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Is The NY Transit Museum Worth Visiting + What To Expect

ByLanie van der Horst Updated on

Are you wondering if the NY Transit Museum in Brooklyn is worth visiting? Perhaps you’d like to know what to expect during a visit.

I finally checked the NY Transit Museum off my list after more than 2 decades. That’s right, I never visited during the 11 years that I lived in Brooklyn, just a few stops away.

My husband visited the museum when he moved to NYC, but I was at work and unable to join him. I never thought about going until I brought my kids back to NYC for the 6th time. I took my kids to New York City five times before I added the NY Transit Museum to our to-do list.

Finally, when my kids were 10 and 11, we took the subway to Downtown Brooklyn and, on a rainy day, explored the NY Transit Museum.

Keep reading to find out if the NY Transit Museum is worth a visit and to see what to expect if you do decide to go.

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I won’t make you wait for the answer. Yes, I believe that the NY Transit Museum is worth visiting. Keep reading to find out why.

Getting to The NY Transit Museum

The NY Transit Museum is located at 99 Schermerhorn Street near Boerum Place in Downtown Brooklyn.

The best way to see how to get there from where you are is to search in Google Maps. The closest subway station is Jay Street Metro Tech, where the A, C, F, N, R, and W trains stop.

Another option is to take the 2 or 3 to Hoyt Street or Borough Hall. The 4 and 5 also stop at Borough Hall.

The entrance to the museum is located at the northwest corner of Schermerhorn Street and Boerum Place, down a flight of stairs. It looks like you are entering a subway station, because you are.

If you need to use the accessible entrance, let the museum know in advance. There is a lift, but it needs to be operated by a staff member.

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets to the NY Transit Museum can be purchased on site. You can also purchase them in advance.

The NY Transit Museum is one of the more affordable museums in New York. Adults can enter for $10 each, and children + seniors are $5 each.

The museum is open from 10 am until 4 pm from Wednesday to Sunday, so plan accordingly.

NY Transit Museum Permanent Exhibits

Steel, Stone, and Backbone: Building New York’s Subways

The Transit Museum begins with a long hallway filled with items used for constructing the subway back in the early 1900s.

There is a lot of information to read in this section, so the time spent here is dependent on how much information you want.

One of my kids chose to read just about every word. The other read a lot of it, but then moved on. I opted to just walk through.

Moving the Millions

At the end of the long hallway, after a turn, the space opens up. There are a few different ways to explore the museum, and we felt the next logical way was to walk straight ahead to the turnstiles.

Each type of turnstile that has been used on the subway is featured. Many of them are working, and you can walk through them.

My kids enjoyed walking through each turnstile.

This section also features the various ways that people have paid to enter the subway and buses over the years.

It was especially interesting to see as MetroCards are being phased out. I used a MetroCard when I lived in NYC, as it was the only method of payment on the subways. We were able to use cash on the bus at the time.

During my years in New York, “the dipper,” the machine on the far right, was used on the buses.

As we transition into a world with OMNY cards and contactless payments, it’s interesting to look back and see how the payment method has evolved over the years.

At the end of this exhibit, there is a payment booth that kids can pretend to work inside. Except for the first exhibit, which you can walk through, the NY Transit Museum has many hands-on exhibits and is kid-friendly.

On the Streets: New York’s Trolleys and Buses

On the Streets is one of the most kid-friendly exhibits at the transit museum. My kids could have “driven the bus” for hours.

There are several varieties of buses and trolleys for children to sit inside. One of the buses has lots of seats in the back for those who want to relax.

If you prefer to learn about the bus system, read the information on the walls around the buses and trolleys.

No Spitting on the Platform

One of my favorite things about the NY Transit Museum was the signs. I recognized many signs from when I rode the subway.

No Spitting on the Platform features historic signs that used to be up in the subway.

There are signs up all around the museum, connecting exhibits.

Poetry in Motion brought me right back to the early 2000s, when there was always a poem in the subway car.

The Dr. George T.F. Rahilly Trolley and Bus Study Center

You can see models of trolleys and work cars in this exhibit.

Vintage Trains

Downstairs is our favorite part of the museum, the vintage train cars.

You can walk on the trains and sit down. Each train is set up exactly how it was when it was running, down to the advertisements.

I was slightly surprised to see the train that I used to ride, the one with the orange seats in the 2-3 seating pattern, at the end of the subway station.

Once inside, I recognized the Poetry in Motion signs that I used to read while I rode the train, along with the “see something, say something” signs.

Temporary Exhibits

In addition to the permanent exhibits, which are worth visiting year-round, there are temporary exhibits up as well.

I recommend the museum no matter what, but if you are interested in knowing what exhibits are around during your visit, they are always listed on the museum’s website.

Some of the temporary exhibits are in different rooms, while others are placed in the large area with the permanent exhibits, so it isn’t always easy to see what won’t be there on your next visit.

NY Transit Museum Store

The store is located by the entrance to the museum. You do not need to purchase a ticket to the museum to shop in the store, and you do not need to enter the store to leave the museum.

The store has a large variety of subway and bus-themed souvenirs, including toys, apparel, home goods, and jewelry.

If you are interested in NYC-themed gifts, some of my favorite stores include:

Special Programs

Don’t forget to check out the calendar to see what is on at the NY Transit Museum.

Some programs run regularly, including:

  • Transit Tots
  • Movers + Makers Family Tour

More unique tours to look out for include:

  • Transit Walks
  • Station Tours
  • Nostalgia Rides
  • Swing Station, Dancing
  • Subway 101

You can also take a class on a field trip or throw a birthday party at the NY Transit Museum.

Tips for Visiting

  • Purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee your time.
  • While there is a spot for stroller parking, it is unattended. Strollers are not allowed in the lift, so they need to be carried downstairs.
  • There is no cell service in the museum.
  • Food and drinks are not allowed in the museum.
  • A bathroom and a water fountain are located in the middle of the museum.
  • The station is not air-conditioned. There are fans scattered throughout.
  • A few benches are located throughout the museum, and there is seating on one of the buses.
  • The museum does not have a bag check or a coat check.

FAQ

How long does it take to visit the NY Transit Museum?

It depends on whether you read all the information, have kids who want to play with the hands-on exhibits, and a variety of other factors.

Generally, it will take at least 90 minutes to see everything in the museum, and that is if you are moving quickly. Dedicate at least 2 hours to the museum, or 3 if you have children or are extremely interested in the subway system.

What makes the NY Transit Museum unique?

The NY Transit Museum is located in a subway station. You can walk through subway cars dating back to the early 1900s.

Is the NY Transit Museum kid-friendly?

Yes, the museum is kid-friendly. Kids can interact with a variety of exhibits, including walking through turnstiles, pretending to work in the fare booth, driving buses, and sitting on vintage trains.

Is the NY Transit Museum just for kids?

No! The NY Transit Museum is fun for all ages, including adults visiting without children.

While adults may not want to pretend to drive the bus, they can if they want to! There is a large variety of information about the subway and bus system, and plenty of interesting objects to see.

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Lanie is the owner and author of Make More Adventures, a family travel blog that helps families make the most of their holidays. Lanie is an American living in Australia with her husband and 2 kids who love to travel almost as much as she does. When she is not traveling, working on her blog, or planning her next vacation, Lanie is watching Bravo, reading, or working with kids.

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