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There's been plenty of attention paid this year to how hard it is to get a ticket to see Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, or the Super Bowl. But the hottest ticket in New York City is actually for a lesser-known and even more coveted occasion.
The Old City Hall Station tour, hosted by the New York Transit Museum, whisks visitors into a gorgeous decommissioned subway station—and tickets sell out in minutes. Getting a spot on the tour will require a good internet connection, endurance, and a museum membership. It's been a dream of mine for years to take this tour, and I finally got a ticket this fall. In honor of the subway's 120th birthday this weekend, here's how to do experience this incredible history.
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Scoring a ticket for Jewel in the Crown: Old City Hall Station Tour is a two-step process. First, you've got to become a member of the New York Transit Museum; individual memberships cost $65. Once you're a member, you'll find out the dates for the upcoming Old City Hall tour dates. The next set of tours go on sale to members in January 2025, and they cost $50/person.
Secondly, the moment tickets go on sale, you have to jump to get them. I recommend setting a calendar alert for the exact minute tours go live, so you're online and ready. I missed out the first time I tried to get tickets, as they were completely sold out in about 10 minutes. The second time I tried, I was online, ready and scored a spot.
Once your secure your ticket, you'll have to promptly reply with a copy of your government-issued ID and sign a visitor release form. On your tour date, make sure to arrive early and ready to explore for about 90 minutes.
Despite the challenges and the expense, the tour is so worth it. During the experience, you'll hear from an expert Transit Museum guide who will take you back in time to the earliest days of the subway. The tour begins above ground with the fascinating history of Alfred Beach's Pneumatic Tube in the 1860s and the development of City Hall and the subway system thereafter.
Then, you'll get to head underground to explore the station. Stepping inside feels magical. I couldn't help but imagine what it would've been like back on October 27, 1904 when the subway opened. On that evening, New Yorkers dressed in their finest clothing and hosted dinner parties to celebrate the grand opening. Officials didn't know if people would show up for its debut, but more than 100,000 people descended beneath the ground that evening to traverse the system's 9 miles and 28 stations. New York City’s very first subway ride left from the City Hall station amidst great civic pride.
Though I have to confess that I didn't dress in my finest apparel for the tour, I did feel awed by the subway. It's hard not to when you get to see the City Hall Station's elegant chandeliers, graceful curves and innovative vaulted tile ceilings by master artisan Rafael Guastavino.
A lot of people call this subway station "abandoned," but that term isn't quite correct. The track is still active as a turnaround for the 6 line, though trains no longer stop at Old City Hall station.
You can learn even more history of the subway system at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which is hosting a fascinating exhibit titled "The Subway Is...," which brings together artifacts, photos, multimedia installations, old advertisements, train models and more to tell the story of our city's subway system. The main message: New York City's subway was—and still is—revolutionary even 120 years later.