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Metro Museums
Some cities take their subway's history serious and appreciate it with a dedicated museum. Here's an international list of those museums.
The list also includes railway or tram museums with significant metro/subway sections. Hours and admissions are just here to give an idea, and as museums have the bad habit of sometimes closing for long periods of time for renovation or something like that, check the referenced websites to avoid bumping into a closed door.
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London Transport MuseumVideos and maps in the new Metros of the World section. |
| Berlin | U-Bahn-Museum. An exhibition of signals, signage, ticket machines and other metro-related objects. Historical trains are used on special tours. Inauguration: 1999. Location: Abandoned control centre in a metro station.
Nearest metro station: Olympia-Stadion.
Hours: Only one day per month (2nd Saturday), 10:30 to 16:00. Admission: 2 EUR.
Reference: ag-berliner-u-bahn.de (official website). bvg.de, Tunnel walking tours bvg.de, Night-time tunnel rides on an open-roofed carriage bvg.de.
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| | S-Bahn-Museum. An exhibition of commuter metro-related objects such as signals and signage as well as historical photos and descriptions on display charts. Inauguration: 1997. Location: Unused transformer substation.
Address: Rudolf-Breitscheid-Straße 203, 14482 Potsdam. Nearest metro station: Griebnitzsee (S-Bahn).
Hours: Only one weekend per month April through November (2nd weekend), Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 17:00. Admission: 1.80 EUR.
Reference: s-bahn-museum.de (official website).
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| Brussels | Musée du Transport Urbain Bruxellois.
Hours: Museum is closed in 2007 and 2008.
Reference: mtub-msvb.be (official website).
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| Budapest | Millennium Underground Museum. Exhibition about metro construction, its achievements, and future. Inauguration: 1975. Location: Abandoned underpass in the Deák Ferenc tér metro station.
Address: Budapest, Deák tér, metro station.
Hours: From 10:00 to 17:00 daily - except Mondays. Admission: 270 Ft.
Reference: bkv.hu (official website).
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| | Urban Public Transport Museum Szentendre. Displaying suburban railway relics. Inauguration: 1992.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Dózsa Gy. út, suburban railway station (in front of Volán bus station, to the left).
Hours: From April to October between 10:00 and 17:00 daily, except Mondays. Admission: 270 Ft.
Reference: bkv.hu (official website).
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| Delhi | (Proposed metro museum).
Reference: thehindu.com , delhicapital.com.
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| Glasgow | Museum of Transport. Exhibition about the history of transport, including a section about the Subway. Inauguration: 1964. Location: New building by Zaha Hadid architects under construction until 2010.
Address: 1 Bunhouse Road, G3 8DP. Nearest metro station: Kelvinhall.
Reference: glasgowmuseums.com.
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| Kiev | Metro Museum. The small museum provides some information about planning, construction, and operation of the metro. Exhibits include station models, historic photos, and tickets.
Address: Peremohy Prospekt 35. Nearest metro station: Politekhnichnyi Instytut.
Hours: Except Fridays.
Reference: de.wikipedia.org.
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| London | Museum Depot. Holds the majority of the London Transport Museum's collections which are not on display in Covent Garden. Houses over 370,000 items of all types, including many original works of art used for the Museum's celebrated poster collection, vehicles, signs, models, photographs, engineering drawings and uniforms. On 6000 square metres these form one of the most comprehensive and important records of urban transport anywhere in the world.
Address: 118-120 Gunnersbury Lane, London W3 8BQ. Nearest metro station: Acton Town.
Hours: Only during special events.
Reference: ltmuseum.co.uk (official website).
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| | London Transport Museum. Conserving and explaining the capital city's transport heritage, offering an understanding of the capital's past and future development. LTM aims to be the world's leading museum of urban transport. Inauguration: 1973. Location: Historic flower market building.
Address: Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB. Nearest metro station: Covent Garden.
Hours: Saturday to Thursday 10.00 to 18.00 (last admission 17.15), Friday 11.00 to 21.00. Admission: 10 GBP. Features: museum store, café, library, educational programmes, lectures, special events.
Reference: ltmuseum.co.uk (official website).
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| Madrid | Andén 0 Chamberí. The new museum in an abandoned station has the idea of showing the public a little piece of underground life in the capital at the start of the 20th century. Inauguration: 2008. Location: Abandoned Chamberí metro station from 1919.
Address: Corner of C/ Luchana and Santa Engracía. Nearest metro station: Bilbao, Iglesia and Rubén Darío (trains no longer stop at Chamberí metro station).
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11am - 7pm. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 10am to 2pm. Admission: free.
Reference: notesfrommadrid.com, typicallyspanish.com, esmadrid.com.
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| Moscow | Moscow Metro Museum. This small museum (330 square metres) charts the history of Moscow's subway system in models and statistics. Inauguration: 1967. Location: Attached to the southern exit of Sportivnaya metro station.
Address: Ulitsa Khamovnichesky Val 36, 3rd floor, Moscow 119048, Russia. Nearest metro station: Sportivnaya.
Hours: Monday 11am - 6pm, Tuesday - Friday 9am - 4pm, closed Saturday and Sunday. Admission: 25 RB.
Reference: moscow-taxi.com, transport.chipexpo.ru, russianmuseums.info.
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| Munich | MVG Museum. Large tram museum (5000 square metres) with a small subway section and part of a subway train. Inauguration: 2007. Location: Historical tram maintainance workshop building.
Address: Ständlerstraße 20, München. At tram 27 Schwanseestraße stop.
Hours: Only Sundays about every two weeks, 11.00 - 17.00 (refer to website). Admission: 2.50 EUR.
Reference: mvg-mobil.de (official website).
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| Nagoya | Nagoya City Tram & Subway Museum. This museum is filled with vintage trains and trams, photographic history, hands-on simulators, and even giant tunneling equipment.
Address: Located on route 153, a 7-minute walk from exit 2 of Akaike Station. Nearest metro station: Akaike.
Hours: 10:00 to 16:00, closed Wednesdays and from 12/29 to 1/3. Admission: free.
Reference: nic-nagoya.or.jp.
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| New York | New York Transit Museum. Development of the greater NY metropolitan region through exhibitions, tours, educational programs, and workshops dealing with the cultural, social, and technological history of public transportation. Inauguration: In the 1970s. Location: Abandoned Court St IND station from 1936.
Address: Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights. Nearest metro station: Borough Hall (2 3 4 5 A C F), Court St (M R), Hoyt-Schermerhorn St (A C G).
Hours: Tue – Fri 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat and Sun Noon to 5 p.m., closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission: 5 USD. Features: museum store, educational programmes, special events.
Reference: mta.info (official website).
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| Paris | AMTUIR – Musée des Transports Urbains.
Address: 163, boulevard Charles de Gaulle - 92 700 Colombes. Nearest metro station: Porte Dorée.
Hours: Closed. Re-opening planned for 2008.
Reference: amtuir.org (official website).
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| Prague | Public Transport Museum. Contains over 40 historical vehicles (mainly trams) and many other exhibits - models, photographs, historical documents, tickets and blueprints. Inauguration: 1993. Location: Tram depot.
Address: Patockova 4, Prague 6.
Hours: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: 25 CZK.
Reference: dpp.cz (official website).
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| Pyongyang | Pyongyang Metro Museum. Covers the events leading to the opening of the Metro in 1973, as well as operations and future plans.
Reference: pyongyang-metro.com (scroll down to 'museum').
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| Rotterdam | Openbaar Vervoer Museum. Shows the city's transportation modes including the metro.
Address: Oostplein 165, 3011 KZ Rotterdam. Nearest metro station: Oostplein.
Hours: Thursdays to Saturdays 10:00 - 17:00, Sundays 13:00 - 17:00. Admission: 5 EUR. Features: Library, restaurant, films.
Reference: ovm-doetinchem.nl (official website). stichtingromeo.nl, rotterdam.nl.
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| Saint Louis | Museum of Transportation. Houses "..one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world," according to the Smithsonian Institution. Includes some historic subway trains from Chicago and New York City.
Address: 3015 Barrett Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63122.
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sunday: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, extended in summers. Admission: 6 USD.
Reference: transportmuseumassociation.org (official website).
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| Saint Petersburg | Saint Petersburg Metro Museum. Inauguration: 2005. Location: Primorskaya station building (after moving from Avtovo train depot to new location).
Address: Odoevskogo, 29. Nearest metro station: Primorskaya.
Reference: en.wikipedia.org, ru.wikipedia.org.
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| Shanghai | (Planned metro museum). Exhibitions will show historic documents, pictures and articles related to the city's Metro history and demonstrate the technology of subway construction. It will also include a facility for emergency drills, simulating situations such as power cuts, earthquakes or even terror attacks. The museum will also be a Metro safety-education center. Inauguration: Planned for 2010.
Nearest metro station: Wuzhong Road.
Reference: radio86.co.uk.
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| Stockholm | Spårvägsmuseet. Mainly trams but also a some subway exhibits, including pictures and models about art in the stations.
Address: Tegelviksgatan 22 (bus 2, 55, 66 to Sofia).
Hours: Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat–Sun 11am–4pm. Admission: 30 SKR. Features: Interactive installations, library, shop and café with play area.
Reference: sparvagsmuseet.sl.se (official website). stockholmmuseum.com.
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| Tokyo | Chikatetsu Hakubutsukan. Shows the full story of Tokyo subways in fascinating detail. Inauguration: 1986.
Address: 6-3-1 Higashi-Kasai, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 134-0084 (100 m east of Kasai station). Nearest metro station: Kasai.
Hours: Closed Mondays. Admission: 200 YEN. Features: Museum shop, lecture-hall, rest lounge, library.
Reference: chikahaku.jp (in Japanese) (official website). japaneserailwaysociety.com.
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| Vienna | Wiener Straßenbahnmuseum. Tram museum with little reference to the subway. Inauguration: 1972. Location: Historic maintainance station.
Address: Straßenbahnremise Erdberg, Wien 3, entrance at Ludwig-Koeßler-Platz (near Stadionbrücke). Nearest metro station: Schlachthausgasse.
Hours: May through September, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays 9:00 - 16:00.
Reference: wiener-tramwaymuseum.org (official website).
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| Yokohama | Yokohama Municipal Tramway Museum. The museum preserves some Yokohama tram cars, model trains, old photos, maps, and materials including a subway train simulator, which is modeled on Yokohama Municipal Subway type 2000. Inauguration: 1973. Location: At the corner of a former tram depot.
Address: 3-1-53 Takigashira, Isogo-ku, Yokohama-shi, 235-0012. Nearest metro station: Negishi JR station on the Keihin-Tohoku Line through service train.
Hours: Telephone +81 45 754 8505.
Reference: kyouryokukai.or.jp (official website). japaneserailwaysociety.com, wcities.com.
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London Transport MuseumArchitectural models of tube stations in the new Design section. |
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New York Transit MuseumCollection of historic fare gates. |
Photos by M. Rohde. Page updated 17 May 2008 (database entries can be newer).
General reference about metro/subway museums:
Reynolds, Robert: people.reed.edu/~reyn
Schleife, Hans-Werner et al.: Metros der Welt. Geschichte, Technik, Betrieb. Transpress 1992.
Schwandl, Robert: urbanrail.net
This page: http://mic-ro.com/metro/museums.html
Do you want to discuss this page or know of more facts that fit in here? Visit Metro Bits Forum. Thanks to those who have already contributed!
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