NYC's vintage 1930s holiday subway returns Sundays from Nov. 29: schedule, stops and how to ride

A train of eight subway cars from the 1930s is coming back to the F and Q lines for the holidays. The New York Transit Museum and MTA New York City Transit have released the schedule for the 2026 Holiday Nostalgia Rides, which run on Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year's, according to the museum. Rides cost the same as a regular subway fare.

When it runs

• Dates: Sundays, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 13, 20 and 27.
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Uptown departures from 2 Av-Houston St (F): 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Downtown departures from 96 St-2 Av (Q): 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The museum says all rides are weather permitting and that timing, routes and equipment can change.

Where to board

The train stops at 2 Av-Houston St, Broadway-Lafayette St, West 4 St-Washington Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq, 42 St-Bryant Park, 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center, 57 St-6 Av, Lexington Av-63 St, 72 St-2 Av, 86 St-2 Av and 96 St-2 Av, in both directions.

• Between 2 Av-Houston St and Lexington Av-63 St, wait on the F platform.
• Between Lexington Av-63 St and 96 St-2 Av, wait on the Q platform.
• The weekday F/M line switch does not affect the Sunday schedule, the museum says.

Accessible stations on the route, per the museum: Broadway-Lafayette St, West 4 St-Washington Sq, 34 St-Herald Sq, 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Center, Lexington Av-63 St, 72 St-2 Av, 86 St-2 Av and 96 St-2 Av. Check elevator status in the MTA app before you go.

What you'll ride

The R1/9 cars served the lettered lines from the 1930s through the late 1970s and were built for the Independent Subway System, the first line run by the city itself. They still have rattan seats, paddle ceiling fans, incandescent bulbs, roll signs and period advertisements, and the museum notes they are the cars that inspired Billy Strayhorn's "Take the A Train." 6sqft describes them as having a "Depression-era Art Deco aesthetic."

New this year is a scavenger hunt: riders who download the free New York Transit Museum app can look for and photograph vintage details, from the seats and fans to roll signs and Miss Subways ads, and earn a prize for finding them all.

The rides close out the Transit Museum's 50th anniversary year. "The Holiday Nostalgia Rides bring our collection out into the city it helped shape," acting director Regina Shepherd said, according to 6sqft.

Planning a holiday day out? See our guide to NYC holiday markets, several of which are near stops on the route.