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New York Transit Museum
USINFO | 2013-05-31 15:50
The New York Transit Museum is a museum which displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, commuter rail, and bridge and tunnel systems; it is located in a decommissioned Court Street subway station in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City. There is a smaller satellite annex in Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan.
On July 4, 1976, the New York City Transit Exhibit opened in the decommissioned station as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration, with one subway token for admittance. Old cars which had been preserved, as well as models and other exhibits were displayed. Plans were to close it after the celebration, but it proved to be so popular that it remained open and eventually became a permanent museum.
The Transit Museum main entrance is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. Also, there is a new, separate ADA-accessible entrance for those with physical disabilities. The Museum includes subway, bus, railway, bridge, and tunnel memorabilia and other exhibits including vintage signage, models and dioramas of subway, bus and other equipment, and lectures and seminars. Tours and programs are available at the Museum for all ages. The Museum also offers offsite programs which consist of guided tours of MTA facilities, subway stations, artwork and architecture, and New York neighborhoods, as well as opportunities to ride vintage railway and bus equipment.
On the platform (lower) level, two working subway tracks contain many historic examples of New York City Subway and Elevated railway equipment as a permanent display. Preserved subway cars date as far back as the predecessor companies that came before the New York City Transit Authority, such as the BMT and IRT private companies and the city owned and operated IND. In addition to the subway cars, there is a large motor truck display, a working signal tower exhibit, and several other artifacts that highlight subway signaling, station signage, and station artwork.
Most of the subway cars in the Transit Museum's fleet are operable, and museum cars are frequently used for subway excursions run by the Museum and New York City Transit on various parts of the system. Tickets for Transit Museum excursions (called "Nostalgia Trains") are sold in advance. New York City Transit excursions (such as Holiday specials at the end of most years, and Yankee/Met specials) are available for anyone to ride, so long as they've paid the regular subway fare. Since mid 2005 the March of Dimes excursions were suspended.
In addition to the subway cars stored in the Transit Museum, there are also some Museum cars that are kept in various subway yards and shops that are either awaiting restoration, undergoing restoration, or not currently being displayed.
Besides subway cars, the Museum has a sizable vintage bus fleet. However, there is no area set aside for their permanent exhibition at the Museum, and therefore they are stored in various Bus depots around the city. They are brought out for special events, such as the Museum's annual "Bus Festival," which is held annually in conjunction with the Atlantic Antic street fair. The Bus Festival began as an annual tradition in 1994. During the Bus Festival, the Museum opens its doors for free.
The Museum also maintains a sizable archive. Documents, photographs, and artifacts are stored both in the Museum and in the nearby Archives, adding to the goal of preserving the legacy of transportation in New York. Historians and researchers who wish to visit the Archives are able to do so through the Museum. Some images from their collection can also be seen on Historypin.
The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store opened on September 14, 1993 at Grand Central Terminal, in the terminal's main concourse. It houses a gift shop as well as a space for exhibitions. Exhibits frequently change in the Annex. Most notably, the Annex is the site of the Transit Museum's annual "Holiday Train Show," where an operating model train layout is displayed for the public. While there is a small admissions fee at the Transit Museum's Brooklyn Heights location, entrance to the annex is free.
The main Brooklyn heights location also has a gift shop, which is accessible outside of the museum's paid area.
In the mid-1990s the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) assumed control of the Transit Museum from the New York City Transit Authority. In doing so, the scope of the museum was expanded to include other aspects of transportation services within the MTA, including commuter rail (Metro-North, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road) and roads / bridges (MTA Bridges and Tunnels).
Since this time, rotating exhibits on the mezzanine level frequently highlight commuter railroad and bridge/tunnel operations, as well as their history.
On July 4, 1976, the New York City Transit Exhibit opened in the decommissioned station as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration, with one subway token for admittance. Old cars which had been preserved, as well as models and other exhibits were displayed. Plans were to close it after the celebration, but it proved to be so popular that it remained open and eventually became a permanent museum.
The Transit Museum main entrance is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. Also, there is a new, separate ADA-accessible entrance for those with physical disabilities. The Museum includes subway, bus, railway, bridge, and tunnel memorabilia and other exhibits including vintage signage, models and dioramas of subway, bus and other equipment, and lectures and seminars. Tours and programs are available at the Museum for all ages. The Museum also offers offsite programs which consist of guided tours of MTA facilities, subway stations, artwork and architecture, and New York neighborhoods, as well as opportunities to ride vintage railway and bus equipment.
On the platform (lower) level, two working subway tracks contain many historic examples of New York City Subway and Elevated railway equipment as a permanent display. Preserved subway cars date as far back as the predecessor companies that came before the New York City Transit Authority, such as the BMT and IRT private companies and the city owned and operated IND. In addition to the subway cars, there is a large motor truck display, a working signal tower exhibit, and several other artifacts that highlight subway signaling, station signage, and station artwork.
Most of the subway cars in the Transit Museum's fleet are operable, and museum cars are frequently used for subway excursions run by the Museum and New York City Transit on various parts of the system. Tickets for Transit Museum excursions (called "Nostalgia Trains") are sold in advance. New York City Transit excursions (such as Holiday specials at the end of most years, and Yankee/Met specials) are available for anyone to ride, so long as they've paid the regular subway fare. Since mid 2005 the March of Dimes excursions were suspended.
In addition to the subway cars stored in the Transit Museum, there are also some Museum cars that are kept in various subway yards and shops that are either awaiting restoration, undergoing restoration, or not currently being displayed.
Besides subway cars, the Museum has a sizable vintage bus fleet. However, there is no area set aside for their permanent exhibition at the Museum, and therefore they are stored in various Bus depots around the city. They are brought out for special events, such as the Museum's annual "Bus Festival," which is held annually in conjunction with the Atlantic Antic street fair. The Bus Festival began as an annual tradition in 1994. During the Bus Festival, the Museum opens its doors for free.
The Museum also maintains a sizable archive. Documents, photographs, and artifacts are stored both in the Museum and in the nearby Archives, adding to the goal of preserving the legacy of transportation in New York. Historians and researchers who wish to visit the Archives are able to do so through the Museum. Some images from their collection can also be seen on Historypin.
The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store opened on September 14, 1993 at Grand Central Terminal, in the terminal's main concourse. It houses a gift shop as well as a space for exhibitions. Exhibits frequently change in the Annex. Most notably, the Annex is the site of the Transit Museum's annual "Holiday Train Show," where an operating model train layout is displayed for the public. While there is a small admissions fee at the Transit Museum's Brooklyn Heights location, entrance to the annex is free.
The main Brooklyn heights location also has a gift shop, which is accessible outside of the museum's paid area.
In the mid-1990s the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) assumed control of the Transit Museum from the New York City Transit Authority. In doing so, the scope of the museum was expanded to include other aspects of transportation services within the MTA, including commuter rail (Metro-North, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Rail Road) and roads / bridges (MTA Bridges and Tunnels).
Since this time, rotating exhibits on the mezzanine level frequently highlight commuter railroad and bridge/tunnel operations, as well as their history.
