Baltimore Streetcar Museum

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum (BSM) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  It is located in Baltimore, Maryland at 1911 Falls Road (MD 25).  The museum's mission is to preserve Baltimore's public transportation history, particularly the streetcar era.

History

On June 8, 1966, several members of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society established the Baltimore Streetcar Museum as a non-profit organization.

The city of Baltimore agreed to build the museum and lease it to the nonprofit organization for a yearly fee of one dollar.

The groundbreaking took place on November 4, 1967.

The official opening date was August 30, 1968.

The original Museum collection consisted of equipment used by the former United Railways and Electric Company and Baltimore Transit Company (BTCO) services, which was held for a short time by the Maryland Historical Society after streetcar service in Baltimore was discontinued. In 1968, the collection was relocated from what was then Robert E. Lee Park near Lake Roland to the current Falls.

Museum leases

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum also hosts private parties for both children and adults.

 The BSM's Visitor Center facilities include an auditorium, the "Trolley Theater," streetcar rides, and carouse tours where visitors can see other historical transit equipment such as an 1859 horse car, a crane car, and an electric bus known as a trackless trolley or trolleybus.

The library's collection

The library collections of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and the National Railway Historical Society (Baltimore Chapter), formally known as the Maryland Rail Heritage Library, are housed at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

Further information

The Museum's website contains detailed information about its operational equipment as well as vehicles that are currently being restored (see Collection Highlights). Illustrations of surviving Baltimore area sites from the city's once-extensive streetcar network are also included.