Connecticut Trolley Museum

In the late 19th-century trolley lines connected many small towns in New England, providing a quick and efficient method of travel to other towns and major cities. This technology spurred the growth of suburbs and increased mobility for the average person.

A trolley line running between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts was the only connection between the trolley systems of southern and northern New England. This route enabled travel from New York City all the way to Boston entirely along electric railways.

With the advent of automobiles and highways, trolley systems became obsolete and were gradually discontinued. Though the Springfield-Hartford line closed in 1926, a section of the track in East Windsor, Connecticut was preserved for historical posterity.

In 1940, the Connecticut Trolley Museum was founded to maintain and operate this remaining railway while also preserving and restoring vintage trolleys and artifacts related to this age of transportation. The museum runs regular trips along this 1.5-mile trackway aboard restored antique trolley cars.

Also present on site is the Isle of Safety, a roofed platform once situated in downtown Hartford where commuters could safely wait for trollies while protected from the city’s heavy traffic. When the city's streets were altered, the Isle of Safety was moved to its current location and restored to become a centerpiece of the museum.