The New York Transit Museum is a public transportation museum that opened in Brooklyn, New York in…read moreJuly 1976. It was founded by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The museum is located underground in the decommissioned Court Street subway station. Opened in 1936, the station was built to serve as a terminus for trains of the IND Fulton Street Line. Due to the proximity of other stations in the Downtown Brooklyn area, the Court Street station never saw much traffic and was abandoned by June 1946. After it was abandoned, the station was used as a filming location for a number of Hollywood films that include "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974). As part of New York City's United States Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, members of the NYC Transit Authority built a New York City Transit Exhibit at the station. Although the exhibit was meant to only be open until September of that year, it proved to be so popular that it remained open and eventually became a permanent museum. The museum displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region. Although the Court Street station is considered to be decommissioned, it is still technically an active subway station because it serves as a turnaround for the 6 line. My family and I recently visited the New York Transit Museum while we were spending the day in Brooklyn. To enter the museum, you need to descend a staircase that leads underground, just like you would at any subway station. This museum is so thorough at discussing the history of New York City's public transit system from the late 19th century right up to present day. Some of the artifacts that we saw on display included old subway turnstiles, bus fareboxes, subway tokens, payphones, train and trolley models, various types of vintage transit signs, and much more! The museum is also quite interactive, which was delightful for my two sons. They both loved riding on the various buses and subway trains. The platform level features two fully powered and operational subway tracks which contain many historic examples of New York City subway and elevated railway equipment on permanent display. This was the most fun museum that we've visited in a while and we highly recommend it to visitors to Downtown Brooklyn!

Such a cool museum, and totally worth the trek to Brooklyn :]…read more I loved all the displays of the turnstiles, as well as how each exhibit was set up. Touch everything and plan to spend at least a few hours there!

What a wonderful experience!! You buy your tickets online - choosing a specific tour from a number…read moreof options. We chose the Italian & Jewish families tour. It looks like 2 separate experiences on the main page, but when you click on either family (Rogarshevsky & Baldizzi), you'll see that it's a combined tour, and a really good one! We showed up at the main museum early, checked in, and after checking out the nice gift shop, we popped into the theater room to watch their wonderful documentary. Don't miss this one! You'll learn about the 2 women co-founders who - with zero museum experience - proceeded to set up these 2 incredible tenements as museums telling the story of NY thru, quite naturally, its immigrants (what an important thing now!!). We were called for our tour right on time. Our guide took us on a brief walk down the sidewalk to #97 - the tenement where the 2 families lived in the 1930s. It's like walking into a time capsule! The dark walls have some decorative coverings - small patches restored to give you an idea of what it looked like back then. The mahogany bannister is original - as you head up to the 1st floor. The creaking building was lovingly shored up over the years by a multi-million dollar renovation -- but they've never lost its authentic look. Inside the Italian fam's place, you're struck by how small the 3 rooms they lived in really were. There's even a tiny bed for their 2 kids right in the kitchen crammed alongside the oven! We were also so struck by the pride that clearly went into adorning their parlor room. The Jewish family - the Rogarshevskys - lived across the hall. You'll hear audio played from one of the other family's kids when she was an adult - giving museum creators an authentic oral history about her time there & about the fam across that hall. So much work has clearly gone into making the experience authentic. One guy on our tour had been on some of the other experiences and said this one and the one with bar (‍) were his faves so far. Will definitely be back.

My family's story in the United States has roots on the lower east side of Manhattan. Lost history…read moresince my grandfather refused to talk about his early life, emigrating from Russia. My grandmother was just a baby with few recollections. In 1988 two visionaries founded the Tenement Museum. Their intent was to spread tolerance and understanding of the immigrant experience. The museum purchased two tenement buildings on Orchard Street and rehabbed several apartments to simulate the way they were when occupied. Between 1863 and 1935 it's estimated thousands of people from 20 nations called these tenement buildings 'home.' I found the tour fascinating with our guide talking about two families -- one Italian, the other Jewish -- and the hardships they endured living in over-crowded quarters. There are several tours you can choose from focusing on different immigrant experiences, each $30, each ranging from 60 to 75 minutes. (The only way you can see the museum is by booking a tour.) Make reservations on line and check-in at the visitors' center upon arrival. Learn more about the museum by watching the 26 minute film that's run on a loop in the back room. A very worthwhile afternoon.

Nice place if you are around the area…read more 1) It is a small museum with two floors. 2) The exhibits gives you an insight of architecture both modern and old. 3) It is free, so give it a shot.

Finally the Center for Architecture is improving after years of neglect. With a new website and…read morebetter curation, it seems like something positive has changed for the more important institution for architecture in New York City. Especially since former design leadership at the MoMA and New York Times has gone absent in the past decade. Looking forward to their new era of putting architecture at the center of urban issues!

I did not go inside, but walked through the pretty park area surrounding this building. Upon…read morereading about what the building was I found out the following - The Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation is the most recent major addition to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) campus in New York City, and it marks a significant evolution in the Museum's long history of expansion and innovation. The project was announced in 2014 as a $465 million, 230,000‑square‑foot expansion and renovation. It was named in honor of Richard Gilder, a major philanthropist and AMNH supporter, and was conceived during a period when the Museum sought to improve public engagement with science, enhance accessibility, and better connect its dispersed campus

Sometimes the best museum visits are the ones you don't plan--and that was exactly the case with…read morethe Gilder Center, a hidden gem we stumbled upon late one afternoon. We arrived at 4:00 PM, thinking we'd squeeze in a quick walkthrough before closing at 5:30, only to discover the most beautiful surprise: free admission after 4. An unexpected win that made the visit feel even sweeter. With only an hour and change, we braced ourselves for a rushed experience, but the space unfolded into something bigger and more immersive than anticipated. From the dinosaur fossils to the vivid animal exhibits, every room had something that stopped us in our tracks. This wasn't just kid stuff either--our group of adults had an absolute blast. The real scene-stealer? The architecture. The building feels part cave, part spaceship--organic curves meet sharp, modern design, like nature and the future co-authored a museum. It's visually stunning, both inside and out. A happy accident turned into a highlight of the day. If you find yourself nearby in the late afternoon, it's absolutely worth a visit--free or not.

I forgot how huge this museum is. Wonderfully designed…read moreexhibits spaced out enough so that you can actually appreciate each piece Very helpful staff

I used to love it here for years, but it's gotten too popular and lost the charm it had for me…read more The popularity is great for the museum itself. It's experienced an undeniable glow up. People I could never get to step a toe in a museum now beg me to come with them to see some trendy exhibit they heard about. Marketing has improved immensely. They've expanded their reach beyond geeks and schoolchildren to a wide variety of people, and that's good. It keeps the museum alive. It's just no longer one of my favorite places personally. What I miss the most are the old First Saturdays that no one knew about. I'd look forward to them all month like a child looks forward to Christmas. It felt like Brooklyn's best kept secret. Now you have to preregister to get sardined. I'm not much of a noisy crowd person, so I end up leaving early the rare occasion I attempt to go. I do enjoy the salsa parties. Those are fun. Staff can be rude as all else. I've never personally had an issue, but I've seen some uncalled for behavior towards other patrons, especially if they give touristy vibes. The littlest thing can set someone off. It's completely uncalled for.

Pretty cool, small gallery of history from the last 40 years in the LES. Cool to see an ex squat…read morebuilding too

It's so rare that a museum's built and run by the very people it's about. MoRUS is one of the few…read more For many tourists, the history of the Lower East Side ended with the great immigration of Eastern Europeans during the Pogroms. The Lower East Side Tenement museum does a great job of bringing that history to life. But, what else is there to learn about this vibrant and exciting neighborhood? There's a rich history of reclaimed gardens, squats and community activism in the LES. Through a well narrated photographic exhibit, and through walking tours, the staff and volunteers of MoRUS can walk you through a living history. I was lucky enough to catch "UnrealEstate!"- A lecture, slide show and concert built around an oral history of Lower East Side squats....in the belly of C-Squat. Fly's story, illustrations and photos really brought home the challenges of building C-squat (and other reclaimed spaces); a living space Giuliani once called, "The most dangerous venue in New York". Nico De Gallo kept things light with a hilarious Shel Silverstein reading, while Seth Tobocman and Eric Drooker rounded things out with their own graphic histories of their LES experience. I'll have to visit again and take the walking tour!

Probably one of the COOLEST museum concepts I've come across!! Every item in this exhibit is…read moreavailable for viewers to buy shares of - from Rolex watches to signed Michael Jordan sneakers, to Pokémon cards! LOL Very hip and street-inspired items inside. Theres a cute coffee counter in the front with a seating area in the back to hang with friends. Lots of neat items on display to peruse and an entire LED wall as a photo op. Overall, a very cool spot to drop by if you happen to pass by in SoHo (although pretty hard not to spot, with a huge dinosaur skull as the window display)!

We visited this amazing museum recently. Before the guided tour, we spent a little time in the…read morebeautiful garden outside, which was decorated for the 250th anniversary. The building was created in the 1790s, beginning as a carriage house, and later serving about a decade as an exclusive daytime resort. The first room e were shown had documents created by George Washington, John Adams and their friends. The tavern could be a rowdy place for anyone walking in, and a room next door was a gentile spot for paying overnight guests. They said there were no signs of ghosts here, but I wonder about that.

Gary was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and made our tour fun. We pretty much had a…read moreprivate tour as we were the only two at this time. You should sell fans along with the explanation of the fan wave meanings. I think that would be a fun souvenir. Thank you, Pat and Laraine