Fall-Winter 2008 Programs

EXHIBITIONS

Through November 2, 2008
WHAT’S NEW? COLLECTING AT THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal

What do an 1860s model of a horse-drawn omnibus, a World War II air raid siren from an elevated subway station, and a set of "Dashing Dan" and "Dashing Dottie" cocktail glasses have in common? The museum has recently added these pieces and dozens of others to its collection. This exhibit explores some of the best and most unusual of the Museum's latest acquisitions, and the stories behind them.

November 25, 2008 – January 4, 2009
7th ANNUAL HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW

New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal This year’s annual Holiday Train Show will feature a working “O–gauge” train layout with Lionel trains running on eight separate loops of track through a 34-foot long miniature New York City scene. Vintage trains from the Museum’s collection, made by Lionel, American Flyer and Louis Marx & Company, will also be on display.

Through March 22, 2009
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights

An anemometer, a ballast fork, a trolley ice scraper, a pneumatic drill, an opacity tester, an oxygen deficiency indicator, a TelAutograph telescriber, signal locks, fire nozzles, and a portable shunt – these are some of the tools used to build, operate, and maintain New York’s subway, bridges, tunnels, bus and rail systems. This exhibition shows how an obscure function can take on a fascinating form

Through 2009
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 Triborough Bridge, designed and built to connect three boroughs and accommodate New York’s burgeoning auto traffic. Enjoy our illustrated family exhibit labels! Kid-friendly pictures and diagrams explain the operation and maintenance of bridges to our littlest engineers. You can also celebrate the renaming of the Triborough Bridge to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge. New information and artifacts in the exhibition will highlight Robert Kennedy’s election as Senator from New York and his 1968 campaign for President.

Through 2009
SHOW ME THE MONEY: FROM THE TURNSTILE TO THE BANK
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights

Every day New Yorkers spend almost $9 million to ride city subways and buses. Ever wonder where that money goes? MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) is the nation's largest transportation system, serving over 7 million customers each day. The path our fare travels from the turnstile to the bank weaves its way through an interconnected complex of people and machines. This exhibit examines what happens to your money after it leaves your wallet.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday, September 27
Noon to 5 p.m.
MUSEUM DAY

The New York Transit Museum joins hundreds of museums and other cultural organizations throughout the United States to celebrate the country’s outstanding and varied cultural offerings. Present the Museum Day admissions card and receive free admission for you and a guest on Saturday, September 27. Admission cards are available in the September 2008 issue of Smithsonian magazine or can be downloaded from www.smithsonianmagazine.com/museumday.

Saturday, October 4
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
openhousenewyork

Free with required reservations. 718-694-1867. Limited capacity. The New York Transit Museum is pleased to provide what may be the most powerful tour on openhousenewyork’s 2008 schedule! Join Robert W. Lobenstein, General Superintendent of New York City Transit, for an inside look at a massive power station hidden right in Brooklyn. Step beyond the unassuming facade for a view of the immense and graceful machinery that gives the third rail its zap! Visit www.ohny.org for information about other openhousenewyork events.

Sunday, October 5
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
15TH ANNUAL TRANSIT MUSEUM BUS FESTIVAL AT ATLANTIC ANTIC
Boerum Place between State Street and Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn.
Free Admission.

The Museum's 15th Annual Bus Festival joins Atlantic Antic, Brooklyn’s largest street fair, for what promises to be a fantastic family Sunday. Our vintage collection of buses and guest vehicles will be ready to board! Additional activities include children’s workshops, bus tours, and shopping at our Bus Shop. Admission to the Museum, one block away on Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, will be free from noon to 5 p.m.

New Date: Saturday, October 11 October 18
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
METRO-NORTH THROWS OPEN THE DOORS TO HARMON SHOP
Free.

Further information is available online at www.mta.info. Metro-North's largest maintenance and repair facility, Harmon Shop, will be open to the public for one day only – free! Souvenirs, handy experts, and the fall foliage make this an event not to be missed. Purchase your tickets on Metro-North’s Hudson Line to Croton-Harmon Station, where free shuttle buses take you to and from the shop throughout the day.

TOURS

Tours offered by the New York Transit Museum visit places, some off-limits to the public, and others 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.

Saturday, September 13
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
LONG ISLAND CITY: TRANSPORTATION CENTER OF NYC
$20, Museum members $15, Children (5 – 17) $10

The history of Long Island City is intrinsically tied to transportation. From the canals, subway, rail, and tunnels that transformed a secondary waterfront a century ago to the explosion of trucking initiated by the completion of the Midtown Tunnel and the Long Island Expressway, the area offers a fascinating case study of the dynamic relationship between transportation and industry. Travel through time with Jack Eichenbaum, who has been monitoring these changes, as LIC transforms itself from a dormant industrial outback to a hip new neighborhood.

SOLD OUT
Saturday, September 20
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
MTA ARTS FOR TRANSIT: ART ALONG THE 2 & 5 LINES
$20, Museum members $15, Children (5 - 17) $10

During its golden age in the 1920s the Bronx came into its own. Home to an elevated IRT subway line, a new baseball stadium, and the mile-long Grand Concourse lined with elaborate art deco buildings – it was New York’s Champs-Elysees. Today, Bronx subway lines are home to a spectacular collection of recently-installed public art. Explore Art en Route in select stations with the Transit Museum and MTA Arts for Transit. Artists and Arts for Transit staff will talk about art and design in transit facilities and discuss details of projects inspired by each community. There will be a brief lunch stop.

SOLD OUT
Saturday, October 11
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
THE CROSS-BRONX EXPRESS TO GOOD EATS
$45, Museum members $40

Hungry? Head to the Bronx! Todd “Grubster” Coleman guides us to the most succulent subway stops in the borough. Visit an ancient luncheonette a stone’s throw from Yankee Stadium; feast in the old-school pasta joint of your dreams; sink your teeth into the best Cuban sandwich in New York, and shop at an African emporium for hard-to-find comestibles! There’s no tastier way to ride the rails. Wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing, for lots of walking and eating!

SOLD OUT
Sunday, October 19
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHAT HAPPENED TO RAILROADS ON THE UPPER EAST SIDE?
$20, Museum members $15, Children (5 – 17) $10

It’s the mid-1800s and private railroads are operating on Second, Third and Fourth Avenues. The Upper East Side is lined by one track after another, but all are destined to disappear. The New York and Harlem Railroad is covered over; Fourth Avenue becomes Park Avenue; and the Second and Third Avenue elevated trains are torn down, sparking an explosive building boom. Join Jack Eichenbaum on this fascinating walking tour and explore what once was on the avenues, with special emphasis on the oft-stalled Second Avenue subway project, now underway below the streets of Yorkville and Carnegie Hill.

Saturday, November 1
Noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.
Sunday, December 14
Noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.
THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN: OLD CITY HALL STATION
Capacity is limited so book early: Adults $20; Children $10. No strollers. 718-694-1867. 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, November 15
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
MTA ARTS FOR TRANSIT: MIDTOWN LOOP
$20, Museum members $15, Children (5 - 17) $10

Underground Midtown Manhattan offers its own "Museum Mile" — all for the price of a MetroCard! Join us for a unique tour of Midtown’s underground art, presented by the Transit Museum and MTA Arts for Transit. Roy Lichtenstein, Jacob Lawrence, Jane Dickson, Eric Fischl, Tom Otterness, Mary Miss, and Elizabeth Murray are just some of the artists featured as we travel with Arts for Transit Assistant Director Amy Hausmann who will discuss remarkable art and design in transit facilities. Be prepared for a lot of walking and stair climbing.

SOLD OUT
Saturday, November 22
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
BERGEN STREET SIGN SHOP
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5–17) $10

Visit New York City Transit’s premiere stop for sign production, the Bergen Street Sign Shop, and learn about its fascinating history. Opened 60 years ago to service 122 trolley coaches (trackless trolleys) and renovated when trolley coach service ended in Brooklyn in 1960, the building was redesigned to service trucks and other work vehicles and to house the Sign Shop, Tin Shop, and Carpentry Shop.

SOLD OUT
Saturday, December 6
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CORONA SHOP
$25, Museum members $20, Children (5–17) $10

Back by popular demand! Join Deputy Superintendents Parmanand Beharry and Ray Delvalle and project managers from New York City Transit for a tour of Transit’s Corona Shop and Car Wash. This subway maintenance shop serves 400+ cars from Queens and Midtown and is Transit’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-accredited facility, built to comply with standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Learn firsthand about how this shop works to make the world a better place – featuring recycled rain water, ventilation systems, and greater reliance on solar energy and natural light. Participants are welcome to bring lunch and eat onsite.

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 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.

TALKS & SCREENINGS

Unless otherwise noted, these events are held at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights at 2 p.m. and are free with paid Museum admission.

Wednesday, September 24
6 p.m.
CURATORS CORNER
WHAT’S NEW? COLLECTING AT THE NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM
New York Transit Museum, Gallery Annex at Grand Central Terminal Shuttle Passage, just off the Main Concourse, next to the Station Master’s Office

See the Museum’s latest additions to our collections on a gallery tour led by a Museum Curator and hear the stories behind them.

Thursday, October 2
6 p.m
“CONTESTED STREETS” SCREENING AND DISCUSSION WITH PAUL STEELY WHITE

The New York Transit Museum partners with Transportation Alternatives for this rare opportunity to see and discuss Contested Streets. This exceptional documentary is co-produced by Transportation Alternatives, New York’s advocate for bicycling, walking, and public transit. It recalls the rich diversity of our city’s street life before the automobile age and visits sister cities that have both reclaimed their streets and established vibrant public spaces. Following the screening join us for a discussion led by Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives and Consulting Producer of Contested Streets, who was interviewed in the film.

Saturday, October 25
2 p.m.
BOOK TALK UNEXPECTED NEW YORK: 87 DISCOVERIES IN FAMILIAR PLACES

The special sites that author and photographer Chet Burger writes about in his recent book, Unexpected New York, are sure to delight even the most savvy city folk. Included among these is a forgotten railroad tunnel, a buried time capsule, the hidden houses of Greenwich Village, one of the oldest subway stations, and the seaport of the Bronx. Join us as we look, listen, and learn about the best kept secret sites to see with a map and MetroCard in hand.

Thursday, November 6
6 p.m
WALL STREET REVISITED: SUBWAY STATION REHABILITATION

Select stations in lower Manhattan provide extraordinary and striking examples of how the first subway architects succeeded in balancing form with function. The century-old Wall Street stop on the 4, 5 lines is one such station. Restoration to its original grandeur was completed in February of this year after a two-year renovation and rehabilitation project. Noted for its distinctive cast-iron entry structures, colorful mosaics, and wooden token booth, the station features replicas of historic glass tiles, mosaic faience, marble wainscot, and architectural woodwork. Meet architects from New York City Transit who were instrumental in achieving this milestone

DAILY FEATURES IN THE SCREENING ROOM:

September
EXTREME ENGINEERING: SUBWAYS IN AMERICA
Take a look behind the scenes at Subways in America, a recent renovation effort chronicled by the Discovery Channel. Charged with the complete overhaul of the New York subway, engineers and city planners had to somehow create a more technologically advanced mass transit system, designed to serve a growing population in a city that never sleeps.

October
CONTESTED STREETS
Explore the history of New York City streets from pre-automobile times to the present in this engrossing and timely documentary. Co-produced by Transportation Alternatives, the film traces the roots of New York’s current car culture and highlights innovative transportation and transit programs from around the world that have both reclaimed streets and established vibrant public spaces.

November
THE KENNEDY LEGACY: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY
Programs will explore the life and times of former New York senator Robert F. Kennedy in ongoing screenings recognizing the renaming of the Triborough Bridge in his honor on November 19.

December
THE POWER AND THE PEOPLE: 1898-1918
From Director Ric Burns’ PBS series, New York: A Documentary, this episode explores New York at a time of amazing growth and expansion; newcomers arriving in record numbers, the building of the subway system, the construction of Penn Station, and the fantastic fanfare that accompanied the opening of Grand Central Terminal in 1913

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. (NEW TIME) 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:

SEPTEMBER

Saturday and Sunday, September 6 and 7
MILES OF TILES
Discover the art of mosaic making used to beautify our subway stations as you create unique patterns and designs with glass tile. Suggested for ages 4+

Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14
SOUNDS-PORTATION BINGO
Think you’ve heard it all when it comes to transportation in New York City? Join us for a few rounds of “Sounds-portation Bingo.” We’ll match city sounds of travel with images and objects found at the Transit Museum. Suggested for ages 4+

Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21
CREATE A CITY
Working together, we’ll design an urban landscape and create a city with streets, buildings, subways and buses! Suggested for ages 4+

Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28
INSIDE OUTSIDE
After looking at the "insides" and “outsides” of the Museum’s subway cars and reading The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, we’ll create colorful inside –outside picture books to express our visions of subway travel. Suggested for ages 5+

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 4
DESIGN A BUS
Many styles of buses have carried passengers through New York City streets. Take a look at buses past and present and create a new look for your own bus fleet!
Suggested for ages 4+  

Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12
MEET THE ARTISTS: KEVIN SOMERS AND PUCK
Author Puck and illustrator Kevin Somers’ books, 1 2 3 New York and Sounds Tough! Big Noisy Machines feature colorful art assembled in the style of comic books. After a book reading, Puck and Kevin will share their bookmaking process and get us started with a "drawing party" in our Education Center. Suggested for ages 2-7

Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19
FARE GAME
Be a fare collection agent for a day by helping our “money train” collect fares on a route through the Museum. In our Show Me the Money exhibit, we’ll learn about the trip money takes when people pay for their subway rides. Suggested for ages 4+

Saturday and Sunday, October 25 and 26
SHADOW PUPPET STORIES
Transport your imagination by creating silhouette puppets and a nighttime city landscape to animate a retelling of your own travel tale. Suggested for ages 5+

Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9
WHEELS ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
It’s the Brooklyn Bridge’s 125th birthday! When it opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge became the “great avenue” for people and vehicles to easily cross the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Learn about the different forms of transportation that have crossed the bridge during the past 125 years, then create a horse-drawn streetcar, cable car or trolley of your own and steer it across a Brooklyn Bridge we’ve constructed in our Education Center! Suggested for ages 4+.

Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21
TRAVELIN’ TREATS
Sweet on the holidays? Assemble candies, cookies, and cakes into edible transit masterpieces! Space is limited. Suggested for ages 4+.

ONGOING:

Thursdays at 1 pm
WEEKLY PRESCHOOL TIME
Join us as we bring the Museum to life with transportation stories and a special tour for
our youngest transit fans. All aboard! Suggested for ages 2-5

Saturdays, September 27 & October 18
2:30 to 4:30 pm
PHOTOSTORIES
Tell your own transportation story using PhotoStory software, digital photography, and your personal tales of travel in the city. We’ll work together in Museum exhibits and the Technology Lab to produce a fun, digital slideshow project to take home on a data disc. Space is limited. Advance registration by phone is recommended: please call 718.694.1792. Suggested for ages 7+

Saturdays & Sundays, September 20 & 21, October 11 & 12
2:30 to 4 pm
HANDS-ON HISTORY
Stop by the Hands-On History cart on the Museum’s platform level and have a try at identifying items from the Museum's collection. Then we will help you explore controls, machine parts and various train tools of past and present. Suggested for all ages

 


  

 

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