Seal Beach Historical and Cultural Society Red Car Museum

The Red Car Museum is a transportation history museum in Seal Beach that focuses on the trolley lines that once served Southern California. Its collections include restored trolleys, historical photographs, and written records that document how this electric railway system operated.

The Red Car trolley system emerged in the early 1900s as an electric transportation network that linked Los Angeles to nearby cities and towns. This system was central to regional growth and connectivity until declining as personal automobiles became more widespread.

The trolley system once shaped how people moved around and stayed connected across the wider area, and the museum helps visitors understand this impact on their communities.

The museum is staffed by volunteers during regular opening hours when you can walk through the exhibits at your own pace. A small shop on site sells books about local transportation history and other regional materials.

The museum preserves actual trolleys you can board and enter, giving you a firsthand sense of what it was like to ride these cars when they were in daily service.

Location: Seal Beach

GPS coordinates: 33.74323,-118.10445

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:42