PGA Travelers Championship: Birdies for Charity. Between now and June 22, Webster Bank is boosting donations made through the Birdies for Charity platform to the Connecticut Trolley Museum by 15%. In 2024 we raised $10,537 through the program. This year, we're setting our sights even higher, with a goal to raise $15,000!
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Theater Renovation Campaign
Theater Renovation
The Connecticut Trolley Museum is soliciting donations for the renovation of its current theater in the Visitors Center into a multi-purpose venue to allow staff, volunteers and the community to expand our visitor experience in service to the public.
The current theater was constructed in the late 1980s as a gathering space for film and educational purposes, but before multi-media formats were in common use. The space is highly visible off of the current Visitors Center lobby, but has limited use today.
The project will allow our Museum to host additional educational programs, community meetings and events, as well as additional exhibit and displays of our historic transit collection.
Phase one includes:
- Remove the fixed theater seating and stage
- Level the sloping floor
- Install windows which will allow views of our historic campus
- Build a secure equipment and electronic closet
As of March 2025, the project has commitments of $82,000 for the first phase which is expected to cost approximately $157,000. We are grateful to our sponsors! We are hopeful to begin construction on this project later this summer!
Kelly Barn Roof
Kelly Barn Roof
Kelly Barn construction began in 1959 with pole setting for a new storage barn for a burgeoning collection of streetcars at the Connecticut Electric Railway Association. Completed in 1960, the barn was named for Edward G. Kelly, the first treasurer for the museum as well as a key member of the Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
Kelly Barn currently houses the majority of our operating fleet that are used in daily operations by our museum.
- Connecticut Car 1326
- Fair Haven and Westville Railroad Car 355
- Springfield Electric Railway Car 16
- Montreal Tramways Car 4
- Montreal Tramways Car 2600
- New Orleans Public Service Car 836
The goal is to raise $70,000 for the new Kelly Barn Roof.
Maintenance of Way
Track Refurbishment
The Connecticut Trolley Museum is asking for donations for Right of Way Maintenance and Refurbishment.
Did you know?
- The Connecticut Trolley Museum operates 1.52 miles of the Rockville Branch of the Hartford and Springfield Street Railway that opened for service on May 20, 1906.
- The current track, ties, ballast, and overhead were all laid by volunteers over the museum's 85 years of service.
- There are approximately 4500 ties, just on our mainline trip. New ties cost between $80 - $100 and used ties cost between $40-$50. We aim to replace several hundred track ties per year to maintain our right of way.
- The mainline also has two operating spring switches that allow us to operate multiple cars on a single line. These need maintenance and adjustment annually to operate correctly.
- We have two grade crossings that allow the public to view our museum during the season and protect the community. Each gate is approximately $4,000 to make and requires annual maintenance.
Connecticut Company #3001
Connecticut Company #3001
The Connecticut Trolley Museum is engaged with its second major restoration of a collection piece in recent history, the restoration of Connecticut Company Car 3001.
Connecticut Company Car 3001 is the Museum's most thorough restoration project. The car has been taken down to the frame, for the steel frame and siding to be repaired. A new floor, roof and wooden ends will be installed, and all interior woodwork, seating, windows, and doors will be restored. The electrical and air systems will be thoroughly reconditioned. The trucks will be taken out to be sand blasted and be gone through along with motor work as required.
Year-End Goals
Connecticut Company #3001
The Connecticut Trolley Museum is engaged with its second major restoration of a collection piece in recent history, the restoration of Connecticut Company Car 3001.
Connecticut Company Car 3001 is the Museum's most thorough restoration project. The car has been taken down to the frame, for the steel frame and siding to be repaired. A new floor, roof and wooden ends will be installed, and all interior woodwork, seating, windows, and doors will be restored. The electrical and air systems will be thoroughly reconditioned. The trucks will be taken out to be sand blasted and be gone through along with motor work as required.
The Museum has ambitious plans in 2025. Our goal is to raise $120,000 to support the operating budget of the museum. This amount, combined with income from general and special event admissions, membership dues, facility rentals and gift shop sales allow us to provide the authentic Trolley Era experience to all our guests. We are also seeking additional funding from individual sponsors, area businesses and foundations to support a number of special projects that are shown above. • Theater Renovation Campaign • Kelly Barn Roof • Maintenance of Way / Track Refurbishment • Connecticut Company #3001.
The costs for each of these projects range exceed $25,000 and require specific campaigns to complete. Please contact the Museum's Development Chair, Andrew Borst, if you have questions about these projects or if you have an interest in supporting them.
Thank You Supporters!
2020 • 2021 • 2022 • 2023 • 2024 Contributors
General Fund Donations
With your support of the Connecticut Trolley Museum, your tax-deductible contributions allow the Connecticut Trolley Museum to work on various trolley restorations, hold special events such as Easter Eggspress, Dino Trolley, Pumpkin Patch, and Winterfest and the Tunnel of Lights, and provide educational programs both for the visiting public and area schoolchildren. The Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Inc. (owner/operator of the Connecticut Trolley Museum) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution and donations are tax deductible.
Donate by Check
PO Box 360
East Windsor, CT 06088-0360
Donate Online
Birdie for Charity - PGA Tour Donations
We're excited to share some incredible news - the Connecticut Trolley Museum is once again part of the Birdies for Charity program through the 2025 Travelers Championship! This marks our fourth consecutive year participating in this unique fundraising opportunity, and we're proud to partner with one of Connecticut's premier sporting events to help raise vital funds for our organization.
Birdies for Charity is a special giving platform that allows nonprofits like ours to benefit from the excitement of the PGA TOUR, with an added bonus: every donation made to the Museum through the program receives a 15% match-thanks to the generosity of Webster Bank. That means for every dollar you give, the Museum receives an additional 15 cents, with no extra cost to you. It's an easy way to make your donation go even further and have a greater impact on preserving and celebrating our electric railway heritage.
In 2024, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we raised $10,537 through Birdies for Charity-$8,957 in direct contributions and a $1,580 bonus from Webster Bank. This year, we're setting our sights even higher, with a goal to raise $15,000 through the program. These funds will directly support the Museum's operating budget and contribute to several special projects that will enhance the visitor experience and strengthen our role as a living history museum for the region.
Birdies for Charity is an important component of our 2025 fundraising program and we invite you to be part of this exciting campaign by making a contribution today. The program runs only through June 22, 2025, so now is the perfect time to act. Your support ensures that we can continue offering dynamic educational programs, preserving historic artifacts, and sharing the story of electric railroading with visitors of all ages.
Join us in keeping history on track. Donate today through Birdies for Charity and help us power the future by preserving the past.
Shop & Support with iGive
Shop online with over 2,000 retailers through iGive.com, the iGive app, or installing the iGive browser extension. iGive is a rebate program (how it works), where a percentage of your order comes to the Connecticut Trolley Museum as a donation.
iGive to CTMCorporate Giving
Employers may request our Employer Identification Number (EIN) to confirm our status as a 501(c)(3) organization. The EIN for the Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Inc. is 06-6070002.
Donation Match
Many businesses have community programs that will match any charitable donations made by their employees. These match programs bring double rewards to the Connecticut Trolley Museum as your $100 donation would turn into a $200 donation to the museum. Check with your employer and follow any instructions they may have on making a donation to qualify for a match.
Employer Donation
If you volunteer regularly at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, your employer may have a community program where it will make a donation to the trolley museum on your behalf. Check with your employer about their giving program.