Old City Hall Station

The first New York City subway ride ever departed from City Hall station in Lower Manhattan on October 27, 1904. The station was built and operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and was lavished with fine details. A crown jewel of New York architecture, it has Guastavino vaulted ceilings, skylights, colored glass tiling, arches, and large brass chandeliers.

Despite Old City Hall station’s one-of-a-kind opulence, it was less convenient than other stops and became one of the least-used in the system. Commuters favored the nearby Brooklyn Bridge stop, as it was frequented by the express train and closer to connecting streetcars.

Additionally, routes from the station were sometimes counterintuitive; for instance, someone boarding at City Hall with a destination below City Hall or in Brooklyn would wind up on the uptown platform at the Brooklyn Bridge station. They then had to go upstairs and down to the downtown platform to continue their journey, making it easier to just walk the short distance at street level to the Brooklyn Bridge station.

As a result, it was the only station that did not have turnstiles installed by 1923. And, during the final year of its use, Old City Hall station only handled about 600 passengers a day.

Eventually, longer trains were invented to accommodate increased ridership, and the new style of doors proved to be an unsafe distance from Old City station’s uniquely curved track. Cars with center doors could not be used at this station unless they had specially modified controls allowing only the end doors to be opened.

On New Year’s Eve of 1945, the station closed for good.

Up until the late 1990s the passengers on the Lexington Avenue Local (today’s 6 train) had to disembark from the train at the Brooklyn Bridge stop. That is no longer the case. The skylights have been reopened, and the station lights turned back on.

While passengers can’t disembark and experience the City Hall station as they once might have, New Yorkers who want to catch a glimpse of the stunning station can stay on the 6 train as it loops around at the southernmost point.

The New York City Transit Museum also hosts periodic tours of the abandoned station; however, you must be a member of the museum to attend. Check the website for details.