan for
About 1 hour
Best for
Streetcar and bus fans of all ages
Best ages
Ages 4 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 Old Pueblo 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 South Tucson.

Page 1 of 8

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

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from 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.

The volunteers who brought back Tucson's trolley

Old Pueblo Trolley began in 1983 with a simple rallying cry: Bring Back the Trolley that once linked downtown Tucson with the university. Volunteers did not just campaign for it. They installed the track and overhead electric line themselves, restored the cars, and ran them. From April 1993 the heritage trolley carried weekend riders along about 0.9 miles of mostly single track on North 4th Avenue and University Boulevard, ending near the University of Arizona's Main Gate.

The trolleys ran for more than 18 years, until October 2011, when the City removed the infrastructure to build its modern streetcar. The organization's purpose had always been broader than one line, though: to build a transportation museum and to save streetcars, buses and other vehicles of historical interest for the public to enjoy.

Today the group works through three divisions. The Street Railway Division restores, maintains and operates historic streetcars. The Motor Bus Division preserves and restores transit buses from Arizona cities and shows them at community events, with the hope of running them again someday. The Museum Division operates the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum at the historic Southern Pacific depot downtown, home of Locomotive 1673. An archives team keeps documents and artifacts about southern Arizona transportation history.

In May 2016 the volunteers dedicated their Transit Museum and Operations Center in the Jones & Brogan Building in South Tucson, which now stores, restores and displays the whole fleet.

Trolleys from Kyoto to Los Angeles under one roof

The Transit Museum and Operations Center holds all of Old Pueblo Trolley's streetcars and buses, plus railroad equipment for the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, a library and archives, and educational displays on streetcar and bus history. It is a working center as well as a museum, the place where the volunteers restore and maintain the fleet.

The streetcar roster is truly international: Kyoto City car No. 869 built in Japan in 1953, a 1936 car from Brussels, Toronto PCC No. 4608 from 1951, Los Angeles Railways cars No. 733 and No. 860 from 1911 and 1912, and Prescott & Mt. Union No. 1, built by J.G. Brill in 1925. The oldest piece is an 1886 San Antonio horsecar. The bus fleet runs from a 1928 Twin Coach for the Warren-Bisbee Bus Line through Tucson Rapid Transit buses of the 1930s and 1940s, a 1954 Greyhound Scenicruiser, and Sun Tran buses from the 1970s to the 2000s.

Don’t miss

  1. Kyoto City streetcar No. 869A 1953 streetcar built by Aichi-Fuji Sangyo for the Kyoto City Transportation Bureau in Japan.
  2. Toronto PCC No. 4608A streamlined 1951 PCC car built by Canadian Car & Foundry.
  3. Los Angeles Railways No. 733 and No. 860A pair of 1911 and 1912 St. Louis Car Company streetcars from Southern California.
  4. The 1886 San Antonio horsecarBuilt by J.G. Brill, it shows how city transit worked before electricity.
  5. Warren-Bisbee Bus Line No. 1A 1928 Twin Coach, one of the oldest buses in a fleet that traces Arizona transit across the century.
  6. The archivesDocuments and artifacts about southern Arizona transportation, kept by the volunteer archive team.

Big buses, little trolleys and a horsecar

Kids who love wheels of any kind get a lot here: streetcars in different colors from different countries, a horsecar from 1886, an old Greyhound, and rows of city buses. Knowing that volunteers restore these machines right here helps kids see how old vehicles are brought back.

Since this is an operations center and shop, ask staff where kids can walk and what they can touch. The museum does not post accessibility or stroller details online, so call (520) 792-1802 before you go.

Plan your visit: tips for Old Pueblo Trolley

  • Visit on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday between 10 am and 3 pm.
  • The website is being redesigned, so call (520) 792-1802 for the latest news and events.
  • Pair the trip with the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, run by the same group, about 2 miles away.
  • Follow @oldpueblotrolley on Instagram for event updates.

An all-volunteer operating transit museum

Old Pueblo Trolley is a 501(c)(3) volunteer nonprofit. Its divisions handle streetcars, buses, archives and the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, and the group welcomes volunteers. Visiting, donating and spreading the word about its bus displays at community events all help the restoration work continue.

Pair it with more Tucson rail history

The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, which Old Pueblo Trolley operates at the downtown depot, is only about 2 miles away. The Benson Visitor Center and historic railroad depot is about 42 miles east, and the Arizona Railway Museum in Chandler, about 90 miles north, has a sister Toronto PCC car. See every train museum in Arizona.

Every train museum in Arizona

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Old streetcars sit high off the street, and their steps are steep for small legs. That is exactly the moment in our book when Rally, with his short corgi legs, looks up at the big train stairs and Dad lifts him aboard. My kids are learning to read now, and they always giggle at that page. If yours like drawing streetcars and trains, our coloring pages are a good rainy-day follow-up.

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 Old Pueblo 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.

Old Pueblo Trolley: 20 questions about Tucson's transit museum

Where is the Old Pueblo Trolley museum?

Old Pueblo Trolley's Transit Museum and Operations Center is in the Jones & Brogan Building at 250 E. 36th St., South Tucson, Arizona 85713. The building was dedicated in May 2016 and holds the group's streetcars, buses, library and archives. Call (520) 792-1802 for directions.

What are Old Pueblo Trolley's hours?

As of October 2026, the Transit Museum and Operations Center is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. The museum is volunteer run and its website is being redesigned, so call (520) 792-1802 before a special trip to confirm the doors will be open.

Is Old Pueblo Trolley free to visit?

Old Pueblo Trolley does not post an admission price online. Call (520) 792-1802 to ask about admission and whether a guide is available on the day you plan to visit. As a volunteer nonprofit, it welcomes donations toward its restoration work.

What is Old Pueblo Trolley Inc.?

Old Pueblo Trolley Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1983 and dedicated to preserving, restoring and operating transit vehicles in southern Arizona. It calls itself an operating transit museum and works through streetcar, bus, archives and museum divisions.

Does the Old Pueblo Trolley still run in Tucson?

Not at present. Volunteers ran heritage trolleys on weekends from April 1993 until October 2011 on about 0.9 miles of track along North 4th Avenue and University Boulevard. The City then removed the infrastructure to build its modern streetcar. The group's Street Railway Division still restores and maintains the cars.

Why was Old Pueblo Trolley founded?

It was founded in 1983 to Bring Back the Trolley that once connected downtown Tucson with the university. Volunteers installed track and overhead electric line, restored trolleys and operated them for more than 18 years. Its broader purpose is to build a transportation museum and save historic vehicles for the public.

What streetcars does Old Pueblo Trolley have?

The roster includes Kyoto City car No. 869 from 1953, a 1936 Brussels car No. 1511, Toronto PCC No. 4608 from 1951, Los Angeles Railways No. 733 and No. 860 from 1911 and 1912, and Prescott & Mt. Union No. 1 built by J.G. Brill in 1925, plus an 1886 San Antonio horsecar.

Does Old Pueblo Trolley have vintage buses?

Yes, a large fleet. The Motor Bus Division keeps buses such as a 1928 Twin Coach from the Warren-Bisbee Bus Line, Tucson Rapid Transit buses from the 1930s and 1940s, a 1954 Greyhound Scenicruiser and Sun Tran buses from 1975 to 2001. Some appear at community events.

What is the Old Pueblo Trolley Transit Museum and Operations Center?

It is the group's home base in the Jones & Brogan Building in South Tucson, dedicated in May 2016. All of the streetcars, buses and other Southern Arizona Transportation Museum railroad equipment are stored, restored and displayed there, along with the library, archives and educational displays.

Is Old Pueblo Trolley connected to the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum?

Yes. Old Pueblo Trolley's Museum Division operates the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum at the historic Southern Pacific depot in downtown Tucson, where Locomotive 1673 is on display. The two sites are about 2 miles apart, so they make an easy pair for one day.

Is Old Pueblo Trolley good for kids?

Yes, for kids who love trains, trolleys and buses. They can see streetcars from Japan, Belgium, Canada and California, an 1886 horsecar and rows of vintage buses. Because the center is also a working shop, ask staff about where children can walk, and call ahead about strollers.

Can you ride a trolley at Old Pueblo Trolley?

Regular trolley rides are not offered at this time, since the heritage line closed in 2011. The museum still describes itself as an operating transit museum and keeps its cars maintained, so watch its Instagram and website for any special events that include rides or bus displays.

Where can I see photos of Old Pueblo Trolley?

The museum's Instagram account, @oldpueblotrolley, shares photos of the streetcars, buses and events. Its website includes a full roster of the collection. You can also take your own photos when you visit the Transit Museum on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday.

Is Old Pueblo Trolley worth visiting?

For trolley and bus fans, yes. Few places gather streetcars from Kyoto, Brussels, Toronto and Los Angeles, an 1886 horsecar and decades of Arizona transit buses under one roof, all kept by the volunteers who once ran Tucson's heritage trolley. Hours are limited to three days a week, so plan around them.

Does Old Pueblo Trolley have archives for research?

Yes. The Archives division preserves documents and artifacts about southern Arizona transportation history, and the Transit Museum houses the group's library. Researchers should call (520) 792-1802 to arrange a time, since the archives are run by volunteers.

Where did the Old Pueblo Trolley line run?

The heritage line ran on about 0.9 miles of mostly single track, along North 4th Avenue from East 8th Street north to University Boulevard, then east on University toward Tyndall Avenue near the University of Arizona's Main Gate. Trolleys operated on weekends from 1993 to 2011.

How can I volunteer with Old Pueblo Trolley?

Old Pueblo Trolley is run by volunteers and has room for many skills, from streetcar and bus restoration to archives work and helping at the downtown museum. Call (520) 792-1802 or stop by during open hours to ask about joining a division.

Does Old Pueblo Trolley hold events?

Yes, though none are posted while the website is being redesigned. The Bus Division displays its restored buses at community events, and upcoming dates will be listed on the site and on Instagram at @oldpueblotrolley. Call (520) 792-1802 to ask about events this season.

What is the oldest vehicle at Old Pueblo Trolley?

The oldest is an 1886 San Antonio horsecar built by J.G. Brill, from the days when horses or mules pulled city streetcars. The 1911 and 1912 Los Angeles Railways cars are the oldest electric streetcars in the collection, and the 1928 Warren-Bisbee Twin Coach is the oldest bus.

What other train museums are near Old Pueblo Trolley?

The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum in downtown Tucson is about 2 miles away. The Benson Visitor Center and historic railroad depot is about 42 miles east, and the Arizona Railway Museum in Chandler is about 90 miles north, open on weekends from September to May.

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