About Us

Mrs. Edna P. Cook (Montgomery County Delegate - Maryland General Assembly) giving the dedication address during the Groundbreaking Ceremony on Nov 20, 1965. Note the fare collection box in front of Mr. John Hewitt (Director of Parks - Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission), with Mills Dean III (President - National Capital Historical Museum of Transportation, Inc.) standing to his right.


Founded in 1959, the National Capital Trolley Museum preserves and interprets the rich history of Washington, D.C.'s electric street and interurban railways. Our campus and facilities includes a collection of historic street cars in Street Car Hall, a one-mile demonstration railway for street car rides and traditional and interactive exhibits in our Visitor's Center. We welcome visitors of all ages and offer several kid-friendly exhibits, activities and events.
Our collection of 18 historic street cars from around the world includes eight original street cars that operated in regular transit service in Washington, D.C. - the largest collection of surviving Washington, D.C. street cars in the world.

The museum holds our collection of street cars, memorabilia, ephemera and various artifacts in trust for the public and is accountable to the public we serve. Care for our accessioned objects and equipment includes adhering to proper conservation, documentation, handling, storage, exhibition and interpretation procedures. Care for the public includes physical and intellectual access to the objects together with integrity and objectivity in exhibitions, programs, and publications. Using our historic street car collection, demonstration railway, and Visitor's Center exhibits, the museum interprets the nature of urban transportation of the past in a rural setting.



The Washington DC metro area has over 100 years of electric street car transportation history; we invite you to join us, as we tell the tale of the trolley, on a journey back in time!



QUICK FACTS:
*UPDATE SUMMER 2022: GIVEN THE RAPIDLY CHANGING PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION, SOME OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE OUTDATED; AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, THE MUSEUM IS OPEN ON SATURDAYS ONLY AND TIMED ENTRY TICKETS (AVAILABLE ONLINE) ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED - PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.
The museum is open, and trolley rides offered, every Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm - 5:00pm with the exception of December 24, 25 and 31. We are open on select Thursdays and Friday throughout the year, and on select holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.)
Fares are $10 for adults (18 - 64), $8 for children (2 - 18, under two free) and seniors (65+). Museum members and members of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum are admitted free. We offer annual passes, specifically developed for families, who plan to visit the museum multiple times per year.
The museum is conveniently located about 35 minutes from both the National Mall in Washington and the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. We are a 15 minute drive (taxi/Uber) from Metrorail's Glenmont Station, which is at the end of the Red Line. There is no public bus access to the museum, and the museum does not offer shuttle service.


We are always looking for volunteers and new members! We have opportunities available for everyone of virtually any age - no need for any special education or career background. For more information on our hours of operation, special events and how you can get involved as a member or volunteer, visit our website at www.dctrolley.org. We look forward to seeing you onboard.

The National Capital Trolley Museum is privately owned and operated by the National Capital Historical Museum of Transportation, Inc. We are supported in part by funding from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Montgomery County Government, Heritage Montgomery and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Photo by Bill Monaghan. NCTM Collections.