Did you know that Memorial Day was originally held (1868) in commemoration of soldiers killed in the American Civil War, its observance later extended to all U.S. war dead? Most states conform to the federal practice of observing it on the last Monday in May, but some retain the traditional day of celebration, May 30. National observance is marked by the placing of a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. Flags, insignia, and flowers are placed on the graves of veterans in local cemeteries.

The Museum honors all vets on Memorial Day with free admission all day. Simply show proof of prior military service to our great country at the door.

On Sunday, August 28th, Hurricane Irene raced along the eastern seaboard and pounded Connecticut with widespread damage.

The Trolley Museum was directly and seriously affected.

The Museum is doing many things to protect its collection. Click HERE to get full details about the damage, the repairs, our future plans, and to buy tickets to the next event, called Walk for the Rails.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum maintains several collections which preserve the history and heritage of the Trolley Era. The Museum owns nearly 100 vintage transit vehicles, as described in more detail below. In addition, the museum archives contain nearly 30,000 photographic images, over 4,000 books and documents, and about 1,000 small artifacts such as tokens, hat badges and ticket punches. The archives are available by appointment only to qualified researchers. The museum is happy to provide copies of photographs for both commercial and non-commercial use. Please inquire via email or phone.

Click HERE to learn more about our collections of historic transit equipment.