Learn about public transportation’s pivotal role in the growth of New York City at the New York Transit Museum. Enjoy a truly authentic experience at the museum, which is located in the former Court Street subway station in Brooklyn. Descend into the subway, where an impressive range of exhibits and artifacts await you.
Discover the history of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and its vast network of bus, subway, commuter rail and bridge and tunnel systems. Trace the evolution of the subway as you walk through the fleet of historic subway cars dating back to 1908. Dozens of scale models of trolleys and work cars line the walls.
Explore a variety of temporary and permanent exhibits. Don’t miss mainstays such as Fare Collection, which traces how commuters have paid their way through the transportation system since 1904. No Spitting on the Platform offers a humorous look at platform etiquette. Learn about New York’s 200-year history of trolleys and buses in On the Streets. Other exhibits address the challenges of moving millions of people every day, how the MTA responds to a crisis and other interesting elements of the MTA’s operation.
Get the full experience on an hour-long guided tour, which is included in your ticket price. Hear some fascinating anecdotes and learn the background of all the items on display. Special tours requiring sign-up explore the historic Old City Hall Station, which is typically closed to the public. See a variety of talent in PLATFORM, the museum’s acclaimed cross-disciplinary performance series.
The New York Transit Museum is a very child-friendly space. Let the little ones in your group explore the museum’s open spaces and investigate interactive displays. Get a transit-themed souvenir from the gift shop.
The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. If you can’t travel to Brooklyn, visit the satellite Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store in Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal.
Find the New York Transit Museum in a decommissioned subway station in Downtown Brooklyn. Fittingly, you can access the museum from over 20 bus and subway lines.
