New York Transit Museum
Overview
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Individual Membership
$65Duration: 1 year
Unlimited admission for 1 designated adult, 2 complimentary one-time use guest passes, 10% off store purchases, reciprocal admission to participating museums. Membership is fully tax deductible.
Includes:
- •Unlimited admission to the Museum for 1 designated adult (18+)
- •Members-only exhibit previews and special events
- •Free or discounted tickets to in-person and virtual public programs
- •10% off purchases at the Transit Museum Stores
- •Reciprocal admission to participating history and science museums worldwide via the ASTC Passport Program and Time Travelers
- •Exclusive invitations and special offers during Members Appreciation Month
- •Recognition through Member Milestones program
- •2 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
Discounted Individual Membership
$45Duration: 1 year
All Individual Membership benefits for students (18+ with school ID) and visitors with disabilities. Membership is fully tax deductible. Requires contacting the Membership Office to sign up.
Includes:
- •All Individual Benefits
Senior Membership
$45Duration: 1 year
All Individual Membership benefits for seniors 62+ with valid ID. Membership is fully tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All Individual Benefits
MTA Family Membership
$45Duration: 1 year
All Family Membership benefits for MTA employees and retirees with proof of employment. Membership is fully tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All Family Benefits
Dual Membership
$85Duration: 1 year
Unlimited admission for 2 designated adults, 2 complimentary one-time use guest passes, 10% off store purchases, reciprocal admission. $70 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All core benefits
- •Free Museum admission for 2 designated adults (18+)
- •2 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
Family Membership
$100Duration: 1 year
Unlimited admission for 2 designated adults and up to 4 children, 2 complimentary one-time use guest passes, 10% off store purchases, 10% discount on Birthday Experiences, reciprocal admission. $85 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All core benefits
- •Free museum admission for 2 designated adults with up to 4 children
- •2 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
- •10% discount on Birthday Experiences
Family Plus Membership
$165Duration: 1 year
Unlimited admission for 2 designated adults and up to 6 children, caregiver add-on included, 4 complimentary one-time use guest passes, 10% discount on Birthday Experiences, reciprocal admission. $135 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All core benefits
- •Free Museum admission for 2 designated adults with up to 6 children
- •Caregiver add-on included
- •4 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
- •10% discount on Birthday Experiences
Dual Plus Membership
$165Duration: 1 year
Unlimited admission for 2 designated adults, 2 complimentary tickets for select programs, 4 complimentary one-time use guest passes, 10% off store purchases, reciprocal admission. $135 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All core benefits
- •Free Museum admission for 2 designated adults (18+)
- •2 complimentary tickets for select programs throughout the year
- •4 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
Sustaining Director’s Circle Membership
$275Duration: 1 year
Premium benefits including admission for 4 adults and up to 6 children, 6 guest passes, invitations to Curator-led tours, priority booking. $230 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All core benefits
- •Free Museum admission for 4 designated adults with up to 6 children
- •6 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
- •Invitations to Curator-led tours
- •Exclusive Director’s Circle priority pre-sale booking for tours and excursions
- •Listing in the Annual Report
Patron Director’s Circle Membership
$550Duration: 1 year
All Sustaining benefits plus a Family level gift membership. $415 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All Sustaining benefits
- •Family level gift membership
Benefactor Director’s Circle Membership
$750Duration: 1 year
Enhanced benefits including admission for 4 adults and up to 8 children, 8 guest passes, and a complimentary tour ticket. $550 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All Patron benefits
- •Free Museum admission for 4 designated adults with up to 8 children
- •8 complimentary one-time use guest passes (valid for Museum admission only)
- •Complimentary ticket to 1 Museum-sponsored tour of choice (based on availability)
Champion Director’s Circle Membership
$1,000Duration: 1 year
Top-tier benefits including a private collection tour with the Museum Director. $800 is tax deductible.
Includes:
- •All Benefactor benefits
- •Private collection tour with Museum Director
Caregiver Add-On
$35Duration: 1 year (with membership)
Add a caregiver to your membership. Valid only for Museum admission, not special tours.
Includes:
- •Museum admission for one designated caregiver
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Old City Hall Station Tour
Next round of ticket sales: January 2026. Tours go on sale three times a year and sell out quickly.
$50 per person (members only)
Exclusive guided tours to the architecturally stunning, decommissioned City Hall subway station, which served as New York City’s very first subway ride in 1904. Discover its elegant chandeliers, leaded skylights, vaulted tile ceiling, and sweeping structural curves. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, with about 20 minutes spent in the Old City Hall Station itself. Requires walking, standing, and stair climbing. Restrooms are not available on the tour route, and the station can be noisy and may not have climate control.
Bus Festival
September 21, 2025 (10am-3:30pm ET)
Free (advance registration encouraged but not required, enters you into a raffle for a Family Membership)
An outdoor event held at Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Climb aboard and explore the evolution of NYC’s bus fleet, enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, meet transit professionals, and take photos of vintage vehicles with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. Features historic buses like 'Betsy' (1931), Bus #3100 (1956), Bus #4727 (1969), and Bus #5227 (1971). The event runs rain or shine. Equipment on display is subject to change.
Nostalgia Rides (Upcoming Autumn 2025)
Tickets for autumn rides go on sale to Museum members on Tuesday, August 19th at 10am ET. Remaining tickets go on sale to the public Thursday, August 21st at 10am ET. - Historic Ride to Woodlawn Cemetery: Saturday, October 4, 12pm-5pm ET. Departs from Old South Ferry station and runs non-stop to Woodlawn station. - Celebrating the Brightliners – Morning Ride: Saturday, November 8, 10am ET. Round-trip ride to and from 96 St-Second Avenue with a scenic turnaround through the East New York Yard. - Celebrating the Brightliners – Afternoon Ride: Saturday, November 8, 2pm ET. Round-trip ride to and from 96 St-Second Avenue with a scenic turnaround through the East New York Yard.
Some rides require tickets; members receive discounts.
Special opportunities to ride the Museum's vintage fleet of trains throughout the subway system and to various city destinations. These rides allow passengers to experience transit history firsthand, sitting on original seats, gripping old handholds, reading vintage advertisements, and immersing themselves in a past era. Rides typically last about 90-120 minutes. Equipment, route, timing, and duration are subject to change. Some vintage cars are air-conditioned, but many are not. No restrooms are available on the trains. Rides run rain or shine.
🍎Food Policy
- • Eating is not allowed anywhere in the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn location) at this time.
- • Visitors may not bring in food, and there are no lunch tables available for visitor use.
- • During Bus Festival and Nostalgia Rides, eating or drinking while on board vintage vehicles is not permitted to help preserve them.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Children ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times (general Museum admission, Bus Festival, Nostalgia Rides).
- • Old City Hall Station Tour: Children must be 10+ and accompanied by an adult at all times. Children under 10 are not permitted. Comfortable shoes are required (flip-flops and backless shoes are prohibited).
- • Bus Festival: Pay attention to all signs indicating areas that may not be accessible to the public on buses. Sitting in the driver’s seat of buses is not allowed. Keep hands and arms inside the bus at all times (windows are open for ventilation).
- • Nostalgia Rides: Walk carefully on platforms and stay behind the yellow line; do not sit directly on the platform. Keep arms inside the train; walking between train cars is not allowed. The first car is a 'magical place' for children, so allow them to look out the front window.
- • All visitors, including minors, assume all risk of injury, harm, or death and agree to release the New York Transit Museum and partner organizations from all liability for events.
- • Photography/Video Policy: Personal photography and short video clips are permitted at Museum programs. Continuous audio or video recording, tripods, monopods, stands, selfie sticks, Go Pros, and external lights are not permitted. All photographs must be for personal, non-commercial use. Professional photography/recording requires advanced approval from the Press and Marketing Department (press@nytransitmuseum.org).
- • Consent to Media: By attending programs, visitors consent to having their image, voice, and/or likeness filmed, recorded, and/or photographed for Museum use without restriction. Visitors can notify staff if they do not wish to participate.
📅Booking Policy
- • Museum (Downtown Brooklyn): All visitors, including members, are strongly encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance. Tickets become available for purchase three weeks in advance of a given date, on a rolling basis. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase at the Museum each day on a first-come, first-served basis. Do not arrive more than 5 minutes before your reservation time; you will have a 30-minute window for entry. Each entrance time has limited capacity. Group visits of 10 or more people are not accommodated unless a staff-led group program has been booked.
- • Old City Hall Station Tour: Registration is a two-step process: 1. Become a member and register for the tour. 2. Complete security requirements (upload a government-issued ID and sign the Visitor Release form) within 48 hours of purchase. All ticket holders 18+ must complete security individually. Guests aged 10-17 must be listed by name on the purchaser’s form. Failure to complete security will result in registration cancellation.
- • Bus Festival: Advance registration is encouraged but not required for general attendance, but it helps the Museum plan and enters you into a raffle.
- • Nostalgia Rides: Some rides require tickets and registration. Members receive discounts. Tickets for specific upcoming rides have specific on-sale dates for members and the public.
🚗Parking Information
- • No specific visitor parking information is provided for any location. Public transportation is highly recommended for all venues (Downtown Brooklyn accessible via 20+ subway/bus lines; Grand Central Terminal and 2 Broadway are also transit-accessible).
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Detailed Insights
Rating Breakdown
Perfect for Age Groups
- • School age (7-12 years)
Best Times to Visit
- • Morning hours (less crowded)
Most Mentioned Positives
Recent Reviews
Shannon S.
a month agoMy group and I had a fantastic time at the Transit Museum. It was a wonderful experience, and my favorite part was going downstairs to explore the different train cars from various eras. I especially loved the vintage cars with leather straps and enjoyed viewing the old advertisements from years past. It's a great experience for all ages and even makes for a charming day date! I highly recommend visiting—it’s an experience everyone should try. Admission is only $10 for adults, if I recall correctly.
Richard Orth
a month agoWhat a hidden gem!! It was a truly fascinating and educational look into the evolution of the NYC subway and trolley systems, complete with vintage subway cars, buses, videos, and memorabilia. The staff were friendly and helpful. The entrance fee was *very* reasonable, and the gift shop was fun. Highly recommend. My only suggestion is that more visible signage would be helpful. Since the museum is a decommissioned underground subway station, the museum sign just blends in with the station entrance.
Mayra Anglero
3 months agoI enjoyed my visit to the Transit Museum. I went the first time with my 9-year-old grandson. He loved it. He had fun getting on and off the different train cars. I was taking it all in, but it was all about him. We picked up a few things in the gift shop. Two weeks later l returned by myself to really take in and appreciate all of different time period of each train car. I also signed up for the one hour guided tour with an educator (Una) which was also great.
Gri Shi
a month agoThis museum is absolutely awesome! The idea of having a subway museum inside an actual subway station, with a real subway entrance, is just brilliant. It makes the whole experience feel so immersive right from the start. The photo exhibition is solid—great descriptions and real artifacts that bring the history of transit to life. But the dynamite section? That was a highlight for me! You can touch things, which is super important in a museum like this. Plus, you can actually sit inside different types of buses and picture yourself as a bus driver in the ‘80s. Such a fun experience! And then there’s the underground subway car exhibition—easily my favorite part. If I counted right, there are about 20 different subway cars dating back to the early 1900s. Stepping into each one feels like traveling through time. I’m a huge fan of retro ad posters, so naturally, most of my photos ended up being of those. There’s just something so charming about them. A little tip—get there early so you don’t feel rushed! We spent a full four hours exploring everything, and I still feel like I could’ve stayed longer. I’d love to come back with my family one day. Thank you, and best of luck!
Josh Green
a month agoWhat a lovely museum! Firstly you enter through an old subway entrance which is super cool. Lots of informative exhibits and so many vintage subway trains to walk through. If I had one complaint? More about NYC buses!