Imagine a journey through time. It is a journey powered by wheels, rails and a whole lot of history. That’s what awaits us at the Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla.
The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla is a tribute to the evolution of public transport in São Paulo. It’s a place where relics of the past come to life. The museum is located in the Canindé neighborhood. It offers a fascinating look at how people moved around the city.
Inaugurated in 1985, the Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla is maintained by SPTrans. It holds a collection of seven vehicles. The museum also features 1500 photos and 1500 books. There are also furniture items, objects and documents. All these items chronicle the development of urban transport.
Among its treasures is the first streetcar to run in Brazil. It operated in Rio de Janeiro in 1859. It later arrived in São Paulo in 1872. The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla also displays the first nationally made trolleybus. It was produced in 1960.
Gaetano Ferolla was a technical designer at CMTC. CMTC managed the city’s transport before SPTrans. Ferolla was passionate about history. He gathered materials and got space from the city. He established what was initially the Museu da Companhia Municipal de Transportes Coletivos.
After Gaetano Ferolla died in 1991, the museum was renamed. It honored his dedication. The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla preserves São Paulo’s romantic image. It shows the 19th century with its open streetcars pulled by animals.
In the Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla garden, the benches and lights reflect the 1920s. A streetcar sits there. Its job was to spread sand on the tracks. This prevented vehicles carrying passengers from skidding.
The collection includes animal-drawn streetcars from 1872. There are also open electric streetcars from 1900. You’ll also find a closed Centex streetcar named “Gilda” from 1947. A closed “Camarão” streetcar from 1927 is also on display. The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla presents Grassi trolleybuses from 1948 and 1958. An executive bus from 1977 and a Double-Decker bus “Fofão” from 1987 are present. A sand-transport streetcar is in the outside area.
Other vehicles include a black Ford Landau and a Ford T. A red Kombi used for inspections in 1987 is also featured. The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla possesses over 1500 original pieces. These are rare vehicles. They include animal-drawn streetcars and electric streetcars. The museum also owns a maintenance streetcar and electric buses. The “Fofão” double-decker bus and official cars are exhibited here. A Ford T that traveled the Americas in the 1920s is on display. It paved the way for the Pan-American Highway.
The Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla preserves memories. It shows the evolution of transport in the city. The museum is a tribute to the past. It is a legacy for the future. It reminds us how far we’ve come.
Note that Museu dos Transportes Públicos Gaetano Ferolla has been closed for renovations since 2020. It is undergoing structural repairs and accessibility updates. Keep an eye on SPTrans announcements for its reopening date. When it reopens, you can visit from Tuesday to Sunday. The hours are 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.