New York Transit Museum Announces Exhibitions and Events Thru Summer 2010

The New York Transit Museum has released their upcoming events for the spring and summer, including exhibitions, special events and the Annual Nostalgia Train excursions. Other events include The Atlantic Avenue Artwalk, KidsDay and an exhibit featuring 25 years of Transit art.

 

 

EXHIBITIONS

Through July 2010 (close date changed from 6/6/2010 to July 2010)
LAST DAY OF THE MYRTLE AVENUE EL: PHOTOGRAPHS BY THERESA KING
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights - Free with paid Museum admission

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.

March 18 - July 5, 2010
WHERE NEW YORK BEGAN: ARCHEOLOGY AT THE SOUTH FERRY TERMINAL
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal - Admission is free

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 colonials 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 reveal the stories they tell about New York life long ago.

July 3 - October 11, 2010 Brooklyn
July 27 - October 31, 2010 Grand Central Terminal
INSPIRED SPACES: 25 YEARS OF ARTS FOR TRANSIT
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights - Free with paid Museum Admission
New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal - Admission is free

Since 1985 Arts for Transit has been one of the country's most innovative public art programs, creating over 200 projects for the stations and facilities of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, with another 50 currently in production. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Arts for Transit, we will present a two-location exhibition that examines the art, artists, and impact of this rich and varied body of work.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6, 2010, from Noon - 5 p.m.
ATLANTIC AVENUE ARTWALK 2010 - special 2 for 1 admission

Train lovers and art enthusiasts, this is for you! ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of artist open studios, exhibitions, public art projects, and live music, with area cultural partners and businesses offering specials and related events for the entire weekend. Discover the eclectic culture and character of Atlantic Avenue and present your ArtWalk map to receive 2-for-1 admission to the Museum, open from noon to 5 p.m. Visit http://www.atlanticavenueartwalk.com for additional information.

Thursday, June 10, 2010, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
KIDSDAY - Free admission from 1 - 4 PM / Adults without children are ineligible
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn Heights

Since 1829 public school students in Brooklyn, Queens, and more recently all five Boroughs, have been given a day's break from school on an early Thursday in June. Originally a Protestant holiday, and dubbed many titles - Anniversary Day, Rally Day, Brooklyn-Queens Day - here at the Transit Museum we call it one thing: KidsDay! Join us for our KidsDay tradition: admission and programs throughout the afternoon, free for kids and their grown-ups!

Free admission from 1 to 4 p.m. for KidsDay children and families. Adults without children ineligible. For more information on programs at the Museum as well as at the nearby BRIC Rotunda Gallery and the Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Heights Branch, please call 718-694-1792.

NOSTALGIA RIDES

The New York Transit Museum's popular Nostalgia Rides offer a rare opportunity to spend the day aboard prized members of our vintage fleet. Pick the trip that suits your summer style; for photo enthusiasts, a ride throughout the boroughs on the Lo-V cars of the teens; for those who prefer to relax and beat the heat, a day of sun and surf at Coney Island; and for beach-goers looking to travel in real style, the Rockaways trip includes a shuttle to the beach on the Museum's vintage bus fleet!

Reservations and advance payment are highly recommended: call 718-694-1867. Museum membership provides discounted admission: call 718-694-3451. Strollers are not permitted on Nostalgia Rides.

Please note: Nostalgia Rides and the tours that follow are subject to change without notice. In case of a program cancellation, the Museum will issue a voucher equal to 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.

Sunday, June 6, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Lo-V's Take a Spin!
$45, Children (5-17) $20, Museum Members $30, Children (5 - 17) $15
Includes New York Transit Museum admission.

The first passenger run of the Museum's Low Voltage trailer car 4902 in over 35 years is the highlight of this "technical tour" of the subway system. Starting at the Transit Museum, this tour offers ample photographic opportunities for the most dedicated fans among us! Covering considerable mileage in Brooklyn and Manhattan, we'll ride tracks not normally used for passenger service on portions of the A line and various elevated routes in the Bronx. There will be a stop for lunch; food is not included in the tour price. This tour is only for the strong of bladder!

Saturday, July 31, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Coney Island Bound!
$45, Children (5 -17) $20, Museum Members $30, Children (5 - 17) $15
Includes New York Transit Museum admission.

Join us on our ever popular boardwalk-bound Coney Island Nostalgia Train, made up of R1/9 cars of the Independent Subway System. We'll begin our excursion at the Transit Museum, where you'll have exclusive access to the exhibits and store before the Museum is open to the public. Then ‘All Aboard' the trains on the Museum's platform level for a scenic, 2 hour ride to Coney Island on tracks above and below ground. Visit the amusement park, take a dip in the ocean, and enjoy all the area has to offer, or stay on the train for additional rides. Baseball fans can skip the train ride back and attend a Brooklyn Cyclones vs. Staten Island Yankees game, which starts at 6 p.m. at nearby MCU Park. Cyclones game not included in tour price.

Saturday, August 21, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TO THE ROCKAWAYS, BY RAIL AND BUS!
$45, Children (5 - 17) $20, Museum Members $30, Children (5 - 17) $15
Includes New York Transit Museum admission.

Take in the summer seaside on our first ever Nostalgia train and bus trip! This special combination caper will feature both the R1/9 cars and the Museum's vintage buses from the 1940's and ‘50's. Meet at the Museum where our vintage rolling stock will be ready and waiting for you to board. Then it's off to Rockaway Park in a spectacular ride over Jamaica Bay, arriving just in time for lunch. Upon arrival, stroll to the local beach or ride one of our vintage buses to Gateway National Park. You can spend all afternoon enjoying the beach, or take turns riding each vintage bus. Ride the vintage buses back to their depots! Reserve with your ticket for an extra $5.

TALKS & SCREENINGS

Programs are free with paid admission at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights. Films are screened on a continual basis. Reservations not required. Seating on a first come, first serve basis.

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.

UNEXPECTED SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: MTA ARTS FOR TRANSIT ON FILM
Over the years, local media has covered dozens of Arts for Transit projects and events. These stories explore station and structural artwork, as well as the Music Under New York program, through the eyes of the artists, musicians, and MTA Arts for Transit staff who transform our daily experience on public transportation.

THE GATES: A FILM ABOUT THE GATES IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK
For 16 days in February 2005, one of America's most ambitious public art projects took over Central Park. Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Gates covered 23 miles of park walkways with over 7,500 saffron colored fabric gates and panels. This documentary explores the project, decades in the making, highlighting the challenges of bringing art into public spaces.

Children's PROGRAMS
Unless otherwise noted, programs are held at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights, Sanford Gaster Education Center every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and are free with paid Museum admission. Events are subject to change without notice. For up to date information join our Facebook and Twitter community. For a complete listing of children's programs and 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:

Every Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
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, May 29 and Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 1:30 PM - Free with paid Museum admission
TRANSIT ROCKS!
Digging underground subway tunnels is a tough job that needs shovels, pick axes, dynamite and giant drills strong enough to burrow through solid rock! Get "hard-headed" with a fun matching game where we examine samples of the different rock types found beneath our streets. For ages 5+

NEW! A special photography workshop for ages 9-12.
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
***$15 per youth participant and accompanying adult

EXPOSURE! CREATING PHOTO-MOSAICS OF SOUTH FERRY STATION AND THE BATTERY

Artists Doug and Mike Starn's photo-based South Ferry Station installation, See It Split, See It Change, was inspired by the vivid transit history and scenic landscape of lower Manhattan. Tour this striking installation with MTA Arts for Transit, then join photographer/educator Christina Freeman to gaze through your own viewfinders in an exploratory walk through the Battery Park area. Participants will return to the Museum's Technology Lab to re-imagine their own photographic images as digitally edited mosaics.

For ages 9 to 12, with parent chaperones. Materials and admission fee of $15 per youth participant and an accompanying adult. Equipment provided if needed. Reservations and advance payment are required; please call 718-694-1792. Space is limited.

Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, 2010, at 1:30 PM / Free with paid Museum admission
SISTER CITY: BEIJING
Did you know New York City has 10 sisters? To help learn more about one another, Beijing and New York became "sister cities" in 1980. Join us as we highlight the ties between our large cities, learn about Beijing's subways and buses and design unique postcards to send to our friends far away. For ages 5+

Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15, 2010, at 1:30 PM / Free with paid Museum admission

TICKET TO LONG ISLAND
The scenic towns of Long Island have long been favorite summer destinations, with ferries, bridges and the Long Island Railroad keeping us connected to the beaches for almost two hundred years! Punch your ticket, help us complete a long map of the big island and learn some fun facts about Long Island's towns along the water. For ages 5+

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.

FEES
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

New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store
Grand Central Terminal
42nd Street and Vanderbilt 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

New York Transit Museum's 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.