New York Transit Museum's Summer Nostalgia Train Rides

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has visited the New York Transit Museum and wished for a chance to ride on one of the old trains or buses on display. It would really be something to go back to an era when New Yorkers rode the tiny rattan seats on the BMT or held onto the leather straps of the IRT as the subways noisily bumped and jostled their way through the tubes.

Well time travel isn’t possible, but you can hop on some of New York City’s old trains and buses when the Transit Museum pulls out some of its vintage fleet for three special, all-day summer excursions. The trips each have different destinations and sound like a lot of fun. The first one is this weekend and seats are filling up fast! If you have a little train fan in your house, don't miss this.

Two of the three excursions leave from the decommissioned subway platform on the lower level of the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights, while the third one leaves from Grand Central Terminal. Tickets cost $50 for adults and $25 for children ages 2 to 17. These train rides are really best for older kids and strollers aren't permitted so be sure to leave the wheels at home.

Cultural Treasures of Brooklyn
Leaves from Grand Central Terminal
Sunday, July 1 10am-5pm
Grab a seat on the classic Lo-V vintage trains for a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. Admission to the two institutions is free with your ticket. If all your kid wants to do is ride the rails, that's okay too. The train will go back and forth throughout the day.

Coney Island Bound
Leaves from the New York Transit Museum
Sunday, July 29 10am-5pm
Head to the boardwalk in old-school style on the R1/9 cars of the Independent Subway System. Get off and explore everything Coney Island has to offer or ride the train all day.

Summer Nostalgia Ride: To the Rockaways by Rail and Bus
Leaves from the New York Transit Museum
Sunday, August 12 10am-5pm
This trip is particularly cool because travelers will ride retro trains and buses on the same day. Head out on the R1/9 cars from the '30s and '40s and travel through Jamaica Bay to the Rockaways, where Ralph Kramden-era buses whisk you to Gateway National Park for a day at the seaside.

The New York Transit Museum is located at Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Brooklyn Heights.

Find out about other ways to get your train on in NYC.

Updated June 26, 2012