Launceston Tramway Museum

At the Museum, a guide will meet you and outline the activities available. A tram ride is usually first on the program, involving a double barreled ride on restored Tram 29 including a soundscape run featuring sound effects and voices from the past.

Returning to the Display Gallery, the guide will then introduce you to the history and heritage of the tramway service, by way of displays, movie footage, stories and fascinating items in the Museums collection, as well as a large screen presentation on how Launceston has changed since Victorian times.

A highlight of your visit will be a guided tour of the Museum Workshop where visitors can see the restoration and rebuilding program. At present, the Workshop houses Launcestons first tram, No 1 as well as Tram 26. On Saturdays, when the Workshop is in operation, visitors also have the opportunity to talk with some of the volunteers involved.

You may wish to complete your visit at the Museum shop which has an interesting range of souvenirs and other merchandise.

In 1992, a youthful Marcus Hall acquired the shell of a former Launceston tram with the ambitious goal of restoring it to its original condition. He managed to get the old tram to Inveresk, Launceston and attract a group of like-minded enthusiasts to the project.

Fortunately, for what they lacked in numbers, they made up in energy, ability and commitment, and over a period of seven years Tram 29 was gradually restored to its original condition. In the process, the group became the Launceston Tramway Museum Society Inc. and proceeded to acquire and rebuild other former Launceston trams and later develop a museum collection and commence a heritage tram operation. A major milestone occurred in 2006 with the opening of a display gallery adjacent to the existing workshop.

The Museums main objective is to preserve the heritage of the Launceston Municipal Tramways (LMT), which was responsible for operating the tram fleet between 1911 and 1952. In doing so, to provide the community with the opportunity to experience all of the different types of public transport which the LMT once operated and in the process, become a unique Australian heritage attraction.