About the Museum > Museum History
Museum History
Since 2008, the Transportation Museum has been a unique, one-day event for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. Each year, visitors are treated to interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from the Transcontinental Railroad and projects to solve Bay Area traffic to programming miniature robots and solving an Amtrak-themed escape room.
Museum History
As a young child, museum director Andrew Mancini loved transportation of all kinds, especially trains. In fact, at the age of five, he had memorized all of the stations on the CalTrain line and knew all of the train engine numbers.
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As a way to share his love for, and knowledge of, transportation with friends, family, and neighbors, Andrew created The Transportation Museum at the age of five. The museum, like those in subsequent years, occurred on a single day during the summer at Andrew's house. Early exhibits included displays of the schedules of every Bay Area transit route, organized on the family sofa; learning about the R.M.S. Titanic by allowing guests to send their own Morse code messages; and slot car racing at the "Grapefruit 500," a track set up on the cover of the hot tub in Andrew's backyard.
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In 2013, Andrew wrote hand-written, personalized letters to transit agencies in the 40 largest cities in the U.S. and each transit agency in California and Nevada. Over 75 percent of these organizations wrote back, sending in not just the schedules and maps that were requested, but also fun items — chapstick, Yo-Yo toys, and rain ponchos — branded with their logo, forming the foundation of what is today the museum collection.
About the Museum > Museum History
About the Museum > Frequently Asked Questions
Museum History
Frequently Asked Questions
We'll admit that The Transportation Museum isn't your typical museum! It's a one-day event held annually featuring interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from historical displays (like the Pony Express or the Transcontinental Railroad) to those looking toward the future (solving Bay Area traffic and traveling to Mars). If it's your first time visiting the museum or you're interested in a refresher on what to expect, read answers to common guest questions.
What are the exhibits like?
Each of the museum exhibits are different, but each year's museum brings between 10 to 12 brand-new exhibits to the public. Each exhibit combines both educational components and interactive activities, so every display can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. For example, in the Float Your Boat exhibit at the museum in 2016, guests learned the science behind how boats float and discovered what buoyancy and water displacement is. Then, guests worked to build a boat out of LEGOs that could carry cargo containers while remaining afloat. In an exhibit at the museum in 2019, visitors programmed miniature robots through a San Francisco-themed obstacle course to learn, hands-on, how self-driving cars function. These two exhibits are just a couple of examples of the educational and interactive combination present at each of the museum's displays.
Since 2008, the Transportation Museum has been a unique, one-day event for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. Each year, visitors are treated to interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from the Transcontinental Railroad and projects to solve Bay Area traffic to programming miniature robots and solving an Amtrak-themed escape room.
Museum History
As a young child, museum director Andrew Mancini loved transportation of all kinds, especially trains. In fact, at the age of five, he had memorized all of the stations on the CalTrain line and knew all of the train engine numbers.
​
As a way to share his love for, and knowledge of, transportation with friends, family, and neighbors, Andrew created The Transportation Museum at the age of five. The museum, like those in subsequent years, occurred on a single day during the summer at Andrew's house. Early exhibits included displays of the schedules of every Bay Area transit route, organized on the family sofa; learning about the R.M.S. Titanic by allowing guests to send their own Morse code messages; and slot car racing at the "Grapefruit 500," a track set up on the cover of the hot tub in Andrew's backyard.
​
In 2013, Andrew wrote hand-written, personalized letters to transit agencies in the 40 largest cities in the U.S. and each transit agency in California and Nevada. Over 75 percent of these organizations wrote back, sending in not just the schedules and maps that were requested, but also fun items — chapstick, Yo-Yo toys, and rain ponchos — branded with their logo, forming the foundation of what is today the museum collection.
About the Museum
Founded in 2008 and celebrating 13 years in 2024, The Transportation Museum is a one-day annual event featuring interactive, engaging exhibits and activities related to transportation, held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visitors of all ages—ranging from youth transit fans and families, to transit professionals and elected officials—enjoy relevant, thought-provoking exhibits hosted by Museum Director Andrew Mancini, alongside youth exhibitors, transit professionals, and regional transit agencies.
What is The Transportation Museum like?
Each year, The Transportation Museum presents 10-12 different exhibits and displays related to some form of transportation or urban planning, covering topics ranging from the legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad and space travel to Mars to an air traffic control-themed escape room and an activity where guests can build their own transit village out of LEGO bricks. Over the years, the museum has expanded to include various types of transportation and time periods in history. Museum admission is always free of charge. The museum in 2024 will be the 13th Annual Transportation Museum.
Who is the museum designed for?
Attendance at the 12th Annual Transportation Museum included visitors from across the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of its unique combination of educational exhibits and hands-on activities, the museum is designed for visitors of all ages, including families with children, local teachers, transit professionals, elected officials, and retirees from the transit world. Each exhibit is designed to engage visitors with a range of prior knowledge. In other words, you don't have to be a transit fanatic to explore the exhibits and discover new insights in the world of transportation!
How did The Transportation Museum begin?
At the age of five, Museum Director Andrew Mancini had such a passion for transportation that he founded The Transportation Museum as a way to share his excitement and passion for transportation with others. In the years since, the museum has acquired an extensive collection of transportation memorabilia and artifacts, attracted hundreds of visitors, featured countless exhibits, and expanded to include various guest exhibitors.
Click here to read more about the museum's
history, its director, and its mission >
When is the 13th Annual Transportation Museum coming?
We appreciate your patience as the museum plans for all-new exhibits and activities designed to engage the community. As of now, an exact date for the next museum, although plans are in the works for early 2024. The event may occur on Stanford's campus instead of a local venue in San Carlos. For more information, read this update from Museum Director Andrew Mancini, and check for updates coming soon. In the meantime, if you're still looking to discover more about The Transportation Museum and its history, check out:
Looking for other fun activities to do in the Bay Area, when the museum isn't open?
The Transportation Museum has compiled a list of other exciting things to do in the Bay Area, ranging from other local transit museums to a library with hidden art installations, parks that offer family camping, and more. To view the activities, organized by region, click here >