By Railfan & Railroad Staff

WASHINGTON, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has broken ground on a multi-million dollar expansion. A groundbreaking for a new 21,000-square-foot Welcome and Education Center occurred on May 6. 

Officials say that the expansion will improve the visitor experience and house the visitors’ center, interactive exhibits, classrooms and event rooms, ticket kiosk, offices and museum store. The expansion is expected to be a boon to the local economy. According to the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh, the new Center will add $10 million to the region’s economy and create 116 full and part-time jobs.

“We are pleased to take this important step in a project which will make our Museum a major education and tourist destination in the region,” said Scott Becker, executive director and CEO of the museum. 

Established in 1954, the Museum now has a collection of 50 trolley cars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, along with New Orleans’ famous streetcar named Desire and six railway structures and countless images and artifacts