The Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store in Grand Central Announces Updates and Events

The Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store in Grand Central (mid-town Manhattan) will be TEMPORARILY CLOSED for renovations from January 19th until March 2010.

In addition to revolving exhibits and popular retail items, the Museum's Store in the Grand Central Terminal Annex also redeems TransitChek and Commuter Check vouchers for MetroCards. While the Annex is closed, these customers may redeem their travel vouchers at other locations. If you need a listing of TransitChek and Commuter Check vendors close to GCT's 10017 zip code, please let me know and I can provide a list for your review.

A sign will be posted in the window of the Gallery Annex to direct customers, who are not aware of the Annex's temporary closure, to alternative TransitChek and Commuter Check redemption sites.

The New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn at the Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street WILL BE OPEN. Hours of operation: Tuesday - Friday 10 AM to 4 PM' Sat / Sun 12 noon to 5 PM. Closed on Mondays and major holidays.

Closes January 18, 2010
8th ANNUAL GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW
Celebrate the holiday season with our annual Holiday Train Show. On a two-level 34-foot long layout, Lionel trains travel through a miniature Manhattan to the North Pole. A new Long Island Rail Road train joins Metro-North, New York Central, and Pennsylvania Railroad cars on the elevated track, while New York City Transit's R-27 subway cars run below. Free, at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal, Open Mon - Fri: 8 AM to 8 PM; Sat - Sun: 10 AM to 6 PM. For all ages

Opening Spring 2010, upon completion of the renovation of the Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store
Spring 2010
WHERE NEW YORK BEGAN: ARCHAEOLOGY 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.
Extended through 2010:
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.

Saturday, January 16, 2010 from Noon to 1 PM and 2 to 3 PM
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.

Saturdays and Sundays throughout February 2010, at 3 PM
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, 2010, from 11 AM to 1 PM
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, 2010, from 10 AM to 1:30 PM

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, April 10, 2010, from 11 PM to 2:30 PM
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, 2010, at 6 PM
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.

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.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010, at 6 PM
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, 2010, at 6 PM
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, 2010, at 2 PM
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, 2010
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 2010
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.

Tuesday, February 16 - Friday, February 19, 2010
FEBRUARY SCHOOL BREAL VACATION ACTIVITIES
School's out and the underground is in! It's National Engineers Week, and at the Transit Museum we'll be building unique structures in special weekday family programs: CREATE A CITY from 11 a.m. to noon and from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. For all ages

EVERY THURSDAY
WEEKLY PRESCHOOL TIME
1:30pm
Join us as we bring the Museum to life with transportation stories and hands-on activities for our youngest transit fans. All aboard!

For ages 2-5 Every Thursday, all year long!

Saturday & Sunday, January 12 &13, 2010, at 1:30 PM
RED BIRD REEF PAINTING
The retired Red Bird subway cars took a dive into the Atlantic Ocean to form a new home for fish? Dive into this fun program and paint your own vibrant scene of an underwater world. For ages 4+

Sat/Sun January 19 & 20, 2010, at 1:30 PM
TRAVELING TREATS
Sweet on the holidays? Assemble candies, cookies, and cakes into edible transit masterpieces! For ages 4+

Sat/Sun January 26 & 27, 2010, at 1:30 PM
RAILROAD STORYTELLING
Join us for stories of railroading past and present that we'll read at our guest car, Long Island Rail Road Caboose #60. For all ages

January 2010

Sat/Sun, January 2 &3, 2010, at 1:30 PM
CREATE A CITY
Working together, design an urban landscape and create a city with street, buildings, subways and buses! For ages 4+

Sat/Sun, January 9 & 10, 2010, at 1:30 PM
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. For ages 4+

Sat/Sun, January 16 & 17, 2010, at 1:30 PM
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. For ages 4+

Sat/Sun, January 16 & 17, 2010, at 2:30 to 4:00 PM
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. We will explore controls, machine parts and various tools of trains past and present. Suggested for all ages

Sun, January 24, 2010, at 1:30 PM
INSIDE OUTSIDE
After reading The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, we'll create colorful "inside-outside" picture books to express our visions of subway travel. For ages 5+

Sat/Sun January 30 & 31, 2010, at 1:30 PM
SISTER CITY: TOKYO
Did you know New York City has 10 sisters? To help learn more about one another, Tokyo and New York became "sister cities" 50 years ago. Join us as we highlight transportation ties with Tokyo and design unique postcards to send to our friends across the sea. For ages 5+

February 2010

Sat/Sun, February 6 & 7, 2010, at 1:30 PM
MAP NYC: ABC, 123
There are 26 lines in the New York City Subway system - pick your favorite letter or subway number and design a unique map inspired by your choice. For ages 4

Sat/Sun, February 13 & 14, 2010, at 1:30 PM
THE GREAT SUBWAY SEARCH
The Great Subway Search is on! Using mysterious and fun clues from a maintenance manual found at the Museum long ago, discover key signs, symbols and subway parts in our vintage cars. For ages 4+

Sat/Sun, February 20 & 21, 2010, at 12:30 PM
FAMILY SCREENING & WORKSHOP: BUILD A SPEEDY VEHICLE
Laugh out loud at Harold Lloyd's classic silent film comedy, Speedy, where Lloyd races the last horse-drawn trolley right through Washington Square Arch! Then rush to our workshop to make a fast-movin' horse-drawn streetcar or elevated train to take home. Film screening begins at 12:30 pm, (running time 87 minutes). Workshop begins at 2:00 pm. For all ages

Sat/Sun February 20 & 21, 2010, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM
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. We will explore controls, machine parts and various tools of trains past and present. Suggested for all ages

Sat/Sun February 27 & 28, 2010 at 1:30 PM
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+

HOURS
Tuesday-Friday: 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday-Sunday: Noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays

ADMISSION
Adults $5; children 3-17 and seniors 62 and over $3; Museum Members free Seniors free Wednesdays

DIRECTIONS
The Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights

SUBWAY: 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Borough Hall (5 weekday rush hours only); M and R to Court Street; A, C, G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn; A, C, F to Jay Street/Borough Hall

BUS: B25, B26, B37, B38, B41, B45, B52, B57, B61, B63, B65, B67, B75 - all stop within 1 to 2 blocks of the Museum

CAR: The Transit Museum is just five blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge! Take the Brooklyn Bridge and proceed straight on Adams Street; Adams Street will become Boerum Place. Go two blocks to Schermerhorn Street. For more detailed directions and for directions from other boroughs, Long Island or New Jersey, please call 718-694-1873.

 

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