Museu do Carro Eléctrico (Tram Museum)

The Museu do Carro Eléctrico is Porto’s tram museum, run by STCP, the city’s bus and tram company. It opened in 1992 inside the old Massarelos power station on the bank of the Douro. The building was finished in 1915 with two great halls, one for the boilers and one for the engines. Until the 1940s it made enough electricity to run the whole tram network by itself. Today one hall is full of trams and the other keeps the machinery, and the building still works as an electrical substation for the three tram lines that run in Porto today. So the museum is part of a system that is working while you visit.

For children, the pleasure is simple. There are big old trams to walk around in a huge brick hall, and you can arrive on a real one.

The collection runs from the very beginning. Porto’s first trams were pulled by horses, and the oldest car here, trailer number 8, was built in England by the Starbuck Car and Wagon Company of Birkenhead and first carried passengers in Porto on 15 May 1872. Next come the electric trams that replaced the horses. Altogether the museum keeps 16 electric trams, 5 trailers and two maintenance vehicles.

Two to look for:

• Car 247, the “English car”, built by the United Electric Car Company of Preston.
• Car 500, a 1951 prototype that tried out new ideas for passenger comfort and braking.

In the machine hall, the old equipment that once made the network’s electricity is still in place. It’s a good spot to explain in simple terms how a power station worked: burn fuel, boil water, use the steam to spin a machine that makes electricity, then send it along the overhead wires to the trams.

When we checked, the museum had an interactive exhibition of miniatures, Em Ponto Pequeno (roughly “on a small scale”), running until early October 2026, followed by a new exhibition about the Massarelos neighbourhood. Exhibitions change, so check the website.

Arriving by tram turns a one-hour museum into a proper outing. Porto still runs three heritage tram lines with old trams:

• Line 1 runs along the river between Infante (near the Ribeira) and Passeio Alegre in Foz, and passes right by the museum. The route stays by the water the whole way, so children can watch the river and the boats.
• Line 18 is a circular route between Massarelos and Carmo that climbs from the riverside to the upper city, with views over Vila Nova de Gaia from Rua da Restauração.
• Line 22 loops through the historic centre, past Carmo, São Bento, Batalha, Rua de Santa Catarina and Aliados.

You buy tickets from the conductor on board, and Andante passes with the right zones are also accepted. Keep your ticket: a single-trip tram ticket gets you 30% off museum entry, and a two-day tram ticket 50% off. Put together a morning on line 1 from the Ribeira, the museum, then the tram on to Foz and the beach.

The museum runs a family programme called Famílias Elétricas. When we checked, the next session was a Halloween special, A última viagem (“the last trip”), on 31 October 2026 at 15:00. The museum also holds a yearly electric tram parade through the city. Check the website for this year’s dates and whether a family session needs booking.

• Toddlers go free and enjoy the size of the trams and the tram ride there. There’s space in the hall, but no play area.
• Ages 4 to 7 like finding the horse tram and comparing it with the electric ones.
• Ages 8 to 12 can follow the story of the power station and how electricity reached the trams, with the audio guide.
• Teenagers interested in engineering or city history get the most from the machine hall.

When checked in September 2026 tickets were €8 for adults and €4 for ages 6 to 18, students and over-65s. Under-6s go free, and a ticket for one adult and one child costs €8. Holders of an Andante pass pay €3.20 and the Porto Card gives entry for €4. The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It closes on Mondays, 24 and 25 December, 1 January and from 13:00 on Easter Sunday.

It’s at Alameda Basílio Teles 51 in Massarelos. Tram lines 1 and 18 and STCP buses 403, 500 and 900 stop nearby; from São Bento station, take the 500. The nearest metro stop, Casa da Música, is about a 23-minute walk. There is accessible parking.

There is no café, and you can’t eat inside, so plan food around the visit. Large bags aren’t allowed, there’s a cloakroom, and flash photography isn’t permitted. The audio guide comes in seven languages.

The museum offers guided tours, tours in Portuguese Sign Language and special visits for blind and partially sighted visitors. These need arranging in advance, so contact the museum first if one would help your child. Groups of ten or more get cheaper tickets, which helps a home-education group.

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are a short walk uphill from the museum, with gardens and river views. Ride line 1 west to Foz for Sea Life Porto or east towards the Ribeira and World of Discoveries. Train fans can make a second trip to the Museu Nacional Ferroviário in Entroncamento.

How do you get to the Porto tram museum by tram?

Take heritage tram line 1, which runs along the river between Infante and Passeio Alegre and passes the museum. Line 18 also stops nearby. Buy tickets from the conductor.

How much is the Porto tram museum for children?

€4 for ages 6 to 18 and free for under-6s when checked in September 2026. One adult and one child together cost €8.

Is the Porto tram museum open on Mondays?

No. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.

Is there food at the museum?

No café, and no eating inside. The riverside at Massarelos and Foz has cafés, or bring a picnic for the Palácio de Cristal gardens.

How long does the visit take?

About an hour inside, longer if you ride a heritage tram there and back.