All aboard for some early summer fun!
Early summer, of course, and early New York as well! This June, New Yorkers and visitors alike can take a ride back in time.
To celebrate its landmark 50th anniversary, the New York Transit Museum is bringing back its highly anticipated Parade of Trains. For one weekend only, the MTA will pull a selection of its most beloved historic subway cars out of the museum vaults and put them right back onto the tracks.
For everyone from lifelong transit enthusiasts and history buffs to those looking for a unique weekend adventure in the city, these rides offer a rare, immersive glimpse into more than a century of New York City history.
What to know: riding back in time
The vintage shuttle trains will operate on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The trains will run continuously as a shuttle service on the Brighton Line in Brooklyn. Passengers can hop on and off at two specific locations:
- Brighton Beach Station: B/Q platforms
- Kings Highway Station: Manhattan-bound B/Q platform
The Best Part? The experience is free with standard subway fare. There are no special tickets required to board, just swipe or tap your OMNY card at the turnstile, head to the platform, and wait for history to pull up.
While advanced registration is not required, the New York Transit Museum encourages visitors to RSVP online ahead of time to help with crowd planning.
Over a century of transit history on display
Spanning nearly eight decades of design, this year’s lineup tracks the subway’s evolution from wooden relics to heavy steel heavyweights:
- BRT Brooklyn Union Elevated (1903–1969): The oldest cars in the fleet. These wooden “gate cars” feature open-air vestibules and metal gates manually operated by a conductor.
- BRT/BMT Standards (1914–1969): Built like suburban railroad coaches for maximum comfort. They introduced modern upgrades like destination roll signs, brighter lighting, and larger windows.
- BMT D-Type Triplex (1925–1965): Massive steel units that pioneered an early “open gangway” design, allowing riders to walk freely between articulated cars.
- IND R1/9 “Arnines” (1930–1977): The quintessential pre-WWII subway car, complete with vintage rattan seats, incandescent bulbs, and iconic ceiling paddle fans.
Special highlights for the 50th anniversary
To celebrate 50 years of preservation, the museum is pulling some ultra-rare rolling stock out of the vaults:
- The Debut of the “Tri-Nine”: For the first time in nearly a decade, the museum is coupling two distinct eras into a single mixed train. This custom setup links the heavy steel Triplex cars directly to the classic R1/9 cars, letting you walk through two generations of transit history mid-ride.
- The Return of the “Gate Cars”: The 1903 BRT Brooklyn Union Elevated cars are the absolute oldest operating vehicles in the collection. The Parade of Trains is your only chance all year to actually ride them.
