San Francisco has its cable cars that attract tourists to the City by the Bay. In the early-to-mid 20th century, Dallas had its trolley cars, too. They were open-air trolleys with seats that went all the way across, with running boards on each side. The conductor walked the running board to collect the passengers’ five-cent fare.

Passengers loved to ride the trolley Downtown for a shopping spree, as well as to see the old silent movies. Some spent their Sunday afternoons riding the trolley Downtown to Ervay Street. They would spend the afternoon “window shopping” all the way to Lamar Street, where they boarded another trolley and returned home.

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We can capture a little bit of that streetcar nostalgia today through rides on the McKinney Avenue Trolley. The trolley travels McKinney Avenue all the way to the West End.

The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority is operated and managed by volunteers dedicated to the history and preservation of electric railways in North Texas. The association celebrated its eighth anniversary this summer.

Charters of electric streetcars are available for birthdays, weddings and other occasions. For information, call 214-855-0006.