MIDWINTER RECESS FAMILY PROGRAMMING—CELEBRATING ELIZABETH JENNINGS GRAHAM

100 years before Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Jennings Graham refused to give up her seat.  Join us for special family programs celebrating the story and spirit of this civil rights pioneer.

Author Storytime: Beth Anderson, Lizzie Demands a Seat!

11:00am-11:30am:  Screening Room, Mezzanine

Join children’s book author Beth Anderson for a special, conversational reading of her new book, Lizzie Demands a Seat! Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights.  Ages 5-12 and accompanying adults

Artmaking: Community Heroes Signs 

11:00am-12:00pm, 2:00pm-3:00pm:  Gaster Education Center, back of the Mezzanine

Drop into the Education Center to be inspired by Elizabeth’s efforts for equality in our transit system, and think about how we can work to make our communities better.  Who are some of the everyday heroes who have made positive changes in our communities?  What other changes would you like to see?  Create signs to honor or suggest this work, and then carry your signs throughout the museum!  Ages 5+ and accompanying adults

Author Meet and Greet: Beth Anderson, Lizzie Demands a Seat!

12:00pm-12:30pm:  Screening Room, Mezzanine

Beth Anderson, author of Lizzie Demands a Seat! Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Street Car Rights, will share a presentation for older children and adults about the interesting twists and turns of her research and writing process, how she chose Elizabeth Jennings as the subject for her latest book, and some interesting facts she discovered along the way. Ages 12+

History on Wheels

10:00am-12:00pm, 2:00pm-4:00pm:  Middle of the Platform

Make discoveries and learn fun facts about public transportation through handling materials that rotate with each monthly theme.  All ages.

Collaborative Activity: Streetcar Salad

12:00pm-2:00pm:  Lunchroom, Mezzanine Level

Learn all about early, horse-drawn surface transit in 19^th century New York! Explore maps from the period to see where you could travel by streetcar and how our modern-day transit follows early routes, and consider the pros and cons of horse drawn street transportation versus buses today.  Then, work with fellow visitors to create a large, collaborative drawing of a 19^th-century streetcar.  Ages 3-12 and accompanying adults

Performance: Welcome to Elizabeth’s Classroom 

1:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm:  Screening Room, Mezzanine

Hear the story of Elizabeth Jennings Graham from a modern-day teacher named after the woman who won a landmark case in the push towards desegregating public transportation in New York City.  Limited seating given on a first-come first-served basis.  Ages 5+ and accompanying adults

Museum Highlights

1:00pm-2:00pm:  Meet at the front of the Mezzanine, next to the lobby

Join this tour to explore the story of the building of New York’s subway system, the evolution of the City’s surface transportation, and our priceless collection of vintage subway and elevated cars dating back to 1904.  Ages 12+

Reading Nook

12:00pm-2:00pm:  On the Streets Exhibit, Mezzanine

Explore child-friendly books about equal rights and social justice at your own pace, and reflect on Elizabeth Jennings Graham and her efforts for equality.

Multimedia Timeline: Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Ongoing:  Lunchroom, Mezzanine

Stop by the lunch room to learn more about the life and times of Elizabeth Jennings through historical sketches and early photographs, a timeline of surface transportation in New York City, and more about others who fought for equal rights during and after Elizabeth Jennings’s lifetime.