MTA Museum? (Hope: city hall, live, price)

[mc33433]

Has anyone been there? Some coworkers were raving about it to me recently, and I thought it would be a great place to take my husband one of these days since he loves trains.

MTA - Transit Museum General Information

Has anyone done one of the tours? They are ~$50 and I was wondering if they were worth it.

Thanks for any info

[Midwesterns45]

I would highly recommend the transit museum for anybody who is interested in civil engineering, transportation, urban affairs, history or just have a lust for the subway. There are a variety of historical cars like R division and low V trains that were once in revenue on all three divisions of the subway. The station is nicely lit for high energy compact bulbs that give off a nice incandescent glow.
You'll really become acquainted with how the subway is truly an economic and socially vital system to the city of NY. The museum is perfect for kids.
About a month ago there was an article in the new york times about how trains are an excellent ease for children with autism and other neurological/social disabilities.

[DTL3000]

I was pretty impressed with it. They have several old cars that have been refurbished and they even have contemporary advertisements from when they were in operation. There's also a section demonstrating how the subway was built and I think they had a section on the bridges as well.

As far as the tour...are you talking about the one that takes you down into the old City Hall station? I didn't get a chance to go on that one. If it's just a guided tour of the museum $50 sounds a little steep. I think the museum itself is $7.

[Coney]

Definitely worth a visit!

[mc33433]

Thanks, guys It's a museum I never thought much about but just heard such great things recently.

DTL3000, the tours are extras - not just admission to the museum, which itself is rather cheap. For example:

NOSTALGIA RIDE TO THE BRONX
Sun, Oct 23, 10 am to 3 pm – Tickets
Adults $65 / Children (3-17) $50 Museum Members $50 / $35
Ticket price includes boxed lunch and guided tour.

It's a rare excursion onboard our classic Lo-V vintage trains—to the liveliest cemetery in The Bronx! Ride uptown in style to Woodlawn Cemetery where a guided tour combines nature, history and culture. Enjoy a gourmet boxed lunch amidst the cemetery's spectacular trees and impressive memorials before riding back downtown on the Low-V's.

That is an example of one of the tours. Some of these tours sounded great.

[DTL3000]

Oh, well that doesn't sound too bad mc. I wouldn't mind doing something like that.

[Fred314X]

Back in the days when I was a conductor, I got the chance to work one of those "nostalgia trains." A couple of the best runs I ever made!

Hopefully, MTA will continue the tradition established over the last couple of years and put a train of museum cars in regular passenger service all through the month of December (they ran on the 6th Avenue line, between Queens Plaza and 2 Avenue).

And the Transit Museum itself is nothing short of fascinating.

[mc33433]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

Back in the days when I was a conductor, I got the chance to work one of those "nostalgia trains." A couple of the best runs I ever made!

Hopefully, MTA will continue the tradition established over the last couple of years and put a train of museum cars in regular passenger service all through the month of December (they ran on the 6th Avenue line, between Queens Plaza and 2 Avenue).

And the Transit Museum itself is nothing short of fascinating.

I love when they run the museum cars! It's so much fun to ride or even just poke your head in.

They actually just ran them recently for Boardwalk Empire as well:
Boardwalk Empire on HBO Paying NYC Subway to Run a Train - Metropolis - WSJ

[Doobage]

Originally Posted by mc33433

I love when they run the museum cars! It's so much fun to ride or even just poke your head in.

They actually just ran them recently for Boardwalk Empire as well:
Boardwalk Empire on HBO Paying NYC Subway to Run a Train - Metropolis - WSJ

I just rode on this today!! I think today's the last day. It was amazing, rattling through the tunnel with the windows open. I loved it.

[makossa]

I'm a true rail fan, the transit museum is one of my favorites. I haven't been there in years and I haven't been on a nostalgia train since "79", but reading this thread it may be time for another visit and another train ride.

Absolutely check it out.

Enjoy!