Over the past 400 years, Brooklyn’s transformation from rural villages and farmland into New York City’s most populous borough has been shaped by mass transit. Early ferry service to Manhattan created the region’s first commuter suburb, followed by trolleys, bridges, and later rapid transit, which helped establish Downtown Brooklyn as a center of civic and cultural life.
Join us for a walk through the transit history of Downtown Brooklyn. Trace the path from early ferry landings, across former trolley routes, past ghosts of elevated trains, and into the subway era, concluding at the New York Transit Museum’s historic Court Street Station.
Your tour ticket includes Museum admission.
Additional Information & Policies:
Member Discounts
To receive the member ticket price, click the register button and sign in on the ticketing page to verify membership. The discount will appear at checkout.
All Ticket Sales are Final
If you cannot attend the program on the date you reserved or do not submit security materials in time, the total price of unused tickets will be treated as a donation to the Transit Museum and is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Tickets are non-refundable, cannot be transferred to another date, and cannot be used by another individual.
Age Requirements
Children ages 2 and up need their own ticket to the program.
Children ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Program Experience
Tours run rain or shine, and require walking and standing. Restrooms are not available on the tour route and there may not be places to sit or amenities like climate control. Tours last approximately 90 minutes.
Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather as the tour takes place both indoors and outdoors.
Accessibility
While this walking tour does include stairs, it can be made accessible for wheelchair users or those with mobility issues that prevent them from using the stairs. Advanced notice is appreciated. Please reach out to programs@nytransitmuseum.org with any requested accommodations.
Pets, or comfort, therapy, or emotional support animals are not permitted at Museum programs. Only service animals as defined by the ADA are permitted.
For information on American Sign Language interpreter requests, Assistive Listening Devices, or other accessibility matters please visit the accessibility page or email access@nytransitmuseum.org. If you secure tickets, please request any accommodations via email at least two weeks in advance.
Questions? Email programs@nytransitmuseum.org.