City officials gathered Wednesday morning to open the Streetcar Showcase, a four-day exhibit designed to get residents excited about the streetcars the District hopes will soon begin operating in Anacostia and on H Street/Benning Road.

A short stretch of track has been temporarily placed on the old convention center parking lot at 9th and H Streets NW, with one of the three streetcars the city already owns perched atop them. The public is invited to climb aboard the car and explore its features from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The interior of the streetcar is a pretty basic setup. Each car can hold up to 162 people, combined seated and standing. The seats themselves are lightly padded, and covered with a patterned, durable cloth. There are overhead grip bars similar to Metrorail cars, and three entrance/exit doors on each side. A lighted display will announce stops along the way.