SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Our school group tours use the museum’s unique space and hands-on collection to explore how transportation helped shape New York City throughout history to present day. Tours include a mix of inquiry, observation, primary and secondary sources, and interactive activities to engage learners of all ages and abilities. Tours are aligned with learning standards and support many curriculum areas and are a great way for school and youth groups to explore the Museum.
TOUR SCHEDULE
In-Person (60 Minutes)
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
10:00am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:00pm
(The Gift Shop is closed on Wednesdays.)
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GROUP SIZES & RATES
General Education & ICT Groups
$200.00 per group
Pre-K: up to 18 students (9 chaperones)
Kindergarten: up to 25 students (7 chaperones)
Grades 1-12: 36 participants (including youth and chaperones).
Special Education (Self-Contained) Groups
$100.00 per group, 17 participants (including youth and chaperones).
SCHOOL GROUP TOURS
Moving Our Communities
Through imaginative play and our interactive collection of buses and trains, students explore New York City’s different modes of transportation and learn about community workers. (General & Special Education: K-12 Grade)
Art on the Go (Formerly known as Mile of Tiles)
Discover the variety of art found throughout New York City and the surrounding region’s transportation system, including visual art, poetry, and music, through an immersive tour of the Museum’s exhibits and vintage train collection that explores the connection between public art and mass transit. (General & Special Education: K-12 Grade)
Journey to the Past
Learn about life, work, science, and transportation throughout New York City’s past and present. Explore the Museum’s vintage train collection to explore life in New York City over time through interactive storytelling. (General & Special Education: K-12 Grade)
Moving the Millions
Discover the magnitude and complexity of New York City and the surrounding region’s public transportation system by exploring elements of construction, engineering, organization and impact over time in this introduction to transit history. (General & Special Education: K-12 Grade)
Subway Tracks
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. (Special Education Only; 6th Grade – Adult Learners)
BOOK A TOUR
GENERAL INFORMATION
Payment by credit card is preferred but checks are also accepted. If payment is not received three weeks prior to your visit, your program will be canceled. Refunds cannot be given less than three weeks before your visit. If school bus service is suspended due to inclement weather or other factors, we may be able to reschedule groups. Additional payment information will be sent upon booking.
For questions about school group tours and the booking process, please email [email protected].
For questions about accessibility and Special Education programs, please email [email protected].
Review and download a social narrative to prepare participants for a group tour at the New York Transit Museum.
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
Reservations are required for all group visits and masks are optional. The Museum does not allow self-guided or unscheduled groups at any time. The Museum does not have lunch facilities. We encourage groups to eat, weather permitting, at some nearby outdoor eating options including Columbus Park, Korean War Veterans Plaza, or Cadman Plaza Park. The Museum does not have a coat or bag check and cannot store backpacks and coats during your program. We recommend leaving backpacks and other personal items on your bus or at school.
ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
Please arrive no more than 5 minutes before your scheduled tour; the Museum cannot accommodate entry any earlier. Upon arrival, your educator will meet you at the top of the stairs outside the Museum. Do not enter until you are with your educator. Late-arriving groups will receive an abbreviated program. We cannot extend tours due to late arrival for any reason. If you anticipate a late arrival, please email [email protected].
All groups must depart at their scheduled time. Groups may not stay in the Museum after the program ends.
CANCELATIONS
Tours are non-refundable within three weeks of the scheduled visit, though changes to times and dates may be accommodated on a case-by-case basis and as space allows.
ACCESSIBILITY
Upon booking, you will be asked to share any specific needs for your group so we can best assist you. The Transit Museum is wheelchair accessible via a lift which has a total weight limit of 450 pounds. The lift moves slowly and allows one person at a time, so please plan to arrive 15 minutes before your program’s start time. If you need to use the lift, please inform us in advance. For more information about accessibility options, including ASL Interpreters and listening devices, please visit the Museum’s accessibility page on our website.
TRANSPORTATION
Traveling by Subway
Taking the train is the best way to begin your visit to the Transit Museum. We are conveniently located a short walk from:
Borough Hall Station: 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines (0.2 miles)
Jay Street MetroTech Station: A, C, F, and R (0.2 miles)
Hoyt-Schermerhorn Station: A, C, and G (0.2 miles)
Certificates for Free Transportation are provided by NYC Transit to travel to and from school trips.
Traveling by School Bus
Buses may drop off students on either Boerum Place or Schermerhorn Street. Parking is limited and unpredictable in Downtown Brooklyn.