New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, New York

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Brooklyn, New York · Updated October 19, 2026 · 13 min read

Trolley and streetcar museumTrain rides

The New York Transit Museum keeps the story of the city's subways, buses, commuter railroads, bridges and tunnels inside a real 1936 subway station in Brooklyn, where a full city block of platform holds vintage cars you can board.

  • Inside the 1936 Court Street station
  • Founded in 1976
  • About 20 vintage cars to board
  • Some cars date to 1904
  • Free Grand Central Gallery
  • Nostalgia Rides on vintage trains

New York Transit Museum at a glance

Hours
Posted on the museum's Hours and Admission page; check before you go
Admission
Ticketed in Brooklyn, advance booking recommended; Grand Central Gallery is free
Train rides
Nostalgia Rides on vintage trains run on select dates; see the museum's calendar
Seasonal events
Nostalgia Rides, Bus Festival, Transit Tots, Movers and Makers
Plan for
About 2 hours
Best for
Subway-loving kids, families and transit fans
Best ages
Toddlers to teens
Accessibility
Main entrance is down two flights of stairs; a wheelchair-accessible entrance with a lift is at Court and Schermerhorn Streets.

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to New York Transit Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Brooklyn.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

A subway station that closed in 1946 and came back as a museum

The museum lives in the old Court Street station, which opened on April 9, 1936 as a terminal for local trains on the IND Fulton Street Line. The through service it was built for never started. Only a short shuttle to Hoyt and Schermerhorn Streets ever called here, and with so many other stations nearby, riders stayed away. The station closed on June 1, 1946 and most of its street entrances were sealed.

For thirty years the platform sat quiet, except for the film crews. Movie makers used the empty station for scenes in Guilty Bystander, The FBI Story and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, among dozens of others, and the museum still welcomes filming today.

On July 4, 1976, as part of the national Bicentennial, the New York City Transit Exhibit opened on the old platform. Admission was one subway token. It was meant to close that September, but so many people came that it stayed, and the exhibit grew into a permanent museum. In the mid-1990s the Metropolitan Transportation Authority took over from the New York City Transit Authority and widened the story to include Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, the Staten Island Railway and MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

Today the museum is a self-supporting division of the MTA. Friends of the New York Transit Museum, a nonprofit set up in 1995, raises money for its exhibitions, operations and education programs, from toddler story hours to school tours.

Two levels underground: the galleries and the train platform

You enter at Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street and walk down to the mezzanine, where most of the exhibits, the restrooms and the largest of the museum's gift shops are. Changing exhibitions cover subway, bus, commuter rail, bridge and tunnel history, with vintage signs, in-car advertisements, models and dioramas. One gallery walks you through a century of turnstile design, and you can sit behind the wheel of a city bus.

Downstairs, the platform level runs a full city block along two live subway tracks. Here the museum shows a rotating line of about twenty vintage subway and elevated cars, some from 1904, built for the old IRT, BMT and IND companies. Most can still run, and you can step inside. Along the way you pass a big wheel truck and motor, history panels, and a working signal tower you can look into through a window.

Don’t miss

  1. The vintage car lineupAbout twenty subway and elevated cars sit on the platform tracks, and walking from the oldest to the newest is the clearest way to see how a century of riding the subway changed.
  2. The yellow gap boardsHinged yellow boards along one edge of the platform let visitors safely board the narrower IRT cars from a platform built for wider trains.
  3. The Court Street signal towerThis control room once watched over the Fulton Street and Crosstown lines, and its lights and levers still work when the museum moves cars in and out.
  4. The 1904 mosaic plaqueAn original mosaic plaque from the 137th Street station dates to the subway's opening year.
  5. The bus driver's seatKids can sit behind the wheel of a real city bus, one of the museum's most hands-on moments.
  6. The turnstile galleryA walk through about a hundred years of turnstiles shows how the city has collected fares, token by token.

Subway cars to board and a bus to drive

Kids can walk through about twenty old trains, sit in the driver's seat of a city bus, and look for the oldest car on the platform. The museum runs family programs too: Transit Tots on select Sunday mornings offers story time, crafts and play for children 18 months to 3 years with a grown-up, and Movers and Makers is a monthly family tour and workshop in the makerspace. There is also a Birthday Experience for train-loving kids.

Plan for stairs: the main entrance is down two flights, and a wheelchair lift is at Court and Schermerhorn Streets. The museum has posted that air conditioning in the back mezzanine galleries and Education Center is out, so no areas are climate controlled for now. Dress for the weather.

Plan your visit: tips for New York Transit Museum

  • Book Brooklyn tickets in advance; only a limited number are sold on site.
  • Take the subway or bus: more than 20 lines reach the museum.
  • Groups of nine or more need a scheduled staff-led tour.
  • The museum is not climate controlled right now, so dress for the weather and bring a fan in summer.
  • The museum, Grand Central and 2 Broadway are all closed January 1, June 19, Thanksgiving and December 25.

The museum's Nostalgia Rides take riders out on vintage trains on select dates, and its Bus Festival puts the historic bus fleet on show. Dates change each year, so check the museum's calendar. For holiday trips elsewhere in the state, see our guide to Christmas train rides in New York.

Run by the MTA, backed by its Friends

The New York Transit Museum is a self-supporting division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, so tickets, memberships and shop sales matter. Friends of the New York Transit Museum, a nonprofit founded in 1995, raises money for exhibits and education. Visitors can help by becoming a member, making a gift, or buying from the shops in Brooklyn, at Grand Central or at 2 Broadway.

More rail history around New York Harbor

Across the river in New Jersey, the Maywood Station Museum is about 15 miles away and the Whippany Railway Museum about 24 miles. On Long Island, the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum is roughly 27 miles out. For the rest of the state, see all our New York train museum pages.

Every train museum in New York

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a dad lifting Rally the corgi up the big stairs of a red train car
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

The museum's main entrance is down two flights of stairs, and once you reach the platform there's a whole row of old subway cars to climb into. I thought of Rally right away. His corgi legs are made for herding, not for big train steps, so in our book Dad gives him a boost up into the car. My kids still giggle at that page every time we read it.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at New York Transit Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

New York Transit Museum: 20 questions families ask

Where is the New York Transit Museum?

The main New York Transit Museum is at 99 Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn, NY 11201, inside the old Court Street subway station. The main entrance is at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. The museum also runs a free Gallery and Store at Grand Central Terminal and a shop at 2 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

What are the New York Transit Museum hours?

The museum posts current hours for Brooklyn and Grand Central on its Hours and Admission page, and they were not captured clearly for this page, so check nytransitmuseum.org before you go. All locations close on January 1, June 19, Thanksgiving Day and December 25. Its store site listed July 4 hours of 10 am to 4 pm in Brooklyn.

How much are New York Transit Museum tickets?

The museum in Brooklyn is ticketed, but current prices were not captured for this page. You can find admission rates and buy tickets on nytransitmuseum.org, or call (718) 694-1600. The Transit Tots program for ages 18 months to 3 years was $40 per family as of October 2026, and that fee includes museum admission.

Do I need to buy New York Transit Museum tickets in advance?

The museum strongly encourages it. Only a limited number of tickets are sold on site in Brooklyn, so reserving online is the safest way to get in on the day you want, especially on weekends and school breaks. Groups of nine or more cannot simply walk in and must book a staff-led adult, school or youth tour.

Are there free tickets or discounts at the New York Transit Museum?

The Grand Central Gallery and Store is free to visit. For the Brooklyn museum, the museum does not post discount codes online. Members of the Family level and above get 10 percent off family workshops, and membership details are on the museum's website. Ask at (718) 694-1600 about any current offers.

What is the New York Transit Museum at Grand Central?

The Grand Central Gallery and Store is the museum's free satellite location, off the main concourse in the Shuttle Passage of Grand Central Terminal at 89 E 42nd Street. It hosts smaller rotating exhibits and a shop. You can reach it at (212) 878-0106, and its hours are posted separately on the museum's website.

Does the New York Transit Museum have a store?

Yes, three of them. The largest gift shop is inside the Brooklyn museum, the Gallery and Store sits in Grand Central Terminal, and a third shop is at 2 Broadway, Store Front 3, in Lower Manhattan. There is also an online store. The 2 Broadway shop was listed as closed on July 4.

What can you see at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn?

The platform level holds a rotating group of about twenty vintage subway and elevated cars, some dating to 1904, and you can board them. Upstairs on the mezzanine are changing exhibits on subways, buses, commuter rail, bridges and tunnels, a century of turnstiles, vintage signs and ads, and a city bus driver's seat to try.

Can you go inside the old trains at the New York Transit Museum?

Yes. Boarding the historic cars is the heart of a visit. Most of the cars on the two platform tracks can still run, and they come from the old IRT, BMT and IND lines as well as later fleets. Yellow hinged gap boards make it safe to step into the narrower IRT cars from the wide platform.

What is the New York Transit Museum Nostalgia Train ride?

Nostalgia Rides are the museum's trips aboard vintage trains, run on select dates and listed on its calendar. The museum also offers offsite opportunities to ride historic rail and bus equipment. Dates, routes and fares change, so check the Nostalgia Rides page on nytransitmuseum.org before planning a trip around one.

Does the New York Transit Museum do anything for Christmas?

The museum does not describe a specific Christmas train or holiday event online. Its Nostalgia Rides run on select dates through the year, and the shops in Brooklyn, Grand Central and 2 Broadway sell transit gifts. Check the museum's calendar each fall for holiday programs, and note it closes on December 25.

What is the New York Transit Museum Bus Festival?

The Bus Festival is one of the museum's featured public programs and centers on its vintage bus fleet. The museum lists it with its Nostalgia Rides and family programs, but dates and details change from year to year. Watch the calendar on nytransitmuseum.org or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram for the next one.

What events are coming up at the New York Transit Museum?

The museum keeps a calendar of public programs, family programs, access programs, Nostalgia Rides, Old City Hall tours and the Bus Festival. Regular family offerings include Transit Tots on select Sunday mornings and the monthly Movers and Makers tour and workshop. Upcoming dates are on the programs and calendar pages of its website.

Is the New York Transit Museum good for toddlers?

Yes, and it even runs a program just for them. Transit Tots, on select Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 am and 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, offers story time, crafts and play for children 18 months to 3 years with an adult. Little ones also love walking through the old subway cars on the platform.

Is there parking at the New York Transit Museum?

The museum does not list its own parking lot. It is reachable by more than 20 subway and bus lines, which is the simplest way to get there. If you drive, look for a garage in Downtown Brooklyn and call (718) 694-1600 for suggestions.

Is the New York Transit Museum wheelchair accessible?

Partly through a separate entrance. The main entrance is down two flights of stairs, but a wheelchair-accessible entrance with a lift and elevator is at the corner of Schermerhorn and Court Streets. The lift is reached by calling ahead or using a call button. Email access@nytransitmuseum.org with questions about access programs.

Is the New York Transit Museum air conditioned?

Not right now. The museum has posted that air conditioning is out in the back mezzanine galleries and Education Center, so no areas are currently climate controlled. It asks visitors to dress for the weather and bring a fan if possible. Check the website for updates before a summer visit.

Can I have a birthday party at the New York Transit Museum?

Yes. The museum offers a Birthday Experience for train-loving kids in Brooklyn. Details, pricing and booking are on the Birthday Experience page of nytransitmuseum.org. For questions about family programs, email familyprograms@nytransitmuseum.org or call (718) 694-1600. Ask about dates early so you can plan invitations around an open slot.

When did the New York Transit Museum open?

It opened on July 4, 1976 as the New York City Transit Exhibit, part of the Bicentennial, and the entry fee was one subway token. It was planned to close that September but proved so popular that it stayed open and became permanent. The station it occupies opened in 1936 and closed to riders in 1946.

Is the New York Transit Museum hiring?

The museum posts openings on the Jobs and Internships page of its website, under its Support section. Because it is a division of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, check that page directly for current roles and how to apply. For general questions, use the contact form on nytransitmuseum.org or call (718) 694-1600.

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Kelsey Cecil
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