Phoenix Trolley Museum
....dedicated to the preservation of original trolley cars, memorabilia, and public education about a time and place that would one day become the 5th largest city in America.
Welcome to the Phoenix Trolley Museum, the museum dedicated to the preservation of Phoenix trolley cars and the history that surrounds them, first established in 1975. Sometimes called the Arizona Street Railway Museum, this educational establishment places a heavy emphasis on preserving historic streetcars in Phoenix, its main goal 'to tell the Phoenix streetcar story'.
The story of streetcars here in Phoenix begins in 1887 when the city saw it's first mule-drawn streetcar travel down Washington Street. Phoenix was actually the first city in the entire state to embrace mass transit, which came to its peak in the 1920s when the rails ran for over 30 miles along the city streets. In 1929 alone they carried over 6.6 million passengers! Unfortunately, in 1947 a local trolley barn fire destroyed all but 6 cars, and the next year busses took over the transit industry.
When you visit the museum today you will see Streetcar #116, a Birney Safety Car, as well as the Calcine Electric Locomotive. Streetcar #116 was one of the last 3 to operate, this 39-foot 11-inch car first manufactured in 1928.
