Holiday Nostalgia Rides

Holiday Nostalgia Rides

This holiday season, we continue the annual tradition of Holiday Nostalgia Rides on the New York Transit Museum’s 1930s R1/9 train cars! Departing from the F line’s 2nd Avenue station in lower Manhattan, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will transport straphangers back in time every Saturday in December.

Don’t miss your chance to travel through time – for just the cost of a MetroCard swipe or OMNY tap!

SCHEDULE

This year, the Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate on Saturdays in December! Catch the vintage train between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, December 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th.

The Holiday Nostalgia Train departs 2nd Avenue on the uptown F line in Lower Manhattan at:

  • 10am
  • 12pm
  • 2pm
  • 4pm

The Holiday Nostalgia Train departs 145th Street on the downtown D line at:

  • 11am
  • 1pm
  • 3pm
  • 5pm

ROUTE

The Holiday Nostalgia Train will operate between 2nd Avenue on the uptown F line platform and 145th on the downtown D line platform. Passengers can board the train at any of the stations below.

Uptown Stops:

  • 2nd Avenue (F)
  • Broadway-Lafayette Street (D/F)
  • West 4th Street – Washington Square (D/F, A/C/E)
  • 34th Street – Herald Square (D/F)
  • 42nd Street – Bryant Park (D/F)
  • 47th – 50th Streets – Rockefeller Center (D/F)
  • 7th Avenue (D/E)
  • 59th Street – Columbus Circle (A/C/D)
  • 125th Street (A/C/D)
  • 145th Street (A/C/D)

Downtown Stops:

  • 145th Street (A/C/D)
  • 125th Street (A/C/D)
  • 59th Street – Columbus Circle (A/C/D)
  • 7th Avenue (D/E)
  • 47th – 50th Streets – Rockefeller Center (D)
  • 42nd Street – Bryant Park (D/F)
  • 34th Street – Herald Square (D/F)
  • West 4th Street – Washington Square (A/C/E, D/F)
  • Broadway-Lafayette Street (D/F)
  • 2nd Avenue (F)

Please Note:

  • On Saturday, December 2nd only, the train will be utilizing the uptown D platform at 145th Street.
  • Accessible stations along the route include Broadway-Lafayette (D/F/M), West 4th Street – Washington Square (A/C/E, D/F), 34th Street – Herald Square (D/F), 59th Street – Columbus Circle (A/C/D), and 125th Street (A/C/D). Please check the MYmta app and visit the MTA’s Elevator and Escalator Status page before you travel for real-time elevator status information.

2023 HOLIDAY NOSTALGIA TRAIN: THE R1/9s

Consisting of eight cars from the 1930s, the Holiday Nostalgia Train is a charming reminder of New York City’s transit history. These vintage Independent Subway System (IND) cars were once the pride of 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. Featuring rattan seats, paddle ceiling fans, incandescent light bulbs, roll signs, and period advertisements, the R1/9s are the cars that inspired Billy Strayhorn’s iconic “Take the A Train.” They entered service on the Eighth Avenue line (today’s A/C/E) in 1932 and ran until 1977. Today, they are 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.