Winter - Spring 2010 Calendar of Events
January - April 2010
EXHIBITIONS
Through July, 2010
LAST DAY OF THE MYRTLE AVENUE EL: PHOTOGRAPHS BY THERESA KING
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights, Art Gallery Space
At midnight on October 3, 1969 the last train on the Myrtle Avenue El departed Borough Hall. After 80 years of service the line would be demolished. Photographer Theresa King, who rode the train daily in her childhood, spent the day documenting the trains, stations, passengers, and views from the elevated platform. Forty years later this photo essay, shot in a single day, provides a glimpse into the past and preserves a memory of growing up in Brooklyn.
Opening Spring 2010, upon completion of the renovation of the Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store
WHERE NEW YORK BEGAN: ARCHEOLOGY AND THE SOUTH FERRY TERMINAL
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal
The new South Ferry subway station is enhancing New York's future and helping uncover its past. An area rich in city history, it has served as a military battery, fort, and barracks and was home to Native Americans, the Dutch and British and colonial Americans who developed it as a center of city commerce. Before constructing the station an extensive archeological dig was conducted on the site, and two 18th century city landmarks - four sections of the Battery Wall and portions of Whitehall Slip - were uncovered, along with 50,000 artifacts. This exhibit will feature these exciting discoveries and unravel the stories they tell about New York life long ago.
Through 2010
THE TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE: ROBERT MOSES AND THE AUTOMOBILE AGE
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights
Examining the legacy of Robert Moses, this exhibition focuses on the famous span, now renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, built to connect three boroughs and accommodate New York's burgeoning auto traffic. Enjoy illustrated family exhibit labels! Kid-friendly pictures and diagrams explain the operation and maintenance of bridges to the littlest engineers. New information and artifacts in the exhibition highlight RFK's election as New York Senator and his 1968 campaign for President.
GUEST CARS
Transit Museum guest cars highlight vintage and current vehicles that are not part of our permanent exhibit.
The Long Island Rail Road vintage caboose is extending her vacation and still on display at the NYTM! Steel Cabin Car No. C-60 was built by the International Railway Car Company in 1961 and used by the LIRR until 2003. Preserved and newly restored, the car is on loan from the National Railway Historical Society, Twin Forks Chapter.
Also currently on display are a pair of cars from one of the last money trains. These cars ran throughout the system at night, collecting revenue from stations and delivering it to NYCT's Money Room.
TOURS
Tours offered by the New York Transit Museum visit places that tap into a wide range of interests: art, technology, urban history, and even city eats! Whether it's your first or twenty-first trip with us, we hope you'll join us. Your Museum membership provides discounted admission. Unless otherwise noted, reservations and advance payment are required: 718-694-1867. Most of these tours are not appropriate for young children or babies in strollers.
Please note: Events are subject to change without notice. In case of a program cancellation, the Museum will make refunds in the form of a voucher good for the dollar amount paid. Vouchers are valid for one year and can be redeemed for any other Transit Museum scheduled program. Vouchers cannot be used for Museum admission or for purchases in the Museum stores.
MEMBER DISCOUNT
The best way to enjoy the New York Transit Museum is through the benefits of membership. Members help the Museum bring the rich history of public transportation in the world's greatest city to audiences everywhere. Members gain free or discounted access to Museum exhibits, tours, programs, and special events for one year, and receive advance notice of all Museum activities.
Become a Museum member when making your tour reservations and pay the Members reduced fee. Apply online at http://mta.info/mta/museum/index.html#membership.
To become a member over the phone or for additional information please call 718-694-3451.
Saturday, January 16 Noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.
THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN: OLD CITY HALL STATION
Capacity is limited; book early: Adults $20; Children $10. No strollers. Valid current membership required. Become a member of the Museum and join these exclusive tours!
Travel back in time to the early days of the subway! The starting point of New York City's new IRT subway was a jewel of a station, with chandeliers, leaded skylights, a vaulted Guastavino ceiling, and decorative tile work. Opened in 1904, the station exemplified the spirit of the City Beautiful Movement. The New York Transit Museum tour is the only way to see this treasure.
Saturday, January 30 10:30 a.m. to 1p.m. SOLD OUT
LINDEN SHOP TOUR
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Take our very first tour of Brooklyn's Linden Shop, the only shop in the system that rehabilitates the hundreds of miles of subway track and switch gear essential to our safe and speedy daily commute. Opened in 1977, it is also one of the few facilities with no third rail and a connection from the subway to the mainline United States rail network. Shop rules prohibit photography. A MetroCard will be required for bus travel.
Saturdays and Sundays throughout February 3 p.m.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights
Join us every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of February for special guided tours that highlight the contributions of African-Americans to transportation.
Saturday, February 13 11 a.m. to 1p.m.
BUSES IN THE BROOKLYN DIVISION: EAST NEW YORK BUS DEPOT
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Today's East New York Depot first opened in 1859 as a "car barn" for the Broadway streetcar line operating in Williamsburg and East New York. Tour this modern facility, a five-acre site responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of more than 300 buses that ride throughout Brooklyn, and home to many of the Museum's beloved vintage fleet.
Saturday, February 27 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
MTA ARTS FOR TRANSIT: MIDTOWN LOOP - A POPULAR REPEAT!
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Underground Midtown Manhattan offers its own "Museum Mile" - all for the price of a MetroCard! Discuss the remarkable art and design in subway stations on this tour with Arts for Transit Assistant Director Amy Hausmann. Featured artists include Roy Lichtenstein, Jacob Lawrence, Jane Dickson, Eric Fischl, Tom Otterness, Mary Miss, Al Held and Elizabeth Murray. Be prepared for some walking and stair climbing.
Saturday, March 13 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. SOLD OUT
INSIDE THE IRT SHOP: A TOUR OF WESTCHESTER YARD
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Westchester Yard is the highly efficient 14,000 square-foot subway maintenance shop and diesel barn that serves the 400 cars in daily service on the 6 line. Deputy Line General Manager Joseph Tassiello and Superintendent Parmanand Beharry lead this behind-the-scenes tour, revealing the ins and outs of the inspection, cleaning, and repair necessary to maintain trains, locomotives and work equipment.
Saturday, March 20 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. SOLD OUT
THE OLD WATERFRONT IN NEW AMSTERDAM
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Since Dutch colonial times, canal-building and landfill have doubled the area below Chambers Street. The local excavation necessary to build a new South Ferry subway station revealed much about centuries of activity - the building, demolition, and then rebuilding cycle that has become a hallmark of the city. Urban geographer Jack Eichenbaum will follow the original shoreline beyond Battery Park and along Pearl Street, commenting on the evolution of the waterfront along the East River. This revealing tour is offered in connection with the exhibit Where New York Began: South Ferry Archaeology.
Sunday, March 28 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. SOLD OUT
STATEN ISLAND FOOD TOUR
$50, Museum Members $45; includes cost of food
Census studies report that Staten Island has the highest percentage of Italian-Americans of any county nationwide and the fastest-growing population among the five boroughs. Our interpretation? That the tasty food to be found just a ferry-ride away is as traditional and diverse as it comes! Don't miss the Museum's first meal in the borough with Todd "Knight of Noshing" Coleman, who will lead us to old-time red sauce joints, legendary pizza parlors, Mexican delights, and Asian cuisine extraordinaire. Wear comfortable shoes and loose pants for lots of walking and eating!
Saturday, April 10 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
SUBWAY TUNNELING IN NORTHERN MANHATTAN
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Early subway construction in northern Manhattan wasn't easy, and engineers resorted to mountain tunneling methods to blast through the bedrock of Upper Manhattan's hills and rocky ridges. In this tour of uptown engineering marvels, transit historian Joe Cunningham reveals the system's deepest station, a city street carved out of solid rock, and a subway platform so deep it was used for a university physics lab. Bring a snack, we won't stop for lunch.
Thursday, April 22 6 p.m.
EARTH DAY: MEET THE GREEN TEAM AND TOUR THE CORONA MAINTENANCE FACILITY
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Meet leaders of MTA New York City Transit's "Green Team" at our very own LEED-certified Corona Maintenance Facility, the first of its kind. NYC Transit Chief Architect Judith Kunoff, Chief Environmental Engineer Tom Abdallah, and Chief Officer of Environmental Sustainability Collette Ericsson will discuss this project and other proposed measures to manage the agency's carbon footprint. A tour with Assistant General Manager Ray DelValle will highlight the facility's energy and water efficiency.
Saturday, April 24 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. SOLD OUT
BY LAND AND BY SEA: A STATEN ISLAND RAILWAY ANNIVERSARY TOUR
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5 - 17) $15
Despite its small size, the Staten Island Railway has a rich and unique history. On its 150th anniversary, ferry, walk, and ride with transit historian Andrew Sparberg on a multi-modal tour to and through the borough. After taking the world-famous scenic ferry trip to the transportation center at St. George, we'll tour various stations and the main maintenance site at Clifton Shop. A historic slide lecture at the New York Public Library's St. George branch will close the day. There will be a brief stop for lunch; food is not included in the tour price.
TALKS & SCREENINGS
Artists, engineers, historians, and other experts add dimension to the Museum's exhibits in this series of talks, screenings, and panel discussions. Programs are held at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights unless otherwise noted, and are free with paid Museum admission. Reservations not required. Seating on a first come, first serve basis. For information please call 718-694-1794.
Wednesday, January 27 6 p.m.
REHABILITATING THE CIRCLE AT THE CENTER OF NEW YORK
Columbus Circle is one of Manhattan's primary transit hubs, serving more than 200,000 riders daily. Richard Dattner, principal, Dattner Architects, and MTA Arts for Transit Director Sandra Bloodworth discuss the extensive rehabilitation of this original 1904 IRT station. The project, which is nearing completion, preserves and restores the station's landmark elements, provides important improvements to public access and employee facilities, and showcases a major artwork in porcelain tile by the late American artist Sol LeWitt, titled "Whirls and twirls (MTA)" and two of his compass rose designs.
Wednesday, February 17 6 p.m.
NATIONAL ENGINEER'S WEEK
Since 1951, National Engineers Week has increased public awareness and appreciation of the engineering profession. This year, we're recognizing the key role that women engineers play throughout the MTA's agencies. Hear first-hand from representatives of the Signals, Systems, and Stations programs about their goals, ambitions, and experiences in the MTA workforce. Panelists include Shirley Moy, design manager, NYC Transit Capital Program Management - Stations Program, and Deborah Chin, design manager, NYC Transit CPM - Signals and Systems Program.
Saturday, April 17 2 p.m.
ALL ABOARD: 19th CENTURY STATEN ISLAND FERRIES AND RAILROADS
On the occasion of the Staten Island Railway's 150th anniversary, Staten Island Museum Curator Patricia M. Salmon presents an informative look at the 19th century ferries and railroads of Richmond County. Movers and shakers in transport history - including Governor Daniel D. Tompkins, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Erastus Wiman - all play roles in this fascinating story of the Golden Era in Staten Island transportation.
FILM CORNER
Each season special features will be offered in the Museum's screening room. Films are screened on a continual basis daily unless other programs are planned. Screenings are free with paid Museum admission.
January - February
TEACHING TOLERANCE: "MIGHTY TIMES"
The award-winning feature, Mighty Times, provides an authoritative history of Rosa Parks and infuses the familiar story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott with first person accounts, stirring dramatizations, and narration by young people. Presented in connection with Black History Month.
March - April
MODERN MARVELS - ATHENS SUBWAY
A new underground metro system designed to meet the needs of a modern city is taking shape under Athens - and this huge engineering project is transforming this bustling metropolis. As this recently released History Channel feature reveals, engineers working in the heart of one of the oldest sites of continuous habitation in the world will also find themselves in the thick of a mammoth archaeological excavation, unearthing artifacts that span more than 25 centuries. Presented in connection with the new exhibition Where New York Began: South Ferry Archeology.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
Unless otherwise noted, programs are held at the Transit Museum's Sanford Gaster Education Center in Brooklyn Heights every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and are free with paid Museum admission. Events are subject to change without notice. For a complete listing of children's programs and other online activities visit our education community website, www.mta.info; click on Transit Museum and select Education Station or call 718-694-1792.
Program highlights include:
Saturday, January 23
MEET THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: JASON CHIN
Brooklyn-based author and illustrator Jason Chin will share his recent book, Redwoods, in which a young boy finds a book on a subway station bench and is transported by his imagination to an ancient redwood forest. For ages 6+
Saturday and Sunday, February 27 and 28
DIG IT!
Did you know that archaeological treasures were discovered during subway tunnel construction at South Ferry in Lower Manhattan? Work together to dig up artifacts from our makeshift excavation site. For ages 4+
Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28
SNOWED IN! THE GREAT BLIZZARD OF 1888
On March 12, 1888, the "Great Blizzard" heaped so much snow on New York City that trolley and elevated train service was suspended for weeks. Join us for a very special interactive storytelling in one of the Museum's elevated cars. You'll discover how this huge snowstorm affected travelers and transportation and led to a plan for the subway system. For ages 4+
Saturday and Sunday, April 10 and 11
TOTTENVILLE: THE END OF THE LINE
150 years ago, the train line that is today's Staten Island Railway reached Tottenville, the neighborhood which is the furthest south in the state and city of New York. We'll learn more about Tottenville and the Staten Island Railway through pictures and maps and create our own dioramas of the southernmost rail station in New York. For ages 5+
ONGOING:
Every Thursday 1:30pm
WEEKLY PRESCHOOL TIME
We bring the Museum to life with transportation stories and a special tour for our youngest transit fans! All aboard! Ages 2-5
Saturday and Sunday, January 16 and 17, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
February 20 and 21, March 27 and 28,
April 24 and 25
HANDS-ON HISTORY
Stop by the Hands-On History cart on the Museum's platform level and have a go at identifying items from the Museum's collection. Explore controls, machine parts, and various tools of trains past and present. All ages
GENERAL MUSEUM INFORMATION
New York Transit Museum
Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights
HOURS
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays and major holidays.
ADMISSION
Adults $5
Children 3 - 17 and seniors (62+) $3
Seniors free every Wednesday
Museum members and children under 3 free
INFO
Information: 718-694-1600
Membership: 718-694-3451
Birthday Parties and Rentals: 718-694-1579
Group Reservations: 718-694-1873
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store
Grand Central Terminal
42nd Street and Park Avenue. Shuttle Passage.
Adjacent to the Station Master's Office.
HOURS
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed major holidays and for special events
Free admission
INFO
212-878-0106 www.mta.info
The New York Transit Museum gratefully acknowledges the following for exhibition support:
Show Me the Money: Fare Collection from the Turnstile to the Bank
Underwriting Sponsor: Astoria Federal Savings
Major Sponsor: Citi
Additionally, New York Transit Museum programs are made possible, in part, by a grant from Brooklyn Community Foundation, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
The New York Transit Museum, in Brooklyn Heights, and the Museum's Gallery Annex & Store at Grand Central Terminal are wheelchair accessible.