Free Ride Weekend on Muni’s Historic Street Cars

Enjoy a weekend of free rides along the waterfront on rare streetcars and buses as old as 1896.

San Francisco transit history comes back to life at this annual, weekend-long blast from the past dating back to the 19th century.

During Muni Heritage Weekend, visitors will be able to ride and view historic streetcars, cable cars and buses that are rarely seen on city streets.

2019 Muni Heritage Weekend
Sat-Sun, September 7-8, 2019 | 11 am to 5 pm
– FREE historic rides (Typically from 1-5 pm) on a few historic trolleys and buses departing from railway museum
– Paid historic rides (11 am-5 pm) – Normal Muni fares apply for regular E and F service and all other historic bus, trolley and cable car rides

Muni Heritage Weekend is a unique opportunity to ride rare vintage vehicles and enjoy family-friendly activities and exhibits. The festivities are located at the San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street, San Francisco.

Activites will Include:

• Rides on unique streetcars, buses and cable cars
  -Market Street Railway “dinky” Streetcar 578 built in 1896 – Both Saturday & Sunday
  -Open-topped “boat tram” streetcar – Both Saturday & Sunday
  -Muni’s very first streetcar Streetcar 1 built in 1912 – Saturday only
  -Melbourne tram 916 – Sunday only
  -Plus retro buses, vintage electric trolley coaches and rare cable cars
• Games and hands on activities for kids, plus a chance to climb on board and ring the bell on motorized Cable Car 62 an authentic cable car dating back to the 1900s that has been featured in movies filmed in San Francisco such as I Remember Mama (1948) and The Hulk (2003)
• “Ride Them All” scavenger hunt challenge to see if you can hop on every vehicle
• Exhibits and presentations on the history of SF transit and the Municipal Railway heritage fleet
• Free admission to the SF Railway Museum

For More Info: SFMTA | Market Street Railway

2019 Updated Details

The premier vintage transit event of the year, Muni Heritage Weekend, happens September 7-8, 2019. Rides will be offered each day from 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. For the first time, this popular event, co-sponsored by SFMTA and Market Street Railway, will kick off San Francisco Transit Week, an event co-sponsored by SFMTA and the San Francisco Transit Riders organization (SFTR).

Details are still being finalized, but for Heritage Weekend at least, you can expect, at a minimum, several rarely-seen vintage streetcars to offer free rides from the San Francisco Railway Museum to Fisherman’s Wharf and back, including:  Muni 1 (1912); Market Street Railway “Dinky” 578 (1896); Melbourne 916 (1946, pending resolution of a persistent bearing problem); Brussels/”Zurich” 737 (1952); and Blackpool “boat tram” 228 (1934).

Bus fans will again be able to ride beautifully restored 1956 Mack motor coach 2230, 1938 White motor coach 042, 1970 GM “New Look” 3287, 1975 AM General 4154, and vintage trolley coaches Marmon-Herrington 776 (1950) and Flyer 5300 (1975).  There may be a bus surprise or two.

For the first time in 77 years today, the biggest cable car in San Francisco (or anywhere for that matter) climbed “halfway to the stars” and back down again under cable power, in regular service conditions.

The cable car known as “Big 19” for its size (seven feet longer than Powell Street Cable Car 19, and four feet longer than the California Street cable cars, previously the longest in the fleet) has been on the streets twice before in recent weeks for testing, but both times at night, while the rest of the cable cars were sleeping in the barn.

Learn More on Big 19

Free Historic Muni Rides for 2019?

In past years, these vehicles have been operating from 1 pm to 5 pm between 77 Steuart St. (just across from Ferry Building) and Pier 39. Please check https://www.streetcar.org/heritage-weekend-2019/ for 2019 updates.

“Dinky” 578
Circa 1896: the oldest streetcar operated by a transit agency in America today.

Car 1
In 1912, this streetcar became the first publicly owned streetcar in America.

The Boat Tram
From Blackpool, England, this open-top boat on rails is perfect for a waterfront “cruise.”

Special streetcars and buses in service

These vehicles will be operating in regular service for Heritage Weekend.

“EuroPCC” 737
Circa 1952, it’ll be running on the F line. Regular muni fares apply.

Melbourne streetcars
These cars from 1928 and 1946 will be running on the E line (from the ballpark to Fisherman’s Wharf). Regular muni fares apply.

Trolley coaches
Vintage buses that were built for San Francisco in 1950 and 1975 will be operating between the Building and Washington Square Park. Free rides if picked up from the Railway Museum.

Motor coaches
Motor coaches that were built for San Francisco between 1938 and 1975 will be operating on the old 82x line between Levi Plaza and Caltrain.  Free rides if picked up from the Railway Museum.