Commemorate 120 years of the subway with a new exhibit and vintage train rides!
BROOKLYN, NY – The New York Transit Museum is thrilled to announce a landmark celebration of the 120th anniversary of the New York City subway system with a new exhibit, The Subway Is…, opening on September 26th at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn. Complementing the exhibit, the Museum will also host four Inaugural Run Nostalgia Rides on vintage Lo-V subway cars from 1917, retracing the original route of New York’s first subway line, and a city-wide social media campaign on Subway Day, October 27th.
"Very few things exist that are as synonymous with New York as our subway. Whether you hear a snippet of the sound of a train or catch a quick glimpse of a station or a subway car, you know you’re in New York City,” says New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga. “Celebrating this incredible milestone anniversary offers an opportunity to explore the myriad ways the subway has transformed our region over the past 120 years and encourages us to ponder what might be in store for the next 120."
The Subway Is… Exhibit
Opening Thursday, September 26th in Downtown Brooklyn, the New York Transit Museum’s new exhibit, The Subway Is…, invites visitors to explore the profound impact of the subway on New York City’s development, culture, and identity. From the moment the first train rumbled beneath the city streets on October 27th, 1904, the subway has not only moved millions of people but also shaped the very fabric of the city. The exhibit explores some of the endless ways to complete the sentence, “The Subway Is…”
Through a rich array of historic artifacts, photographs, and multimedia installations, the exhibit delves into the subway’s significance as a revolutionary idea that forever changed urban transportation. It traces the challenges of constructing the subway through the city’s varied topography, highlights the diverse workforce of immigrants who built the system, and celebrates the subway’s role as both an engineering marvel and a work of art.
The Subway Is… also reflects on how the subway has served as New York’s circulatory system, connecting its residents across boroughs, fostering cultural exchange, and enabling the city to grow and thrive. From the early days of public transit advertising to the Poetry in Motion campaign, the exhibit showcases the subway’s unique ability to inspire and communicate with its riders.
Learn more about The Subway Is… at nytransitmuseum.org/exhibits. To schedule a press preview, contact PR & Marketing Manager Chelsea Newburg at press@nytransitmuseum.org.
Nostalgia Rides: 120 Years of the Subway – The Inaugural Run
In conjunction with the new exhibit, the New York Transit Museum will offer four special Nostalgia Rides on the Museum’s vintage 1917 Lo-V subway cars. These rides will take place on October 27 at 10am and 2pm, and November 16 at 10am and 2pm. Passengers will journey along portions of New York’s first subway line, which originally opened on October 27, 1904, providing a rare opportunity to experience New York City as it was 120 years ago.
Departing from the decommissioned Old South Ferry Station, the train will travel north along the 1/2/3 line to the Bronx before returning via the Lexington Avenue line. Passengers will have the unique chance to pass through the famous Old City Hall Station and conclude the journey at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall Station. This round-trip ride immerses participants in the sights and sounds of the original subway experience, offering a nostalgic glimpse into New York’s transit history.
Inaugural Run Nostalgia Ride tickets are now on sale at nytransitmuseum.org/nostalgiarides.
City-Wide Social Media Campaign: #TheSubwayIs...
The New York Transit Museum will activate a city-wide social media campaign on Subway Day, October 27th. Throughout October, special collaboration posts will be featured on the New York Transit Museum’s Instagram, leading up to a unique initiative inviting museums, parks, journalists, New Yorkers and visitors alike to share their thoughts on what the subway means to them by completing the sentence: #TheSubwayIs...This campaign will encourage everyone to reflect on and share their personal connections to our transit system.
Users who tag @nytransitmuseum in posts may be featured on the Museum’s Instagram account.
The Subway Is… exhibit is generously sponsored by Boldyn Networks, with additional sponsorship support from Alstom, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Mitsubishi Electric, di Domenico + Partners LLP, and Interactive Elements, Inc. Exhibits at the New York Transit Museum are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM:
The New York Transit Museum is the largest museum in the United States devoted to urban public transportation history and one of the premier institutions of its kind in the world. Since its inception over forty years ago, the Museum – which is housed in a historic 1936 IND subway station in Downtown Brooklyn – has grown in scope and popularity. For nearly 25 years, the Transit Museum has also operated a Gallery Annex & Store in Grand Central Terminal. To learn more, visit nytransitmuseum.org.
What: The Subway at 120
When: The Subway Is... exhibit opens September 26; Nostalgia Rides on October 27 and November 16 at 10am and 2pm; Social media campaign kicks off throughout October, with special posts on Subway Day, October 27.
Where: New York Transit Museum, Downtown Brooklyn
Nostalgia Ride Tickets: nytransitmuseum.org/nostalgiarides
Request Images and Interviews: chelsea.newburg@nyct.com