Profile

Although life may move too fast to ponder the origins of an intricate, inter-borough subway system, the New York Transit Museum possesses 60,000 square feet that allow us to do just that. Housed within the former Court Street subway station, this underground institution guides visitors through the evolution of one of the largest transportation systems in the world. Walls are lined with pictures of the city’s first transit workers and with scores of memorabilia dating back to the 1904 construction of the first subway station at City Hall. The museum also takes a look at the metamorphosis of rider currency, from subway tokens to MetroCards, as well as at some of the interesting experimentation done on turnstiles. Another section of the museum pays homage to Robert Moses, the mastermind behind the Triborough Bridge and many other city landmarks, and documents through photos and architectural designs the bridge’s place in the city’s development. More nostalgic is the string of subway cars from the late 1800s to the 1960s that sit idly on the tracks below the exhibits. Complete with garish advertising and uncomfortable seats, the cars leave visitors to muse that the more things change, the more they stay the same. — Melissa Noble

All groups should make reservations for guided visits by contacting the Reservations Department at 718-694-1867 from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.