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Brooklyn, get ready to trade your OMNY swipe for a trip back in time. On Sunday, September 21, the New York Transit Museum’s beloved Bus Festival returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park—and admission is completely free.
From 10am to 3:30pm, Emily Warren Roebling Plaza will become an open-air time capsule showcasing more than 90 years of New York City bus history. Four stars of the museum’s vintage fleet will take center stage, including Betsy, a 1931 double-decker from Fifth Avenue Coach’s “1200 series” that ran until 1947; the 1956 Bus 3100, the first air-conditioned bus in the United States, complete with cushioned seats and fluorescent lighting; the baby-blue 1969 Bus 4727, built to tackle the Bronx’s steep hills; and the 1971 Bus 5227, a “New Look” GM model later overhauled into a “Blitz Bus” and remembered for its hard blue bench seating.
This year’s festival comes with a little intrigue, too. Organizers are promising a few surprise guest vehicles—rare appearances that even veteran transit buffs might not have seen in person. All will be open for boarding, offering the chance to explore the interiors and imagine a commute when the fare was just a nickel.
The day isn’t just about bus-spotting. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, meet some of the people who keep New York moving every day and capture Manhattan skyline-worthy photos of these restored rides in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge. The Transit Museum Store will also set up a pop-up shop filled with transit-themed books, toys and collectibles for anyone looking to take a piece of the city’s history home.
Though the event is free, the museum encourages advance registration to help with planning. Those who register will be entered into a raffle for a $100 Family Membership, unlocking a year of museum access and special perks. Rain or shine, the Bus Festival offers a rare opportunity to get up close to the vehicles that shaped New York’s streets and to see them in a setting worthy of their history.
If you’ve ever wanted to step aboard a piece of living transit history, mark your calendar. On September 21, Brooklyn Bridge Park is the last stop you’ll want to miss.