All Aboard!! If you’re a train enthusiast, a history buff or just looking for something cool to check out in New York City then add New York Transit Museum to your itinerary. Learn the tales of the work that went into creating the city’s mass transit system and its impact on the community.
Where is it located?
New York Transit Museum has two locations. Each museum offers exciting tours and exhibits that will take you for a ride through the history of New York City transit. The Transit Museum’s downtown Brooklyn location is housed in what was formerly a working subway station. It’s located at 99 Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn. New York Transit Museum Annex & Store, the museum’s other location, is located in Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal at 89 E 42nd St, Manhattan.
What’s currently on display to see?
Each of the two locations offers their own unique and interesting exhibits for visitors to explore. Most of the exhibits and collections are located at the Brooklyn location with rotating exhibits held at the Grand Central Gallery Annex.
New York Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn
Underground Heros: New York Transit in Comics
An interesting display portraying the role New York transit has played in the stories told through comics. (Display runs from June 21, 2018 to January 6, 2019)
Bringing Back the City: Mass Transit
Through objects, photographs, and memorabilia this exhibit will showcase how transit personnel respond to a crisis situation. The exhibit will take you through some of the city’s most devastating events such as 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2003 Northeastern Blackout. (Display runs through September 2018)
From the Archives: NYCT Photo
Taken from the collection of the New York Transit Photographic Unit, this documentation will show the imagery collected from 1966 through 2004. (Display is ongoing)
PERMANENT EXHIBITS
Along with temporary exhibits on display, visitors can view a variety of interesting and quirky exhibits permanently showcased at the museum. Among some exhibits are:
Fare Collection
Witness the evolution of the paper tokens, the Metro card, and take a look at how the turnstile has evolved throughout the years.
No Spitting on the Platform
View a quirky and amusing display of platform etiquette signs throughout the ages.
On the Streets: New York Trolley and Buses
Examine how above ground mobility has transformed throughout time.
VINTAGE FLEETS
See how the New York subway and elevated cars systems have evolved through the years. Visitors can tour the 20 vintage subway and elevated cars that date back as early as the beginning of the 1900’s. Visitors can board the vintage cars and get a feel for what traveling was like during another era. There is also a vintage bus collection on display for visitors to tour.
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex Store
Silver Connection: Subway Drawings by Philip Ashforth Coppola
On display for the first time, visitors can view Coppola’s original sketchbook and drawings spanning over 40 years. Visitors can see the original plans put forth for creating a transportation system for one of the busiest hubs in the world. Also displayed are samples of vintage subway mosaics from some of the earliest subway tunnels. (Display runs through July 2018)
HOURS & TICKETS
Transit Museum Downtown Brooklyn
Hours:
Tues – Fri 10 am – 4 pm
Sat & Sun 11am – 5 pm
Closed Mon and Major holidays
Tickets:
Adults: &10
Children: $5 (2-7)
Seniors 62+ $5 (Free on Wed)
Gallery Annex
M-F 8am – 8pm
Sat & Sun 10am – 6pm
Closed for events & Major holidays
Admission is free
For more unmissable things to do and see, check out our guide to the best New York tours.
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