Latest news with #NewYorkTransitMuseum
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A free one-day Bus Festival will see rare and vintage NYC buses roll into Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn, get ready to trade your OMNY swipe for a trip back in time. On Sunday, September 21, the New York Transit Museum's beloved Bus Festival returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park—and admission is completely free. From 10am to 3:30pm, Emily Warren Roebling Plaza will become an open-air time capsule showcasing more than 90 years of New York City bus history. Four stars of the museum's vintage fleet will take center stage, including Betsy, a 1931 double-decker from Fifth Avenue Coach's '1200 series' that ran until 1947; the 1956 Bus 3100, the first air-conditioned bus in the United States, complete with cushioned seats and fluorescent lighting; the baby-blue 1969 Bus 4727, built to tackle the Bronx's steep hills; and the 1971 Bus 5227, a 'New Look' GM model later overhauled into a 'Blitz Bus' and remembered for its hard blue bench seating. This year's festival comes with a little intrigue, too. Organizers are promising a few surprise guest vehicles—rare appearances that even veteran transit buffs might not have seen in person. All will be open for boarding, offering the chance to explore the interiors and imagine a commute when the fare was just a nickel. The day isn't just about bus-spotting. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, meet some of the people who keep New York moving every day and capture Manhattan skyline-worthy photos of these restored rides in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Transit Museum Store will also set up a pop-up shop filled with transit-themed books, toys and collectibles for anyone looking to take a piece of the city's history home. Though the event is free, the museum encourages advance registration to help with planning. Those who register will be entered into a raffle for a $100 Family Membership, unlocking a year of museum access and special perks. Rain or shine, the Bus Festival offers a rare opportunity to get up close to the vehicles that shaped New York's streets and to see them in a setting worthy of their history.
Time Out
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You can ride vintage subway trains to Rockaway Beach and Coney Island this summer
If your ideal summer day involves sand, surf and a heavy dose of New York nostalgia, the New York Transit Museum has your name all over two upcoming beach-bound adventures. This July and August, the Museum is rolling out its wildly popular Summer Nostalgia Rides, giving New Yorkers the chance to head to Coney Island and Rockaway Beach aboard vintage R1-9 subway cars from the 1930s. It's part seaside getaway, part living history tour—and way cooler than sitting in traffic on the BQE. The first trip takes place Saturday, July 19, when the vintage fleet will shuttle straphangers from 96th Street–Second Avenue to the Coney Island–Stillwell Avenue terminal. It's a roughly two-hour joyride straight into the past, ending at the doorstep of Luna Park, the boardwalk and a perfectly snappy Nathan's dog. Riders can return to Manhattan aboard the same cars later in the day or stay and soak in the sunset. Then on Sunday, Aug. 10, the train heads to Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street for a full day of ocean breezes and boardwalk snacks. That trip also departs from the Upper East Side at 10 am and returns mid-afternoon, though you're free to extend your stay if you're feeling extra beachy. The real stars of the show here are the trains themselves. These R1-9 cars first hit the tracks in 1932, combining the best of IRT and BMT design: speedy, spacious and equipped with four double doors for quick crowd movement. Their industrial green exteriors and riveted metal shells evoke a different era, one that inspired jazz great Billy Strayhorn's 'Take the A Train.' Tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for kids, with discounts for Transit Museum members. And fair warning: These cars don't have air conditioning, so pack a portable fan along with your sunscreen. Spots for both trips are on sale now on the . Just don't forget to snap a pic—or five—before stepping back into the 21st century.
Time Out
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
You'll be able to ride 100-year-old subway cars in Brooklyn this weekend
Step—or better yet, subway—back in time this weekend with a nostalgic trip down MTA lane: Just as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York Transit Museum festively did over the holidays, the NYC subway system will see a few retro trains taking to its tracks on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, offering riders a glimpse into New York's metro past. As part of the so-called " Parade of Trains," a selection of historical subway cars—this year's lineup includes the legendary R1/9s, BMT Standards, and BU Gate Cars, the latter of which are more than 120 years old—will be rolled out for a special weekend celebration on the BMT Brighton Line, inviting MetroCard swipers to hop on and off vintage favorites at the Brighton Beach station (B/Q platforms) and Kings Highway station (Manhattan-bound B/Q platform). Trains will run between Brighton Beach and Kings Highway starting at 11am ET on both Saturday and Sunday, with individual trips running approximately 10 minutes each and the last train being boarded by 3:50pm. Admission to the throwback experience is free with a simple MetroCard swipe or OMNY tap and while not required, advanced registration is encouraged. Pre-registration also enters you into a raffle for a chance to win a Family membership to the New York Transit Museum (a $100 value). View this post on Instagram A post shared by New York Transit Museum (@nytransitmuseum) Each train car will eschew the now-standard modern trappings (think air conditioning and "The next stop is..." automated voice announcements) and fully take you back in time with their rattan seats, leather straps, hand-operated doors and old-school advertisements. 'It really feels like stepping into a moving museum or time capsule,' said Transit Museum Marketing Manager Chelsea Newburg. 'You can hop on cars that date all the way back to 1904, sit on the rattan seats and even see vintage ads in the cars from the period the train cars were in service. Each car has its own story and personality, and together they show just how much the city and its transit system has changed over the years.'
