Take a journey through history and experience old-school commute at the Brisbane Tramway Museum in Ferny Grove.
Brisbane Tramway Museum offers guests a chance to ride restored trams that once dominated the streets of Brisbane. Open on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., visitors can fully enjoy riding the historic trams and learn about their history.
Located near the Ferny Grove Station, the outdoor museum is set in a country-like surrounding where six working trams dating from 1901 to 1961 can be found running every Sunday. However, there will be times where not all six of them are guaranteed to run due to maintenance services or needs for further restoration.
The museum is run by knowledgeable and passionate volunteers who are happy to don caps and uniforms to play the role of driver and conductor taking you on a ride in the iconic trams.
History of Brisbane Tramway Museum
The tramways seized operation in June 1968 when the Brisbane City Council decided to switch from the tramways to an all bus transport system.
A public meeting was soon arranged with the intention of preserving a representative collection of the city’s tramcars. The meeting resulted in the birth of the Brisbane Tramway Museum Society which is a voluntary organisation that is currently the custodian of some 24 tramcars and two trolleybuses.
The newly formed society then prioritised to secure a suitable site for the Museum and in 1972, they have chosen to establish the museum in Ferny Grove.
The Brisbane Tramway Museum officially opened to the public in June 1980 and had continued to expand and develop ever since.
Major improvements to the museum were made possible through the funding it received from the Queensland Government in 2001. Upgrades to the museum included the construction of a new engineering workshop; the renovation of an existing workshop; the construction of another new building for maintaining and restoring trams; and the repositioning of tram tracks.
The society currently operates six tramcars with two more under restoration. Planning is underway for the construction of an extension to the tramway which will allow visitors to experience a longer ride on the historic trams.
For those who are planning to visit the museum, it is recommended that you allow at least an hour and a half to two hours for you to fully enjoy all that the museum has to offer.
Take note that the museum remains closed in wet conditions for operational reasons. You may call the museum on 07 3351 1776 after 12 noon on Sundays to make sure that they are open prior to your visit. For more information, you may visit the Brisbane Tramway Museum’s official website or check out their Facebook page for updates.