The MTA Transit Museum
Ever take a ride on the subway and wonder how it all works? The New York City Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn explains it all.
Riding the Train There
Downtown Brooklyn is home to many of Brooklyn’s famous attractions. The Barclay Center is the new goto spot for any great shows playing or a riveting Nets Game. The Willamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, which is visible from more than just its home neighborhood, houses the famed Williamsburg Flea in the winters. Downtown Brooklyn is also home to one of the top NYC museums, the New York Transit Museum, dedicated solely to the famous and infamous New York City subway system.
The Next Brooklyn Bound Train
After taking a lovely stroll through the streets of Boerum Hill, a neighborhood next to Downtown Brooklyn, you’ll know you have arrived at the Transit Museum when you see a green subway station poking out from underground. That’s right — the museum is actually located inside the New York City subway system.
After Court Street Station decommissioned on June 1, 1946, the platform was used for filming on movie sets before becoming home to the New York Transit Museum in 1976. The tracks are still live to move trains in and out of the museum as needed, so make sure to avoid leaning too far out on the platform.
The History of the NYC Subway Station
My excitement grew as I walked down the stairs of the platform and entered a fully fleshed out world of public transit. Getting a ticket at the old fashioned booth at the front of the museum, I headed inside. I took a tour with a knowledgeable and friendly guide.
I would definitely recommend taking the guided tour if you have the time. I learned so much about the MTA in one afternoon. I was shocked to learn that the system contains 469 subway stations, 846 miles of subway track, and that each subway car costs over $1 million dollars.
Take a Ride on Vintage Subway Cars!
Have you ever wondered what it was like to ride a subway car in the Prohibition Era? Enter down another level into the museum and you’ll walk through the actual subway platform and sit on trains dating all the way back to 1903. I walked through all of the cars, amazed at just how much things have changed through different eras.
I learned that when subway cars retire, they are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean to create an underwater reef for crustaceans and fish. It’s cool to think that the New York City MTA is helping to maintain our ocean environments as well as helping us travel through our land ones.
Get the Gift Shop Goods
It’s not a proper trip to the museum unless you take time to check out all the quirky trinkets in the gift shop afterwards. There are tons of subway-themed souvenirs to check out and buy. You can even get a t-shirt, mugs — really anything else that boasts your favorite subway line. I chose the L Train! I had a great day exploring the New York City subway system and have come to appreciate my daily form of public transportation more than ever.
