The New York Transit Museum is dedicated to honoring the strengths and perspectives of people with disabilities while ensuring that everyone can experience the stories of New York’s transit system. Through inclusive programs, sensory-friendly events, and specialized learning opportunities, the Museum works to make its collection and community accessible to all.
Applications for the Spring 2026 semester will open in January
Subway Sleuths is an after-school program that builds on a shared interest in trains and public transit among 2nd through 5th grade students with autism to support social interaction between peers.
Participants explore the Transit Museum’s content and collection, sharing their enthusiasm with others while engaging in transit-themed games and activities. Groups are facilitated by Transit Museum Educators, speech-language pathologists, and special education professionals.
Applications closed on June 9th.
August 18-22, 2025, 10am to 3pm
Developed for teens ages 14 to 17 who identify as neurodivergent, this week-long summer program will immerse participants in New York Transit Museum content and provide exciting opportunities to engage with fellow transit fans and guest speakers from the Museum and the MTA. Transit Quest combines building new connections with exclusive Museum experiences and offsite excursions in our transit system.
The Museum must review all applications as space is limited. We may contact potential candidates to confirm a strong passion for transit and ensure that this is an appropriate program.
The cost is $500 for all five days. Limited partial scholarships are available.
For more information, please email us.
Join the Transit Museum for a fun family program! We invite children with developmental disabilities or autism and their families to join us for transit-themed activities, performances, and exploring the Museum before we open to the public. All ages welcome for this free event, and registration is required. Special Day takes place 3 times per year.
For more information, please email us or join our mailing list.
Day Habilitation Day allows individuals and groups to explore the Transit Museum and learn about the programs we offer for adults with disabilities. The event is FREE but registration is required. This event takes place twice a year, in the fall and spring seasons. For more information, please email our Special Education and Access Manager.
The next Day Habilitation Day will be in Fall 2025.
Practice how to travel by subway—from mapping a route to buying MetroCards from a station agent—in the safe environment of the Transit Museum. Become familiar with MetroCards, OMNY, turnstiles, maps, and conductor boards, and role play various real-world scenarios on board a subway car.
This program is developed for participants ages 13 through adults with developmental/learning disabilities or autism, who are interested in independent subway travel. All participants must be accompanied by an adult caregiver, care manager, or parent. The cost of the program is $10 per participant. Space is limited; registration is required.
Please email us for more information and to join the contact list for the next event.
Explore New York City’s subway system from past to present. Track the history of our complex transit system on a tour of our vintage train collection while also discussing how we safely ride the subway today, from entering the system with a MetroCard or OMNY tap, to recognizing potential concerns and social cues.
This program is offered to 6th graders through adult learners with developmental and/or learning disabilities.
To learn more about accessibility at the New York Transit Museum, please visit our accessibility page.
The New York Transit Museum recognizes that the choice to use identity-first language (an autistic person) or person-first language (a person with autism) is an evolving conversation. Like the MTA, the Transit Museum currently uses person-first language in its accessibility practices and respects however a person chooses to self-identify.
Funding for Subway Sleuths is provided by the FAR Fund, the Taft Foundation, an anonymous foundation, and generous individual donors.
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