View source for New York Transit Museum

{{Short description|History museum in Brooklyn, New York}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[New York Museum of Transportation]] near Rochester}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox museum
| name            = New York Transit Museum
| native_name     = 
| native_name_lang = 
| logo            = New York Transit Museum logo.svg
| image           = The Squirrels 0043.jpg
| alt             = The entrance to the museum, a staircase with a green railing heading underground, at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street
| caption         = Side view of the street entrance on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street
{{collapsed infobox section begin|More information|div=yes}}
| map_caption     = Location in New York City
| coordinates     = {{coord|40.6904|-73.9900|type:landmark_source:dewiki_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| former_name     = 
| dissolved       = 
| location        = Former Court Street station, 99 Schermerhorn St, [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|NY]] 11201<br>[[United States]]
| type            = Railway and mass transit museum
| accreditation   = [[Association of Science-Technology Centers|ASTC]]
| visitors        = 
| director        = 
| president       = 
| curator         = 
| network         = 
| map_alt         = 
| collection      = 
| publictransit   = '''Bus''': {{NYC bus link|B25|B26|B38|B41|B45|B52|B57|B61|B62|B63|B65|B103}}<br>'''Subway:''' <br>[[Court Street–Borough Hall (New York City Subway)|Court Street–Borough Hall]]<br>{{NYCS Eastern far west|time=bullets}} {{NYCS Fourth Montague day|time=bullets|exclude=N}}<br>[[Jay Street–MetroTech (New York City Subway)|Jay Street–MetroTech]]<br>{{NYCS Jay Street|time=bullets}} {{NYCS Fourth Montague day|time=bullets|exclude=N}}
| website         = [https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/ www.nytransitmuseum.org]
{{Collapsed infobox section end}}
}}

The '''New York Transit Museum''' (also called the '''NYC Transit Museum''') is a [[museum]] that displays historical artifacts of the [[New York City Subway]], [[MTA Regional Bus Operations|bus]], and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region. The main museum is located in the decommissioned '''Court Street''' [[metro station|subway station]] in [[Downtown Brooklyn]] and [[Brooklyn Heights]] in the [[New York City]] [[borough (New York City)|borough]] of [[Brooklyn]]. There is a smaller satellite Museum Annex in [[Grand Central Terminal]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]. The museum is a self-supporting division of the [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].
__TOC__
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==<span class="anchor" id="Station"></span> Historic use as station ==
{{Infobox NYCS | type = former
| image = New_York_Transit_Museum_Court_Street_platform.jpg
| image_caption = Station platform with museum exhibits
| name = Court Street
| accessible = yes
| acc_note = station was not wheelchair accessible when it was in service
| line = [[IND Fulton Street Line]]
| service_custom = None (currently occupied by museum)
| platforms = 1 [[island platform]]
| tracks = 2
| structure = Underground
| address = Schermerhorn Street &amp; Boerum Place<br>Brooklyn, NY 11201
| borough = [[Brooklyn]]
| locale = [[Downtown Brooklyn]]
| coordinates = {{coord|40.6904|N|73.99|W|display=inline}}
| opened = {{start date and age|April 9, 1936}}
| closed = {{start date and age|June 1, 1946}} (as a subway station)
| next_north=(Terminal)
| next_south = [[Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets station|Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets]]
| nolegend = yes
| hide_traffic = yes
| route_map = {{Routemap|inline=y
|title=Track layout
|legend =track
|map=
numN060
uPENDEa(LG)\uPENDEa(RG)
uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
uSHI1l\uSHI1r
uvÜST
uvSTR
uvSTR!~MFADEf ~~ ~~ ~~ to {{stl|NYCS|Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets}}
}}
}}

The museum is located in an actual subway station, which was originally called '''Court Street'''.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{rp|1}} The Court Street station was built as a terminus for local trains of the [[IND Fulton Street Line]] and opened on April 9, 1936,<ref name="nyt19360409">{{Cite news |date=April 9, 1936 |title=NEW SUBWAY LINK OPENED BY MAYOR; He Tells 15,000 in Brooklyn It Will Be Extended to Queens When Red Tape Is Cut. |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/04/09/archives/new-subway-link-opened-by-mayor-he-tells-15000-in-brooklyn-it-will.html |access-date=August 15, 2016 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="p1237383241">{{cite news |date=9 Apr 1936 |title=Mayor Opens New Brooklyn Subway Link: Fulton St. Extension of City System Joins East New York, Downtown Section LaGuardia at Controls Assails 'Political Obstructions' to Unification Plan Adding Four and a Half Miles to the City Subway |page=11 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1237383241}}}}</ref> along with a long section of the Fulton Street Line and the [[Rutgers Street Tunnel]].<ref name=Rutgers>{{cite news |title=Two Subway Links Start Wednesday |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1936/04/06/archives/two-subway-links-start-wednesday-city-will-begin-operating-fulton.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 6, 1936 |page=23 |access-date=October 7, 2011}}</ref> The station has one center [[island platform]] with two tracks. The tracks end at [[bumper block]]s just beyond the west end of the platform. The station walls feature a tile band set in a course two tiles high (as is the case with most IND local stations), colored aquamarine with a cerulean blue border.<ref name="BklynEagle-INDFulton-Apr51936">{{cite news|last1=Egan|first1=Leo|title=Brooklyn's New $53,000,000 Subway Line Ready to Open Wednesday Night|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52660008/?terms=%22hoyt%2Bschermerhorn%22%2B%22station%22|access-date=August 28, 2016|work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=April 5, 1936|page=16}}</ref> It is still a functioning subway station; trains are moved into and out of the exhibits using the tunnel between the station platforms and the outer tracks at Hoyt–Schermerhorn Street station (see below).<ref name="nyt-1967-03-31" />

=== Service pattern and closure ===
The station exemplified the [[Independent Subway System|IND]] service theory and the design of most of the Manhattan trunk lines, which specified that local trains should operate within individual [[borough (New York City)|borough]]s where possible, and provide transfers to express trains which would be through-routed between the boroughs.<ref name=NYCSubway-INDFulton>{{Cite web|title =IND Fulton Street Line|url = http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/IND_Fulton_Street_Line#Court_Street|website = www.nycsubway.org|access-date = February 18, 2016}}</ref> Court Street was to be the northern terminal of the [[HH (Court Street Shuttle)|HH]] Fulton Street Local, which would run south (geographically east) to [[Euclid Avenue (IND Fulton Street Line)|Euclid Avenue]]. Additionally, one of the alternative [[history of the Second Avenue Subway#Initial planning|plans]] for the [[Second Avenue Subway]] would have included a southern extension to Brooklyn, tying into the stub at Court Street to accommodate through service to/from Manhattan.<ref name=IND2ndSystem1939Map>[[:Image:1939 IND Second System.jpg|Project for Expanded Rapid Transit Facilities, New York City Transit System]], dated July 5, 1939</ref><ref name="WheelsDroveNY-2012">{{cite book|first1=Roger P.|last1=Roess|first2=Gene|last2=Sansone|title=The Wheels That Drove New York: A History of the New York City Transit System|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qfZ0VxuLoc0C&pg=PA416|date=August 23, 2012|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-642-30484-2|pages=416–417}}</ref><ref name=BklynEagle-BoroSubwayRelief-Dec1946>{{cite web|last1=Jaffe|first1=Alfred|title=Borough Subway Relief Still 2 or 3 Years Off|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52906677/?terms=euclid%2Bpitkin%2Bsubway|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|newspaper=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]|access-date=October 9, 2015|pages=1, 5|date=December 6, 1946}}</ref>

The [[HH (Court Street Shuttle)|HH]] through service was never inaugurated; the only trains to serve the station were part of the [[HH (Court Street Shuttle)|Court Street Shuttle]], taking passengers from Court Street to the transfer station at [[Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets (IND Fulton Street Line)|Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets]].<ref name=Rutgers/> Due to the proximity of other stations in the [[Downtown Brooklyn]] area, as well as the need to transfer to reach it, Court Street never saw much traffic<ref name="p1284572742">{{cite news |date=22 May 1946 |title=Subway Will Discontinue Its Court Street Shuttle: Is Closing Brooklyn Station June 1 for Economy |page=16A |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1284572742}}}}</ref> and was abandoned on June 1, 1946.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Foley|first1=A.J.|title=Sign for the Closing of the Court Street Station, 1946; IND Crosstown Line|url=http://nytm.pastperfectonline.com/photo/FEEA4845-FA89-4ECE-8687-291879981450|publisher=New York Transit Museum|access-date=August 28, 2016|date=1946}}</ref><ref name=BklynEagle-INDFultonCulver-ShortageSnarl-1946>{{cite web|last1=Blauvelt|first1=Paul|title=Shortages Snarl $50,000,000 Tube Links|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/57726129/?terms=euclid%2Bpitkin%2Bsubway|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|newspaper=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]|access-date=October 9, 2015|page=21|date=June 9, 1946}}</ref> This saved about $19,903 a year; at the time of its closure, the shuttle earned $6,700 a year.<ref name="p1284572742" />  Following the station's closure, most of the entrances to the street were sealed.<ref name="nyt-1967-03-31" />

=== Abandonment ===
While the station was closed to the public, non-revenue trains would occasionally run to and from the station, with the purpose of "keeping the rails polished".<ref name="BklynEagle-UnusedNYCS-1954">{{cite web|last1=Taft|first1=Lyman W.|title=Finds Many Unused Subway Tunnels Under City Streets|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54528663/?terms=euclid%2Bfulton%2Bsubway|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|newspaper=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]|access-date=September 16, 2015|page=24|date=October 13, 1954}}</ref> On March 15, 1960, the [[New York City Transit Authority]] tested a new cleaning process on the walls of the Court Street station, which had been stained after years without use.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Levey|first1=Stanley|title=New Cleaner Tested in Subway; Takes Off Dust (and Tiles, Too)|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/03/16/99852839.pdf|access-date=August 27, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 16, 1960}}</ref> There were also plans to convert the abandoned station into a [[bowling alley]] in 1961, but these were not carried out.<ref name="p1326254651">{{cite news |last=Silberfarb |first=Edward J. |date=22 Mar 1961 |title=Subway Stations to Get Bowling Alleys |page=23 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1326254651}}}}</ref> Meanwhile, the sealed but still-present station entrances became dumping grounds for garbage.<ref>{{cite news|title=What a Difference A Week Made!|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252023%2FBrooklyn%2520NY%2520Heights%2FBrooklyn%2520Heights%2520NY%2520Press%25201962-1963%2FBrooklyn%2520Heights%2520NY%2520Press%25201962-1963%2520-%25200210.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2Ff5e0e735c1e4c5706b6b56a8f58e5d85#page=1|access-date=August 28, 2016|work=Brooklyn Heights Press|agency=[[Fultonhistory.com]]|date=July 19, 1962|page=1|quote=Entrance to abandoned Independent subway station at Court and Schermerhorn Sts. remains as dirty as ever, and still a favorite dumping ground for garbage.}}</ref>

The station was also used as a set for movies.<ref name="nyt-1967-03-31">{{Cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=1967-03-31 |title=Now, Subways Are for Filming; T.A. Makes Old IND Court St. Station Available |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/31/archives/now-subways-are-for-filming-ta-makes-old-ind-court-st-station.html |access-date=2023-05-09 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="p1017142431">{{cite magazine |last=Frederick |first=Robert B. |date=5 Apr 1967 |title=Pictures: Abandoned Brooklyn Subway Station Now Too Clean For a Real film Set? |magazine=Variety |volume=246 |issue=7 |page=4 |id={{ProQuest|1017142431}}}}</ref> Three years after its closing in 1949, the station was used for the filming of the film ''[[Guilty Bystander]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1949/09/04/93326984.pdf|title=Notes on the Film Scene|date=September 4, 1949|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Weiler|first1=A.H.|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> On November 26, 1956, the station was used to film a scene of ''[[The FBI Story]]'', posing as the [[Bowling Green (IRT Lexington Avenue Line)|Bowling Green]] station.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/11/27/83427670.pdf|title=Old Court Street Station Gets Role in Spy Film-as Bowling Green; Closed IND Station is Reopened For Day as Motion-Picture Set|date=November 27, 1958|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Katz|first1=Ralph|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> By the 1960s, the station was being used for numerous films every year; for instance, the station was a filming location for nine films in 1964, thirteen in 1965, and twenty-two in 1966.<ref name="nyt-1967-03-31" /> ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974) was among the films that used the station as a filming location.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Burks|first1=Edward C.|title=It Looks Like Walter Matthau It Could Be Walter Matthau... It...|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/28/archives/it-looks-like-walter-matthauit-could-be-walter-matthauit.html?_r=0|access-date=August 27, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 28, 1974}}</ref> After the museum opened, the station continued to be used as a set for movies.<ref name="Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July11976" /> The museum remains open to requests to use the station for filming,<ref name="Jones 2021">{{cite web | last=Jones | first=Nate | title=There's No Better Set Than New York City | website=Vulture | date=December 7, 2021 | url=https://www.vulture.com/article/nyc-filming-locations.html | access-date=May 9, 2023}}</ref> as well as to host private events during hours the facility is not normally open.
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<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:New York City Transit Museum (17891085509).jpg|Looking down the platform
File:Court Street End of the Line on the Fulton Street line mfs.jpg|Bumper block at end of Track A2
File:'Train of Many Colors' Prep (14336172282).jpg|View down Track A2, on a rare occasion when displayed railcars are being rearranged
</gallery>

===Station layout===
The station was a two-track, one-[[island platform]]ed station while in service. The Transit Museum's main entrance is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in downtown Brooklyn. An [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990|ADA-accessible]] chair lift and elevator were added after the station was converted into a museum. The [[wheelchair lift]] is located at Court and Schermerhorn Streets,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ny1.com/archives/nyc/all-boroughs/2011/06/08/transit-museum-becomes-accessible-to-disabled-NYC_140642.old.html| title=Transit Museum Becomes Accessible To Disabled| work=[[NY1]]| date=June 8, 2011| access-date=March 16, 2017| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316114342/http://www.ny1.com/archives/nyc/all-boroughs/2011/06/08/transit-museum-becomes-accessible-to-disabled-NYC_140642.old.html| archive-date=March 16, 2017| df=mdy-all}}</ref> but unlike the elevators in operational New York City Subway stations, must be accessed by requesting it in advance or using a call button.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/#services|title=MTA - Transit Museum General Information|publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]|website=mta.info|date=April 2, 2016 |access-date=July 18, 2016 }}</ref>

==Exhibits and programs==
On July 4, 1976, the '''New York City Transit Exhibit''' was opened in the decommissioned underground station as part of the [[United States Bicentennial]] celebration, charging a fee of one subway token for admittance. Old subway cars which had been preserved, as well as models and other exhibits were displayed.<ref name="Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July11976">{{cite news|title=Old Train Will Come Here From Shut Station July 4|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252021%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201976%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201976%2520-%25200234.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F081c811f6e1db8501702eae8bc839488#page=1|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=[[Wave of Long Island]]|agency=[[Fultonhistory.com]]|date=July 1, 1976|page=6}}</ref><ref name=Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July221976/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffhist.htm |title=About NYC Transit - History |date=October 19, 2002 |access-date=September 18, 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021019203759/http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffhist.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2002 }}</ref> Plans were to keep the museum open until September 7 of that year,<ref name="Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July11976"/> but it proved to be so popular that it remained open and eventually became a permanent museum. On weekends during its initial opening, museum nostalgia trains would run between [[57th Street (IND Sixth Avenue Line)|57th Street − Sixth Avenue]] and [[Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street (IND Rockaway Line)|Rockaway Park]], making an intermittent hour-long stop at the exhibit.<ref name="Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July11976"/><ref name=Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July221976>{{cite news|title=Old Trains Run Weekends to Rockaway Park Station|url=http://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/viewer/?file=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspapers%252021%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201976%2FRockaway%2520Beach%2520NY%2520%2520Wave%2520Of%2520Long%2520Island%2520%25201976%2520-%25200265.pdf&highlightsFile=http%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2Fhighlighter%2Fhits%2F93d659c8a8ef3609588a95ba59fd2794#page=1|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=[[Wave of Long Island]]|agency=[[Fultonhistory.com]]|date=July 22, 1976|page=8}}</ref>

In the mid-1990s the [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] (MTA) assumed control of the Transit Museum from the [[New York City Transit Authority]]. At that time, the scope of the museum was expanded to include other aspects of transportation services within the MTA region, including commuter rail ([[Metro-North Railroad|Metro-North]], [[Staten Island Railway]], [[Long Island Rail Road]]) and roads, tunnels, and bridges ([[Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority|MTA Bridges and Tunnels]]). Since then, rotating exhibits on the mezzanine level frequently highlight commuter railroad and bridge/tunnel operations, as well as their history.

The museum includes subway, bus, railway, bridge, and tunnel memorabilia; and other exhibits including vintage signage and in-vehicle advertisements; and models and [[diorama]]s of subway, bus, and other equipment. A program of lectures, seminars, films, and tours for all ages is offered at the museum. In addition, offsite programs 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.

The museum's mezzanine (upper) level contains the majority of the exhibits, restrooms, water fountains, and a gift shop. Artifacts from historic subway and bus operations, as well as NYC transportation infrastructure, are on display. The exhibits on the upper level are changed from time to time. In addition, there is a small presentation screening room which usually displays posters and videos for public education about courtesy and safety, including examples from other transit systems around the world.

In addition to its own exhibit spaces, the museum occasionally collaborates with other local organizations, such as the [[Coney Island Museum]], to jointly present historical or contemporary shows, such as ''Five Cents To Dreamland: A Trip to Coney Island''.<ref name="CIM">{{cite web|title=Coney Island Museum|url=http://www.coneyisland.com/programs/coney-island-museum|website=Coney Island USA|access-date=June 8, 2017|archive-date=June 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606062132/http://coneyisland.com/programs/coney-island-museum|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Railway artifacts===
[[File:Train of Many Colors 4 8 08 at 40 Lowery.jpg|thumb|right|Special "[[Train of Many Colors]]" excursions are organized by the New York Transit Museum]]
On the platform (lower) level, two fully powered and operational subway tracks contain many historic examples of New York City subway and elevated railway equipment on permanent display. Preserved railcars, most of which can still be operated, date as far back as the predecessor companies that came before the [[New York City Transit Authority]], such as the [[Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation|BMT]] and [[Interborough Rapid Transit Company|IRT]] private companies, and the city owned and operated [[Independent Subway System|IND]]. The platform bordering one of the two tracks is equipped with hinged bright yellow [[gap filler]] boards, to allow the narrower IRT railcars to be safely boarded from a platform which was built for the wider cars running on newer lines.

A few specialized railwork vehicles formerly used for maintenance are also usually on view. In addition to the operational rolling stock, there is a large wheel truck and motor ([[bogie]]) on display on the platform itself, along with a series of informational panels showing the development of New York City's rail transit systems.

In addition, a fully functional underground "[[Signalling control|signal tower]]" [[control room]] is on view, a facility that was used to monitor the [[IND Fulton Street Line]] and [[IND Crosstown Line]] when the subway station was in active revenue service.<ref name="Rockawave-NYTransitMusem-July11976"/> The track diagram indicator lights and control levers are fully operational, and are still needed when the subway cars on display are replaced or moved; however, since the controls are live, the control panel is secured and locked, but visitors can still view it through a window and read explanatory signs.

Other artifacts in the museum include a poster for the 1926 [[lost film]], ''[[Subway Sadie]]'', as well as an original [[brass]] light fixture from the station's operating days.<ref name=TimeOut-Highlights-2011>{{cite web|last1=Plitt|first1=Amy|title=Highlights of the New York Transit Museum in New York City|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/museums/ten-must-sees-at-the-new-york-transit-museum-cultural-center|website=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|date=June 28, 2011|access-date=September 12, 2016|archive-date=January 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106060401/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/museums/ten-must-sees-at-the-new-york-transit-museum-cultural-center|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|2}} It also features an original [[mosaic]] plaque from the [[137th Street–City College (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|137th Street]] station, dating back to the subway's 1904 opening.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{rp|1}}

===Bus fleet and artifacts{{Anchor|Bus fleet}}===
[[File:Bus Festival (10004449073).jpg|thumb|right|The annual Bus Festival is an occasion to exhibit working historic buses, such as this double-decker]]
[[File:New York Transit Museum's Annual Bus Festival.jpg|thumb|The 26th Annual Bus Festival in [[Brooklyn Bridge Park]]]]
Besides subway cars, the museum has a sizable vintage bus fleet of retired buses. Because there is no area available for their permanent exhibition in the underground museum, they are stored in various [[Bus depots of the New York City Transit Authority|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 bus fleet includes:
* '''#3100''' (built 1956) was the first [[air-conditioned]] bus in use in any [[United States|American]] transportation system. An experimental bus of the [[Fifth Avenue Coach Company]], it had rear exit doors that passengers pushed to open; seats wrapping around the back of the bus; soft seats; and fluorescent lights. It last saw passenger service in the mid-1970s, having been used later for the [[New York City Transit Police]].<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#236''' (built 1980) was the first of the advanced design - high-tech bus for its age, having wheelchair-accessible [[Wheelchair lift|lifts]] and electronic [[marquee (sign)|marquee]]s. The fleet had many mechanical/structural problems and was pulled from service after four years.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#2969''' (originally '''#4789'''; built 1948) was custom-made for the city's transit system and was one of the first {{convert|40|ft|adj=on}} buses. Its front door was twice as wide as other buses' front doors at the time. It was renumbered after the bus that [[Jackie Gleason]]'s character in ''[[The Honeymooners]]'', Ralph Kramden, was pictured in.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#3865''' (built 1993) was operated by [[Queens Surface Corporation]] during its first years of service, but in May 2000, the bus became under the operation of [[Jamaica Buses]]. Twelve of the former Queens Surface buses (including #3865) replaced some 1980s-era buses that Jamaica Buses operated.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#100''' (built 1959) was a "New Look" bus built by [[GMC (automobile)|GMC]]. In total, 190 "New Look" buses operated in New York City. Each had a curved windshield with a one-piece overhead route sign and windows shaped like parallelograms.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#621''' (built 1979) was a "Fishbowl" bus built by [[General Motors of Canada]] and one of ten such buses used in New York City until the 1990s.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#3006''' (built 1988) was a "Classic" bus operated by [[Liberty Lines Transit]] and used from 1982 to 2006.
* '''#1502''' (built 1982) was a "New Look" bus. The 25 buses were operated by [[New York Bus Service]]. These buses had seats that faced forward; overhead racks and lights; and one door at the front.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#5227''' (built 1971 and rebuilt 1985) was one of 350 "New Look" buses that were rebuilt in Chicago. The buses, which had hard, blue lengthwise seating, were the last NYCT buses without a wheelchair lift.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#1201''' (built 1981) was one of ultimately 4,877 [[Rapid Transit Series]] buses used by the [[MTA Regional Bus Operations]] companies from 1981 to 1999. These buses all had wheelchair lifts, making MTA the first agency in the United States to have a fully accessible bus fleet.<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
* '''#8928''' (built 1969) was one of 133 buses that replaced an earlier, 1956 fleet. Thirteen buses were operated on Staten Island express buses and were later used as buses between [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] and the [[JFK Express]] at [[Howard Beach–JFK Airport (IND Rockaway Line)|Howard Beach–JFK Airport]].<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>

Some bus artifacts are present in the station. A revenue bag, one of many provided for use for bus drivers with the [[Third Avenue Railway#Bus transit operations (1952–1962)|Third Avenue Transit Corporation]], was used during the 1950s to transport money out of the buses. It is part of the interactive "Show Me the Money: From the Turnstile to the Bank" exhibit, where visitors could "see an image of the vacuum that attaches to the fare box and sucks the coins out."<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{rp|2}}

==Current exhibits==
{{As of|2017|}}, the museum features a number of exhibits:<ref name="Exhibits">{{cite web|title=Exhibits|url=http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/exhibits-collections/exhibits/|website=New York Transit Museum|access-date=June 8, 2017}}</ref>
*"Steel, Stone & Backbone: Building New York's Subways" highlights the challenges and labor involved in subway construction during the period 1900–1925.<ref name="mta.info">{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/|title=MTA - Transit Museum General Information|work=mta.info|date=April 2, 2016 }}</ref>
*"Moving the Millions" chronicles the history of the subway system from the private operators to the MTA New York City Transit of today. Located on the platform level, it is designed to supplement a visitor's experience exploring the various subway cars on display in the museum.<ref name="mta.info"/>
*"Fare Collection" explains different methods New Yorkers have used to pay subway fare over the years, and displays authentic subway turnstiles which visitors can traverse.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{Rp|1}}<ref name="mta.info" /> In addition, there is a small display of the various token designs that were used in the past before they were completely discontinued.
*"On the Streets" exhibits a comprehensive history of New York City's street transportation ([[horsecar]]s, [[cable car (railway)|cable car]]s, [[streetcar]]s, [[bus]]es, etc.), as well as two bus installations visitors can sit in, including the driver's seat.<ref name="mta.info"/>
*"Clearing the Air" discusses modern street transportation and its impact on the environment, and highlights steps that the MTA is taking to reduce its carbon footprint.<ref name="mta.info"/>
*"Stop Look and Listen" allows visitors to enter a working subway signal tower dating from 1936, to see how trains are kept a safe distance apart and supervised.
*"Bringing Back The City: Mass Transit Responds To Crisis" explains planning and emergency services, and their role in preventing or recovering from service disruptions.
*"No Spitting on the Platform" displays historic way-finding and etiquette signage.
*"Dr. George T.F. Rahilly Trolley and Bus Study Center" displays over 50 scale models of streetcars and work cars, with a focus on Brooklyn.

===Turnstiles and fare collection===
[[File:NYCS museum turnstiles.jpg|thumb|An array of historic subway turnstiles]]
Various [[turnstile]]s from the history of subways are on display at the New York Transit Museum.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{Rp|1}} They date as far back as the subway's opening in 1904, up through turnstiles that were still in use as recently as 2003. The exhibit includes many different types of turnstiles, including turnstiles used during the [[1939 New York World's Fair]] that were designed to require passengers to pay a special double fare both upon entering and exiting the [[World's Fair (IND World's Fair Line)|World's Fair]] subway station.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{Rp|1}} The exhibit is designed to be interactive and to be viewed in conjunction with a large board that details the history of fare payment in the subway. Most of the turnstiles can be walked through by visitors.

===Rolling stock===
[[File:NYCS fake money train.jpg|thumb|right|This R21/R22 car was rebuilt for the movie ''[[Money Train]]'', then donated to the New York Transit Museum collection]]

Most of the subway cars in the Transit Museum's fleet are operable, and they are frequently used for subway excursions run by the museum and New York City Transit on various parts of the system. The subway cars are fully furnished with vintage advertising placards and route maps, completing the period atmosphere inside the vehicles. Tickets for Transit Museum excursions (called "Nostalgia Trains") are sold in advance. Some New York City Transit special trains (such as Holiday specials at the end of most years, and Yankee/Met specials) are available for anyone to ride, so long as they have paid the regular subway fare. In addition to the subway cars displayed in the Transit Museum, there are also a number of museum cars that are kept off-site in various subway yards and shops while awaiting restoration, undergoing restoration, or in storage.

The following cars are displayed in the museum {{as of|2025|June|22|lc=y|df=us}}:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*'''Track A1''':
**[[R110B (New York City Subway car)|R110B]] #3007
**[[R1 (New York City Subway car)|R1]] #100
**[[R7A (New York City Subway car)|R7A]] #1575
**[[R4 (New York City Subway car)|R4]] #401
**[[D-type Triplex (New York City Subway car)|BMT D-type Triplex]] #6095A-B-C
**[[AB Standard (New York City Subway car)|BRT AB Standard]] #2204
**[[R30 (New York City Subway car)|R30]] #8506
**[[R44 (New York City Subway car)|R44]] #5240
*'''Track A2'''
**BRT [[BU cars (New York City Subway car)|BU Gated El Cars]] #1404, 1273, 1407<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
**BMT [[Q-type Queens car (New York City Subway car)|Q-Type El Car]] #1612C<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet">{{cite web | title=Vintage Fleet | website=New York Transit Museum | date=May 10, 2016 | url=https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/exhibits-collections/vintagefleet/ | access-date=February 27, 2022}}</ref>
**[[R33S (New York City Subway car)|R33S]] #9306, 9310
**[[R12 (New York City Subway car)|R12]] #5760<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
**[[R15 (New York City Subway car)|R15]] #6239<ref name="New York Transit Museum fleet"/>
**IRT [[Lo-V (New York City Subway car)|Lo-V]] #4902
**R3 IND Pump Car #56
**[[Long Island Rail Road]] Caboose #C-60
**[[South Brooklyn Railway|SBK]] Steeplecab #5
**Diesel Locomotive #10{{div col end}}

There are many cars not on display, but rather, are used on special fan excursions and other events. Most are based at 207 Street or Coney Island Yard. The rolling stock not on display include:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[South Brooklyn Railway|SBK]] Steeplecab 6
*IRT [[World's Fair (New York City Subway car)|World's Fair Lo-V]] #5655
*[[D-type Triplex (New York City Subway car)|BMT D-Type Triplex]] #6019A-B-C, 6112A-B-C
*[[R1 (New York City Subway car)|R1]] #381
*[[R4 (New York City Subway car) |R4]] #484
*[[R6 (New York City Subway car)|R6]] #1300
*[[R11 (New York City Subway car)|R11]] #8013
*[[R10 (New York City Subway car)|R10]] #3184, #3189 (#3189 was former Road Car Inspector School Training Car used at Pitkin Yard, 1984–2007)
*[[R12 (New York City Subway car)|R12]] #5782  (former Fire Department Training Car used at Coney Island Yard)
*[[R14 (New York City Subway car)|R14]] #5871  (former Fire Department Training Car used at Coney Island Yard)
*[[R16 (New York City Subway car)|R16]] #6387
*[[R17 (New York City Subway car)|R17]] #6609 (used in the 1971 film [[The French Connection (film)|''The French Connection'']])
*[[R26 (New York City Subway car)|R26]] #7774–7775
*[[R28 (New York City Subway car)|R28]] #7924–7925
*[[R29 (New York City Subway car)|R29]] #8678–8679
*[[R32 (New York City Subway car)|R32]] #3350–3351, 3352–3353 (Rebuilt as Phase II), 3360–3361 (Rebuilt as Phase I)
*[[R33 (New York City Subway car)|R33]] #9010–9011, 9016–9017, 9068–9069, 9206–9207 (part of the Train of Many Colors excursion cars)
*[[R33S (New York City Subway car)|R33S]] #9307–9308, 9343
*[[R36 (New York City Subway car)|R36]] #9542–9543, 9586–9587
*[[R38 (New York City Subway car)|R38]] #4028–4029
*[[R40 (New York City Subway car)|R40]] #4280–4281
*[[R40A (New York City Subway car)|R40A]] #4480–4481
*[[R42 (New York City Subway car)|R42]] #4572–4573 (used in the 1971 film [[The French Connection (film)|''The French Connection'']])
*R95 Revenue Collection Cars #0R714 (former [[R21 (New York City Subway car)|R21]] #7194) and #1R714 (former [[R22 (New York City Subway car)|R22]] #7422)
*"Money Train" Car #51050 (former [[R21 (New York City Subway car)|R21]] car #7203, modified and used in the 1995 film ''[[Money Train]]''.)
{{div col end}}

====Gallery====
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:Vintage Fleet BRT Brooklyn Union Elevated Car 1407.jpg|Wood-bodied "[[BU cars (New York City Subway car)|BU-type]]" elevated railcar, restored to original appearance and still operational
File:Vintage Fleet BMT World's Fair Car-1612.png|BMT "[[Q-type Queens car (New York City Subway car)|Q-type]]" car, built in 1903 and updated in 1938
File:NYCS-R7A.jpg|R7A car 1575 was used as a prototype for the R10 series following a wreck in 1946
File:MTA NYC R7A 1575 interior.JPG|Interior of R7A car 1575, a prototype for the R10 series
File:Vintage Fleet IRT R12 Car Number-5760.png|An R12 car on display
File:R12 irt subway car interior.jpg|Interior of IRT R12 subway car with [[rattan]] seat cushions
File:Vintage Fleet R11 Prototype R34 Car Number 8013.png|Interior of the R11/R34 car
File:Money Train (5061295474).jpg|A "[[Money train]]" car, retired circa 2006
File:NYC money train interior.jpg|Interior of the [[Money train]]
</gallery>

==Past exhibits==
Some exhibits no longer on view include:
*"ElectriCity: Powering New York's Rails", an interactive exhibit of the various types of electric power generation, how it gets to the subway, and how electric motors work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lsc.org/electricity/|title=ElectriCity|work=lsc.org|access-date=April 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403145914/http://lsc.org/electricity/|archive-date=April 3, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*"Show Me the Money: From the Turnstile to the Bank", which explained the old (pre-2006) process of revenue collection in the New York City Subway via [[money train]]s, cloth "money bags", and a [[sewing machine]] used to create them.<ref name="TimeOut-Highlights-2011" />{{Rp|1}}

No longer on view in the "Fare Collection" exhibit are several token [[vending machine]]s that were used to sell [[subway token]]s prior to the advent of the [[MetroCard (New York City)|MetroCard]].

Other previous exhibits have included surveys of historic subway maps, artwork, signage, and mosaics. A refrigerator-sized plug-in [[circuit breaker]], a complete [[relay]]-based classic electric [[motor controller]], and numerous other artifacts that highlight topics such as subway signaling and control, electrical power, and railway [[infrastructure]] are no longer on view at the platform (lower) level.

==Grand Central Gallery Annex and Store==
[[File:GCT NYTM.jpg|thumb|[[Grand Central Terminal]] Gallery Annex and Store]]
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 transit-oriented [[gift shop]] as well as a space for rotating temporary exhibitions.<ref>{{cite news | title=New Yorkers & Co. | work=[[The New York Times]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/19/nyregion/new-yorkers-co-688293.html | date=September 19, 1993 | access-date=September 22, 2009 }}</ref> The Annex is the site of the Transit Museum's annual Holiday Train Show, where an operating [[rail transport modelling|model train layout]] is displayed for the public. While there is an admission fee at the Transit Museum's main Brooklyn Heights location, entrance to the Annex is free. The main Brooklyn Heights location also has its own gift shop, which is accessible outside of the museum's paid area. An additional gift store is available within the headquarters of the [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority|MTA]], at 2 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

==Archives==
Documents, photographs, and artifacts are stored both in the Transit 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 objects from the museum's archive can be viewed on the New York Transit Museum's Online Collections platform.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nytransitmuseum.catalogaccess.com/|title=New York Transit Museum's Online Collections}}</ref> Some images from their collection can also be seen on [[Historypin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historypin.org/en/explore/geo/40.690505,-73.989988,17/bounds/40.687869,-73.992702,40.693141,-73.987274/paging/1|title=Historypin|work=historypin.com}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{col-begin}}{{col-break|width=30%}}

'''Official websites'''
*[http://www.nytransitmuseum.org/ NY Transit Museum]
*[https://nytransitmuseum.catalogaccess.com/home New York Transit Museum Online Collections]
*[http://www.nytransitmuseumstore.com/ Transit Museum's Online Store]

'''Unofficial sites with official content'''
*[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-NY/New-York-Transit-Museum/89895068842 MTA's New York Transit Museum Facebook Web Page]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110214084725/http://www.historypin.com/profile/view/nytransitmuseum Images from the MTA's New York Transit Museum Archive on Historypin]

{{col-break|width=30%}}
'''Unofficial sites'''
*[http://www.nycsubway.org/ nycsubway.org]
**[http://nycsubway.org/perl/stations?217:99 IND Fulton: Court Street (Future Transit Museum)]
**[http://nycsubway.org/cars/nytm.html New York Transit Museum]
*[http://subway.com.ru/ Subway.com.ru] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923202523/http://subway.com.ru/oprail/ |date=September 23, 2006 }}
**[http://subway.com.ru/oprail/ Op-Rail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923202523/http://subway.com.ru/oprail/ |date=September 23, 2006 }}

{{col-break|width=30%}}
* {{commons category-inline|New York Transit Museum}}

'''[[Google Maps Street View]] tours'''
* [http://www.insidebusinessnyc.com/new-york-transit-museum/ Google Virtual Tour of the NYC Transit Museum]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.690433,-73.989937&spn=0.004767,0.01929&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.450489,76.552734&layer=c&cbll=40.690466,-73.990069&panoid=iFNBM8FnDca5YqRSOEW7mA&cbp=12,16.66,,0,9.29&t=m&z=16 Main entrance from Google Maps Street View]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.690987,-73.99175&spn=0.001314,0.004823&t=m&layer=c&cbll=40.690968,-73.991639&panoid=N-TZ8YXS1VNTcWIrm9MAeg&cbp=12,33.53,,0,2.08&z=18 ADA-accessible entrance from Google Maps Street View]
{{col-end}}

{{NYCS stations navbox|fulton=yes}}
{{Downtown Brooklyn}}
{{Midtown North, Manhattan}}
{{Museums in Manhattan|state=collapsed}}
{{Grand Central Terminal}}

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[[Category:1976 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Association of Science-Technology Centers member institutions]]
[[Category:Boerum Hill]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Heights]]
[[Category:Former elevated and subway stations in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:History museums in New York City]]
[[Category:IND Fulton Street Line stations]]
[[Category:Museums established in 1976]]
[[Category:Museums in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Museums in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Railroad museums in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Technology museums in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Transportation museums in New York City]]
[[Category:Grand Central Terminal]]