Second Avenue Subway’s long road to completion traced in New York Transit Museum exhibit

In the month that it’s been open—yes, it’s already been just about a month—the Second Avenue subway line has already become an indispensable part of many New Yorkers’ lives, providing an easier connection from the Upper East Side to the rest of Manhattan. But it’s unlikely that people will forget what it took to get there: a century of planning, a few fits and starts, and a race to the finish line.

For those who are curious about how the line went from pipe dream to reality, the New York Transit Museum has you covered: the institution’s Downtown Brooklyn location is now hosting “Next Stop: Second Avenue Subway,” an exhibit looking at the (very, very) long history of the Second Avenue line.

The museum dug into its own collection to tell the Second Avenue Subway’s story, from its earliest days (including the construction and expansion of the elevated line that once ran along the thoroughfare) to the eventual completion of the line at the beginning of the year. There’s a treasure trove of old maps, subway tiles, and vintage photos—including one of NYC legislators celebrating the line’s groundbreaking in 1972, if you need a laugh.

Grid View

• Second Avenue elevated train under construction in 1915 New York Transit Museum Collection
• The completed Second Avenue elevated line, looking north from East 57th Street circa 1916 New York Transit Museum Collection
• Window frame with decorative glass from a Second Avenue elevated station circa 1875 New York Transit Museum Collection
• Proposed Second Avenue trunk line map, 1950 New York Transit Museum Collection
• From the February 24, 1972 signing of the Second Avenue subway contract New York Transit Museum Collection
• The Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking, which took place on October 27, 1972 New York Transit Museum Collection
• A Second Avenue Subway construction sign in 1974 Photo by Arnold Krockman, New York Transit Museum Collection
• Second Avenue Subway construction circa 1975 Photograph by H. Bernstein Assoc. Inc., New York Transit Museum Richard Cohen Collection.
• A conceptual model of the Second Avenue Subway’s 86th Street station Courtesy MTA Capital Construction
• A tunnel boring machine circa 2010 Photo by Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.
• Tunnel waterproofing circa 2010 Photo by Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.
• Construction on the 86th Street station Photo by Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.
• Installation of the wall tiles at 96th Street, circa 2016 Photo by Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.
• Artist Vik Muniz poses with his installation Perfect Strangers at the 72nd Street subway station in 2016 Photo by Patrick Cashin / Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.