Two riders standing in front of Holiday Nostalgia Train

2026 HOLIDAY NOSTALGIA RIDES

This holiday season, the New York Transit Museum and MTA New York City Transit continue the annual tradition of Holiday Nostalgia Rides aboard vintage 1930s subway cars. Operating between 2 Av–Houston St on the uptown F line and 96 St–2 Av on the Q line, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will transport straphangers back in time every Sunday between Thanksgiving and New Year’s from 10am to 5pm.

Hop aboard and celebrate the magic of New York City during the holidays — rides are free with your subway fare!

ROUTE & SCHEDULE

This year, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate every Sunday between Thanksgiving and New Year’s 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

Passengers can board the train at any of the stations listed below.

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–6 Av (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)

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.
The F/M line switch is only in effect on weekdays from 6am-9:30pm and does not affect the Holiday Nostalgia Train schedule.
All Holiday Nostalgia Rides are weather permitting. Timing, routes, and equipment are subject to change.

Screenshot of New York Transit Museum App homepage

NEW THIS YEAR!

Holiday Nostalgia Ride Scavenger Hunt

Take a closer look as you travel back in time! Our Holiday Nostalgia Ride Scavenger Hunt invites you to spot and photograph vintage details, from rattan seats and ceiling fans to authentic roll signs and Miss Subways ads. Discover what these features reveal about subway travel in the 1930s, and find them all to earn a prize! Download the free New York Transit Museum App before your ride to join the fun.

Download on the Apple Store Download on the Google Play Store

Elevator at 96 St on the Second Avenue Subway

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)
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)

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

The first R-1 cars in the 207th Street Yard, 1930

About 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.

Learn More

SUPPORT
THE MUSEUM

Join our community of transit fans, history lovers, and curious New Yorkers. Your membership or gift helps keep the Museum a place where everyone can connect with the city’s past, present, and future.

Become a Member Donate