Holiday Nostalgia Rides

Conductor on the Museum's vintage R1/9 train

This holiday season, the New York Transit Museum and MTA New York City Transit continue the annual tradition of Holiday Nostalgia Rides aboard our vintage 1930s train cars. Hop aboard and celebrate the magic of New York City during the holidays — rides are free with your subway fare!

See below for more details about our 2025 rides. For more information and alerts, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media at @nytransitmuseum.

2025 Holiday Nostalgia Rides

Take part in one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions! Running every Sunday in December from 10am to 5pm, the Holiday Nostalgia Train departs from 2 Av–Houston St on the uptown F line and 96 St–2 Av on the Q line. These beautifully restored subway cars offer a ride like no other. Don’t miss your chance to step back in time, all for the cost of a regular subway fare!

SCHEDULE

This year, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate every Sunday in December from 10am to 5pm.

The train departs from 2 Av–Houston St on the uptown F line in lower Manhattan at:

10am
12pm
2pm
4pm

The train departs from 96 St– 2 Av on the Q line at:

11am
1pm
3pm
5pm

ROUTE

The Holiday Nostalgia Train will depart from 2 Av–Houston St on the uptown F line and 96 St–2 Av on the Q line. Passengers can board the train at any of the stations listed below.

Please note:

For stops between 2 Av–Houston St and Lexington Av–63 St, board on the F line platform.
For stops between Lexington Av–63 St and 96 St–2 Av, board on the Q line platform.

Uptown Stops:

2 Av–Houston St (F)
Broadway–Lafayette St (D/F, 6)
West 4 St–Washington Sq (A/C/E, D/F)
34 St–Herald Sq (D/F, N/Q/R)
42 St–Bryant Park (A/C/E, D/F, N/Q/R, S, 7)
47-50 St–Rockefeller Center (D/F)
57 St– 6 Av (F)
Lexington Av–63 St (F, Q)
72 St–2 Av (Q)
86 St–2 Av (Q)
96 St–2 Av (Q)

Downtown Stops:

96 St–2 Av (Q)
86 Street–2 Av (Q)
72 St–2 Av (Q)
Lexington Av–63 St (F, Q)
57 St–6Av (F)
47–50 St–Rockefeller Center (D/F)
42 St–Bryant Park (A/C/E, D/F, N/Q/R, S, 7)
34 St–Herald Sq (D/F, N/Q/R)
West 4 St–Washington Sq (A/C/E, D/F)
Broadway–Lafayette St (D/F, 6)
2 Av–Houston St (F)

Accessibility:

Accessible stations along the route include:

Broadway–Lafayette St (D, 6)
West 4 St–Washington Sq (A/C/E, D/F)
34 St–Herald Sq (D/F, N/Q/R)
47–50 St–Rockefeller Center (D/F)
Lexington Av–63 St (F, Q)
72 St–2 Av (Q)
86 St–2 Av (Q)
96 St–2 Av (Q)

Please check the MTA app and visit the MTA’s Elevator and Escalator Status page before you travel for real-time elevator status information.

2025 Holiday Nostalgia Train: The R1/9s

The Holiday Nostalgia Train features eight cars from the 1930s that served on lettered lines through the late 1970s. These vintage Independent Subway System (IND) cars were built for the first subway company operated by the City of New York. Modern for their time, the R1/9s complimented the IND’s Depression-era Art Deco aesthetic. With rattan seats, paddle ceiling fans, incandescent light bulbs, roll signs, and period advertisements, these are the very cars that inspired Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train.” Today, they’re lovingly preserved as part of the New York Transit Museum’s collection.

PLEASE NOTE:

Masks are encouraged, but not required on vintage trains.
All Holiday Nostalgia Rides are weather permitting.
Timing, routes, and equipment are subject to change.

Image: Marc A. Hermann / MTA