Overview and History

The New York Transit Museum is a museum in Downtown Brooklyn displaying artifacts, information, interactive displays, and subway cars from 1910 to the 1960s.

The museum proper, where the subway cars are available to view by the public.
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The museum was opened the fourth of July, 1976, as part of the bicentennial celebration. A museum was opened in a subway station that was closed to passengers 30 years earlier. It was known as the New York Transit Exhibit. Of course, with the name exhibit, it was meant to be temporary. But it was so popular, it became a permanent facility, subsequently renamed the New York Transit Museum, and it is still there today. Something else of note, of all the rail transport museums in the United States, the New York Transit Museum is the only one that resides in an unused transit facility.

They also have a number of other programs there which include, Saturday afternoon programs, afterschool, meetings of city transport experts, participatory budgeting for city transport, and school field trips. There is also a gift shop, and a small theater, accessed by an R42 mockup. It also runs fan trips for both railfans and commuters.

The original facility was opened in 1936 as part of the IND subway as Court Street Station. It branched off of what is now the 'A' and 'C' lines at Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street and continued 3 blocks to Court Street. The branch suffered from low ridership and redundancy, resulting in the station's closure in 1946, as someone realized that they would be hard pressed to find someone who would use a nickel to walk three less blocks. The space was unused until 1976 when the New York Transit Exhibit opened on the site.

The subway is the way to get around in the city. 9 out of 10 times, if you ask for directions to a location in New York, the answer you get is likely to include riding the subway for some portion of the trip. Also, most residents don't own a car, because it is cheaper and faster to ride the subway. And if the subway didn't exist, New York would grind to a complete stop every day because everyone is trying to commute at the same time. I don't know about you, but I find that amazing to think about.

So if you are a railfan, non-railfan, or you just like to visit museums, then visit the New York Transit Museum.

Directions

The New York Transit Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn. It is open Tuesday to Friday 10AM to 5PM, and on the weekend 11AM to 5PM. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. Nearby subway stations include Hoyt-Schermerhorn (A,C,G), Borough Hall (2,3,4,5,R), Jay Street-Metrotech (A,C,F,R), and Hoyt Street (2,3). Here's a map of the area.

And for good measure, here's what the entrance looks like.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/The_Squirrels_0043.jpg/800px-The_Squirrels_0043.jpg)

There is also an entrance one block west at Court and Schermerhorn Streets which is accessible to the disabled.