Abandoned City Hall Subway Station, Manhattan, New York, New York

One of the hottest tickets in NYC is for the NY Transit Museum tour of the abandoned City Hall subway stop.  Designed by Heins & La Farge in 1904, it was first subway station in NYC, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), abandoned in 1965 due to poor foot traffic.  Rafael Guastavino was master of tile work.

skylight above vaulted ceilings

Entry platform

View of stairs leading to entry platform

Curved platform unique to NYC subway system, vaulted ceiling echoes platform

John Simko, docent

note original chandeliers

used tile as structural medium, note multiple layers in era when tile purely decorative

marble

Dedication Plaque

vaulted ceilings

Manhattan Municipal Building (McKim, Mead & White) exit

Rafael Guastavino arches

note skylight glass underfoot to secret station below

Gehry building from City Hall