Where else can you sit behind the wheel of a 1918 wooden double-decker with the Brooklyn Bridge arching overhead? The vintage fleet against the Manhattan skyline is one of the most effortlessly photogenic free setups of the season, and the transit-worker storytellers make it more than a photo op. If you have a kid who loves vehicles — or you're a design nerd who loves midcentury liveries — this is an easy, joyful morning.
What to expect
A plaza full of lovingly restored buses you can board, explore and photograph, staffed by museum educators and the MTA workers who keep the fleet alive. Expect families everywhere, all-ages activities, and constant photo lines for the oldest vehicles — it runs rain or shine, and the skyline backdrop does half the work.
Good to know
- Take the A/C to High St or the F to York St and walk down to the waterfront
- Morning is calmest for boarding the popular buses with kids
- It happens rain or shine on an open plaza
- Registration is optional but enters you in a membership raffle
- Pair it with Dumbo's carousel, ice cream and bridge-view lawns
- Strollers and wheelchairs manage the plaza easily
Planning Sep 19–20, 2026 in NYC?
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Common questions
Does the Bus Festival cost anything?
No — it's completely free, with optional advance registration that enters you into a museum membership raffle.
Can you actually go inside the buses?
Yes, climbing aboard is the whole point — the fleet spans more than 90 years of NYC transit, including a restored 1918 open-air double-decker.
