Go Underground at the Transit Museum

This past week, I accompanied my son’s pre-k class to the New York Transit Museum. Located in a decommissioned subway station, the class walked down the subway stairs and into the museum, which houses a large collection of subway memorabilia and old subway trains. As we walked toward the education center, it was hard to keep the kids away from the old buses on display at the museum, where you can sit in the front seat and pretend to be a bus driver.

The Transit Museum is an ideal visit for city children, offering an educational look at the city’s transit system. Through various displays, kids learn how the subway system was built and the history of the New York transit system.

Downstairs from the museum, on the subway tracks, there are several old subway cars on display. Folks are invited to walk through the cars, which is like taking a trip through time. Ranging from wooden subway cars to the old money train, you can see how the subway has transformed through the ages. Both adults and kids will surely get a kick out of seeing the old advertisements from various time periods in the city’s history on display in the cars.

The museum was originally created as a temporary exhibit in 1976 but was so popular it was never dismanted, said Lynette Morse, an educator at the museum.

"Instead, it formed the foundation on which the New York Transit Museum was established," she said, adding that in just 35 years, the New York Transit Museum has become one of the city’s leading cultural institutions and the largest museum in the United States devoted to urban public transportation.

And after witnessing eighteen pre-k students partake in one of the museum’s amazing interactive workshops, I understand how the museum has become such a staple in our city.

Max’s class made their own city buses out of boxes and got to decorate them with various materials. Afterward, they had a kid-friendly tour of the museum with an incredibly energetic guide named Charles.

But you don’t have to go on a school trip to enjoy one of these programs. On weekends, the museum opens their education department to the public and Transit Tots, for 2 – 4 year olds, takes place every Friday morning at 11 a.m. A changing schedule of family programs, most appropriate for ages 4 and up, occurs every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Twenty restored vintage subway and elevated trains, dating from 1904 - 1963, are the "stars" of the museum, said Morse. Visitors can board the cars, see the working signal tower in action and get an "up-close look at motor parts and equipment.”

While the kids will be fascinated with the hands-on aspect of the museum, adults will no doubt be entertained, too.

“Parents can appreciate the nostalgia factor of the museum while at the same time gleaning historical information," said Morse.

For those looking to fill their upcoming spring break calendar, the museum will be hosting the show “Sharin’ a Ride.” Actors Jonathan Ellers and Kathleen Fletcher will present a 40-minute interactive performance for all ages in the Transit Museum’s Screening Room, which is free with Museum admission.

The museum describes the show as, “Creative dramatics meets science meets magic in this rollicking trip through the “green” history of New York City’s mass transit, from the first horse carriages to the wonders of the future.”

There will be fourteen performances, running Saturday, April 16 through Saturday, April 23. There are performances every day, with the exception of Monday when the museum is closed. Weekend performances are at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and weekday performances are at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

A few days after the trip, my son asked when we were going back to the transit museum again. I was so happy that it made such an impact on him. The museum is definitely a must-see for all city kids, and I find my family incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful museum in our neighborhood.

Admission to the museum is $6 for adults and $4 for children. If you are a member of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, you get free admission to the Transit Museum. Additionally, if you are looking for a unique gift, the museum’s enormous gift shop has everything from toys to NYC transit inspired jewelry. You don’t need to pay museum admission to enter the gift shop.