A Day at the NYC Transit Museum
A few days before the Thanksgiving holiday, my sister and I took my nieces and nephews on a trip to the NYC Transit Museum. My nephew expressed his interest in trains and buses and it was a nice day out, so we all hopped on the train towards downtown Brooklyn. The cool thing about the NYC Transit Museum is it’s inside an old subway station. There are a number of activities available for families, but it was our first visit. We decided to do our own exploration instead of taking part in group activities.
Steel, Stone, and Backbone
The exhibit Steel, Stone, and Backbone show the development of the NYC Transit system from 1900-1925. We were able to see photos and videos of workers digging through the tunnels and get hands-on with the tools they used to build the tracks.
Moving The Millions: New York City’s Subways From Its Origins To The Present
We proceeded down the stairs to see Moving The Millions: New York City’s Subways From Its Origins To The Present. In this exhibit, we walked through real subway cars from the early 1900s til modern day. It was cool to see the evolution of the cars, how they got the “straphanger” name and brand advertising. I actually thought subway advertising started in the 70s or 80s. We were also able to see the different maps, showing the transit system’s expansion throughout the years.
On The Streets: New York’s Trolley’s and Buses
Our favorite exhibit was On The Streets: New York’s Trolley’s and Buses. We learned about the expansion of the bus system and the inclusion of stop and walk/don’t walk signs within the traffic system. We also saw a “day in the life'” of a transit employee, took a ride in mock buses and were a bus driver or dispatcher for a moment.
It was a fun afternoon to learn about the NYC Transit system that gets millions of New Yorkers and tourists around every day. For more information about exhibits, visiting hours, prices and accessibility, visit the NYC Transit Museum online.
Have you visited the NYC Transit Museum before?
Oooooo I’ve never been but my son loves trains already! I may wait til he’s a little older. Love it though!
I hope he does. My youngest niece is going to be 2 and she had a blast.
I haven’t been to the NYC Transit Museum, but I’m sure my boys would love it. Going to make sure we go the next time we’re in NYC.
I’m debating visiting New York for my bday this year, and this museum looks really cool. I’ll be sure to put this on my must do list!
There’s also an annex in Grand Central. Not as big, but just as nice.
Wow what a fun museum! I love they recreated the transit and make it a museum I didnt even know that it existed!
Wow you taught me something new- never knew it existed! Will keep in mind for the next time I’m there with the kids. Looks so cool and you captured great pics and recap.
OMG, how cool is this, I love that it is inside an actual train station. I need to keep this in mind when we bring the kids to NYC.
We loved it because it was very hands-on. We want to go back to do the workshops.
Never been to NYC, never been on a subway either. Definitely need to put a visit on my must do list real soon.
How cool is this! I’ve been to New York a few times and really want to take my kids to experience it for themselves. I think the transit museum will have to be added to the list of places to visit, for sure!
This seems like a great first stop on a kid’s trip to NYC! Especially if the family will be using public transportation to get around the city. It will give them a new appreciation for how they are getting from point A to point B.
I had no idea NYC had something like this. I may need to visit this next time I come to NY
This is one of the museums I have always wanted to visit but always forget about. I am going to make it happen the next time I am in the city!