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New York Transit Museum Telling the stories of New York’s public transportation and the people who make it possible.
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10/15/2026

🌲 🚂 It's back!! Get ready to be dazzled by our much beloved Holiday Train Show, returning to Grand Central Terminal on Friday, November 13! Admission is FREE for all visitors.

The 22nd Annual Holiday Train Show celebrates the magic of model trains and New York City. Lionel trains, including Metro-North, vintage subway sets, and the whimsical Polar Express, zip along a 34-foot, two-level “O” gauge layout, passing familiar New York landmarks on their journey from a miniature Grand Central Terminal to the snowy North Pole!

This year’s display features a new section of buildings by New York City-based artist Danny Cortes, plus a miniature Economy Candy storefront will be joining the show.

Beginning November 13, find the Holiday Train Show at:

📍 's Grand Central Gallery, Main Concourse next to the Station Master’s Office.
🗓️ Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm.
🎟️ FREE

Learn more at nytransitmuseum.org.

that subway signage once used black characters on a white background instead of other way around?This 1970s photogra...
10/14/2026

that subway signage once used black characters on a white background instead of other way around?

This 1970s photograph shows an example of such signage on the exterior of the Fifth Avenue–59th Street station at its 60th Street entrance on the BMT Broadway Line.

In 1970, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) adopted a signage style set forth in the “Graphics Standards Manual,” created by Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda, of the firm Unimark International. The Manual provided guidelines for a coherent visual system for the and set the standard for much of how the system looks today.

Though the Manual specified white backgrounds on signage, that style was short-lived. In an effort to deter dirt and graffiti, white backgrounds were phased out, and lettering moved to the style of black backgrounds with white characters that we see today.

What do Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have in common?1. A new remix arriving Thursday!2. A filming location complete ...
10/14/2026

What do Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have in common?

1. A new remix arriving Thursday!
2. A filming location complete with unmistakable orange seats! 🚇🧡

Before teaming up for the remix of “expectations," both artists filmed in the same subway car at the : Chappell for her “The Subway” music video, and Olivia for her Sony LinkBuds campaign including the limited-edition “Listen Like Olivia” .

Those orange seats are ready for your moment, too! Explore the R44 car on our platform level and don't forget to check out Olivia’s MetroCard in our "Farewell, MetroCard" exhibit on the mezzanine.

Plan your visit at nytransitmuseum.org.


💡 that the used to have yellow entrance globes? You can still see red and green globes at many stations, but the yel...
10/13/2026

💡 that the used to have yellow entrance globes? You can still see red and green globes at many stations, but the yellow ones only existed for a short time during the 1980s following the introduction of the globe system.

The globes were used to communicate to riders whether an entrance was open or closed, and if a token booth was available. The globes were coded to mean:

🟢 24-hour token booth
🟡 Part-time booth OR no booth but turnstile available for token use.
🔴 Entrance blocked or exit only

In the early years of globe color-coding, yellow globes proved confusing to riders. They were phased out by the end of the decade. This yellow globe is preserved as part of the .

Have you ever seen a yellow entrance globe?

⑧ : We know there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines on the . And, there was also a 9 line from 1989 to 2005. So, why i...
10/12/2026

⑧ : We know there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 lines on the . And, there was also a 9 line from 1989 to 2005. So, why isn't there an 8? Well, actually, there once was!

After the Manhattan tracks of the Third Avenue Elevated Line were dismantled in the 1950s, a portion of the line in the Bronx stayed in service. From 1967 until the line closed in 1973, it was shown on maps as the 8 train. However, all cars on the train read "Shuttle" on their roll signs.

These details, from the 1967 New York City Transit Authority subway map in the , show Third Avenue service in the Bronx represented by the number 8 and the route “Third Av Local.”

Even earlier, the number 8 was used on the Astoria Line (today's N/W trains) between 1923 and 1949 when the BMT had its own numbering system. Therefore, the 8 route is not totally absent from our transit system; its designation is just not currently in use.

We encounter the 1/2/3 trains on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. The 4/5/6 trains run on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, and the 7 train on the IRT Flushing Line. The 9 train was similar to the 1, and provided skip-stop during rush hour from 1989 to 2005. Now you know all about the 8!

10/11/2026

🤨 Why's it so hard to transfer from a number line to a letter line in this city? Secret no. 36 answers a question you may never have thought to ask.

celebrates the 50th anniversary of the . Join us as we pull back the curtain like never before on New York's transportation system, revealing hidden spaces, untold stories, and the people behind the scenes who keep our city moving.

Theme by Roman Angelos.

🔍 This transfer point at Queensboro Plaza is a stop on our 50th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt. Complete all 50 stops to get your official Transit Explorer Certificate, pin, and medal. 🏅 Download the Museum's free app to play. Available via Apple or Google Play at nytransitmuseum.org/app.

: in 1955, R17 cars entered service in the system.Nearly identical to the R16 models placed in service on the BMT d...
10/10/2026

: in 1955, R17 cars entered service in the system.

Nearly identical to the R16 models placed in service on the BMT division the year before, the R17 was an economical purchase – the interchangeability of parts between models saved greatly on repair and maintenance.

Manufactured by the St. Louis Car Company, the R17 fleet represented a first in subway seat design. Rattan and velon seat covers were abandoned in favor of foam-filled, red plastic bench cushions. The fleet of 400 new cars also featured round porthole windows on car end doors and large, rounded rectangle windows on side doors.

R17 cars remained in service until February of 1988, when the remainder of the fleet was retired and scrapped.

📸:
1. R17 car on elevated tracks in The Bronx
2. R17 car at 42nd Street-Grand Central Station
3. R17 car delivery, crossing Avenue M on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn, 1955
4. R17 cars at the Pelham Bay Park Station on the IRT Pelham Line in the 1960s

Subway riders know the challenges that homelessness poses – both to their commutes, and to their fellow New Yorkers faci...
10/09/2026

Subway riders know the challenges that homelessness poses – both to their commutes, and to their fellow New Yorkers facing a lack of housing and healthcare.

Join us this coming Thursday, October 15 at 6pm for a panel discussion moderated by Elizabeth Glazer, founder of Vital City. Hear from Anand Giridharadas, author of the compelling new book "Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City"; Cassandra White, Deputy Commissioner, Eugene Ferguson, outreach nurse and Ozioma Offor, outreach nurse, New York City Department of Homeless Services; and Jeremy Feigelson, Senior Advisor at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA. The panel will discuss the complexities of this problem as well as the collaborative co-response programs and other innovative solutions now being offered by the City, the MTA and their partners.

This event is in-person. Admission is free; registration is required. Register at nytransitmuseum.org/through-the-mirror.

that Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue once had an elevated rail line running over it?Built between 1889 and 1893, the Fifth Ave...
10/09/2026

that Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue once had an elevated rail line running over it?

Built between 1889 and 1893, the Fifth Avenue Elevated Line ran through Downtown Brooklyn, then along Fifth Avenue through Park Slope and Sunset Park, including a stop at the entrance to The Green-Wood Cemetery on 25th Street. After 36th Street, the line then curved west to Third Avenue, which it ran along southward until a terminus at 65th Street.

The Fifth Avenue Elevated Line eventually became part of the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit). When the city’s three subway systems unified in 1940, a decision was made to close the line. It was demolished the following the year.

These photographs show views of the Fifth Avenue Elevated Line during its early era of steam locomotives and later years in service.

📸:
1. Four workers posing on a steam-powered engine labeled “5th Ave 65th St and Bay Ridge,” 1893-1899
2. Railroad tracks with switches and cross-overs at 36 Street Station and Union Depot, with BU series gate cars, 1893-1898
3. 3rd Street Station, no date
4. Third Avenue at 39th Street with Fifth Avenue Elevated tracks overhead, 1940
5. Flatbush Avenue, near State Street with former Fifth Avenue Elevated tracks overhead, 1941

: in 2024, 's rapid transit got a major upgrade when the R211S entered service. The innovative, state-of-the-art car...
10/08/2026

: in 2024, 's rapid transit got a major upgrade when the R211S entered service. The innovative, state-of-the-art cars now run on the SIR (Staten Island Railway).

These photos, from the inaugural ride, show the first R211S train to depart from St. George Terminal, with Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA leadership, the train’s crew, and excited first riders. The final image shows an R211S next to its predecessor, the R44, which has been in use on the SIR since 1973.

Among the many innovations of the R211S is its 58-inch-wide door openings (eight inches wider than standard door openings on existing cars). These wider doors are designed to speed up boarding and reduce the amount of time trains sit in stations.

Have you taken a ride on the R211S yet?

Photos by Marc A. Herman / MTA

Address

99 Schermerhorn Street
New York, NY
11201

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17186941600

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