The "Hidden" Entrance to the Museum

The wooden turnstiles

Full Cage Iron Turnstile

Bright Orange

My friend and I went to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn as the first of our individual trips for Seminar. As soon as we exited the train station, we realized that we didn't know which way to start walking. All the street names sounded unfamiliar. One block down from the station, we found ourselves standing across NYU Polytechnic University, so I called one of my friends ( a student there) and asked him for directions. After walking for a couple more blocks, we were underneath the banner that read "New York Transit Museum." Unfortunately, the entrance to the museum was nowhere to be found. We were confused and circled the block about 5 times even after asking for directions from passer-bys, who told us that it was on the other side. About 15 minutes later, we found it! My friend and I started laughing. The entrance was made to look exactly like an entrance to a subway station, and we had kept passing by it without noticing. Inside, more surprises were in store.

The museum itself was a work of art. It looked as if it stretched for miles underground, with its many passageways and a train station set up on another floor below. There were wooden turnstiles that looked like antiques, and an iron full-cage turnstile that looked like a jail cell built for one person. The description box that was next to the iron turnstile said that often times, people would get trapped inside while passing through because the revolving iron door would get stuck in place. It was hard to operate and even harder to get out of. Many improvements were made over the years. The interiors of the old trains were so different from the way they are now. The chairs weren't plastic but made of cushioned scratchy fabric-like material. The handles located at the top rail inside the trains were not metal but plain straps made of strong flexible material, similar in texture to the straps found on backpacks.

The trains were much more colorful then. They were painted in various colors, ranging from lime green, sky blue, bright orange, and yellow to dark brown. The Long Island Railroad was once a shade of bright orange, and the Main Street, Flushing / Times Square bounded train used to be bright blue. I wish these colors had remained, but in all other aspects, such as convenience and practicality, we're very fortunate that the changes had come about as they did. The changes in the structure of the turnstiles and interior of the trains were implemented to accommodate the growing number and needs of commuters. A new system for collecting fares was introduced. The Metrocard that we use today, which allows us to quickly pass through the turnstile after swiping it, is the most current form of fare payment. Its predecessors included paper tickets, nickels, dimes, and various tokens with distinct designs.

Of all the museums that I've visited, the Transit Museum, by far, is my favorite. There was just so much to see and explore in an interactive setting. It helped me to appreciate even more the grand subway system that enabled New York City to become a center of mobility. The subway system represents the efforts of countless people who have worked and are currently working on its design and construction. It is a living artwork that brings together people from all parts of New York.