The New York Transit Museum captures the dynamic history of the public transportation that has been so central to New York City’s growth. From horse-drawn omnibuses in the 1820s to today’s subway system, which serves five million passengers per day, there is a lot to learn about transit history in the Big Apple. And the museum has a lot of programs, exhibits, and online resources to help teach it all to young people.

These resources are described on the museum education department’s Teacher Resource Center. Many museums offer school visits, but the New York Transit Museum offers Pre K-12 lesson ideas that can be taught in conjunction with a visit.

Classes can’t visit the museum every day, but teachers and students can always access the Teacher Resource Center to find several other great online resources – in addition to lesson ideas. For students, there is an overview and timeline of New York’s transit history and several online activities (such as the photographic tour, A Day in the Life of a Bus). Teachers can collaborate with other teachers and museum staff by logging on the “Teacher Sharing” online community.

But nothing beats visiting the actual museum itself and exploring inside historic subway cars or buses. The museum site is actually a former subway station. Guided programs for different grade levels enhance the experience. To learn more, visit the Teacher Resource Center page linked above.