Federal Funding Brings New Life to Connecticut Trolley Museum with Major Infrastructure Upgrades.
United States Congressman John Larson was the guest speaker at a special event and ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Connecticut Trolley Museum on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
Pictured l-r  State Senator Saud Anwar, EW 1st Selectman Jason Bowsza, Congressman John Larson, CTM Executive Director Gina Marie Alimberti, State Representative Carol Hall & CTM President Andy Borst.
        The celebration marked the completion of several major infrastructure upgrades made possible by substantial federal funding secured through the support and advocacy of Congressman Larson.
       Improvements included a new drainage system to address longstanding flooding issues around the trolley boarding area, a newly paved visitor parking lot, a new entrance gate, and several hundred feet of decorative fencing surrounding the museum’s campus.
      “The Connecticut Trolley Museum is a cultural treasure that preserves a key part of our region’s transit legacy,” said Congressman Larson. “I’ve had the privilege of seeing the incredible work the museum team puts into its collections and public events.
        It’s great to see the federal funding I secured in Congress supporting renovations that move the Trolley Museum one step closer to becoming a regional living history destination. I look forward to continuing to work with the museum and its legion of supporters to build on this progress and help it thrive in the future.”
       Museum President Andy Borst and Executive Director Gina Maria Alimberti spoke about ongoing efforts to improve operations and visitor experiences. These include new special events, energy efficiency upgrades, new exhibits, vintage trolley restoration projects, and railway infrastructure improvements.
     The museum’s next major initiative is a capital campaign to transform the existing theater in the Visitor Center into a multi-purpose space to support a wider range of community programs and events.
     Alimberti emphasized the uniqueness of the visitor experience, noting: “The average age of the trolleys in our operating fleet is 106 years old. The greatest thing we provide to our visitors is the opportunity to become time travelers—riding original trolley cars just like their grandparents, great-grandparents, and even great-great-grandparents did.”
  Also present was East Windsor 1st Selectman Jason Bowsza who has been a great supporter of the Ct Trolley Museum as it is an important component of the Communities Tourism dollar.
   Founded in 1940, the Connecticut Trolley museum is the nation’s oldest incorporated trolley museum. The museum owns over 50 acres of land in North Central Connecticut, including a 17-acre main campus in East Windsor and a 1.5-mile-long line. The average age of the trolleys in the operating fleet is 106 years old, with the oldest being 123 years old. The museum collection includes more than 50 trolley cars and many other vintage artifacts from the 19th century to the present.
 To Know more about The CT Trolley Museum and its Benefits of membership or Events please visit https://www.ct-trolley.org/