The New York Transit Museum: A Hidden Gem For More Than Train Nerds
I’ve lived in New York for years, and I’m a huge advocate for public transportation. As such, I can’t believe it took me this long to check out the Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn.
Well, I finally did, and today I’ll provide you with what you need to know about the museum. It’s a chance to step inside New York City’s past. I learned about the construction of the subways, the biggest political fights, details like the ads on the subways, and saw the vintage train cars.
It’s not just for transit nerds and kids, but that’s the target audience. However, I think anybody interested in New York or cities in general, and how mass transportation makes them go, will love this museum.
Some Visitor Basics
Location and Address: At 99 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn, what’s cool about this museum from the start is that it’s in a decommissioned subway station. To enter the museum, you go down the former subway entrance. Pretty cool. (Note, there is an accessible entrance around the corner.]
Hours and Admission: I paid $10 for adult admission. That’s a good deal, I think. The museum offers discounted rates for seniors, students, and children. Checking their website for seasonal hours, as they can vary throughout the year.
How to Get There: Given that it’s in Downtown Brooklyn, the subway is the best way to get there. Multiple subway lines serve the area, including the 4, 5, 6 trains at Borough Hall, the A, C, F, R trains at Jay Street-MetroTech, and the 2, 3 trains at Hoyt Street.
How Long to Plan: If you like to read every little thing like me, you can easily spend three hours. For most people, two hours is probably good.
Museum Layout and Exhibits
The fact that this museum sits in a historic 1936 subway station is central to the second half of the museum, where you can see functioning, vintage train cars on subway tracks like any other.
It transports you back in time, and you get the sense that you’re about to discover something hidden beneath the city.
Gallery Level: History, Storytelling, and Temporary Exhibits
I spent a lot of time in the first exhibit when you walk in, which talked about the creation of the subway. At the time in the early 20th century, I imagine the subway felt like nothing short of magic.
Yet, I was also fascinated by the struggles and dangers of those who actually built it. It’s another example that New York was literally built on the backs of immigrant labor, doing the dangerous tasks of dynamiting tunnels, something which we still benefit from today. You could easily spend 2 hours on the gallery level, reading all of the details.
The Subway Is…
This gallery level is how it told the story of the subway through many different lenses.
You get the engineering marvel, the political battles, the human cost, and the cultural impact all woven together. These exhibits mean there’s always something new to discover alongside the permanent displays.
I think my favorite exhibit was the “The Subway Is…” series. It was a lot of thoughts to ponder. From just how important the subway’s construction was, to how it has powered all kinds of New Yorkers and this story of it as the ultimate democratizing force, that’s the section that reminded me why we need to fight for more and better public transit.
For example, I love how this section explained how new subway stations led to the creation of new neighborhoods. The two went hand-in-hand.
Angles To Transit We Rarely Discuss
Sure, we talk about the creation of the subway, its impact, and how it has shaped New York City, but we don’t always talk about the details. Some of the exhibits included…
- How we pay for the subway, from coins to the MetroCard, to OMNY today
- The advertisements on the subway
- The design of the turnstiles
- The artistic touches that are iconic to New York’s systems
The Transit Museum has many layers to peel back. I enjoyed reading all of the details.
Platform Level: The Trains Are For Train Nerds
This is the part of the museum everybody talks about. It’s true—these old subway cars are really cool. Walking through vintage subway cars and buses gives you that hands-on experience that makes the museum special. It’s obviously great for kids. I saw lots of kids running around in awe of them.
With so many cars along such a long platform, it does start to feel like… well, like I’m just boarding and unboarding from subway cars.
My one critique is that I wish there were more written details about these cars and more of a story connecting them.
I found myself wanting to know more about the specific history and significance of each vehicle. I’m sure rail nerds could hang out there all day, but I’m not quite on that level of nerdiness.
The Gift Shop Is Cool
It has all the New York City transit gear you could ever want.
Lots of Stuff For Kids
There was an activity guide for kids, a bus for kids to pretend drive, even a “stroller parking” area.
This museum definitely caters to kids. I went on a Wednesday, so I saw some school groups. I suspect that’s the norm.
Let Me Know What You Think!
Head to the museum and let me know!
In the meantime, check out more New York things to do.
One Comment