BROOKLYN, NY— Once a year, skilled operators drive a lineup of buses to the Brooklyn side of the East River. But, these MTA buses look out of place.
They have a variety of green and blue exteriors, with some featuring a double-decked design.
That's because, instead of making their way to a stop to pick up riders, the buses are headed to a festival of their own.
On Sept. 19, the buses will roll into Brooklyn Bridge Park for the 2026 Bus Festival, where visitors can climb aboard vintage vehicles and explore the evolution of New York City's bus fleet.
"Some of the oldest buses don't have modern features like power steering, so maneuvering them through the narrow, winding streets of Downtown Brooklyn can be quite a feat," Chelsea Newburg, PR and Marketing Manager at the New York Transit Museum, said.
The New York Transit Museum works with MTA New York City Transit's Department of Buses to bring the City's transit history to life at the annual festival.
Because the museum is housed in a decommissioned 1936 subway station underground in Downtown Brooklyn, its collection of historic buses is stored at MTA bus depots around the City, where the vehicles are maintained and cared for by New York City Transit.
As the festival approaches, the Museum and the Department of Buses review each
vehicle's condition, determine whether it can operate and complete the maintenance and safety checks needed for its participation.
Because replacement parts for decades-old buses are not always readily available, keeping them running can require expertise and resourcefulness.
"Preparing a historic bus for the annual Bus Festival is truly a year-round labor of love," Newburg said. "It takes an enormous team effort to bring the fleet together for a single day."
The festival will also feature several notable additions this year, including Bus 303, which will make its first-ever appearance.
Built in 1918, the wooden-bodied, open-top double-decker once operated on Manhattan routes for the Fifth Avenue Coach Company.
Following its restoration this year, it is now the oldest restored vehicle in the Museum's vintage bus fleet and will be displayed alongside "Betsy," the iconic 1931 double-decker it replaced as the oldest vehicle in the collection.
The festival will also feature Bus 2185, known as "Pamela," in recognition of the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
The bus was damaged at the World Trade Center, then rebuilt by New York City Transit and returned to service in 2005.
Visitors can also explore new activities through the New York Transit Museum App, which launched this summer.
The app features surface transit trivia for adults and children, as well as a scavenger hunt that challenges visitors to find and photograph every vintage bus at the festival.
Those who complete the hunt will receive a special transit-themed temporary tattoo.
For Newburg, the festival's biggest challenge comes from its once-a-year schedule, limiting how often the Museum can bring the historic buses out for New Yorkers to see.
"We would love to bring these buses out every weekend and share even more bus history with New Yorkers," she said. "In reality, the festival is an enormous logistical undertaking."
The free festival will bring the buses to Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sept. 19, where visitors can climb aboard from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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