A contemporary bus driver hangs out in front of Bus 9098, a two-toned model from 1958.
A contemporary bus driver hangs out in front of Bus 9098, a two-toned model from 1958. Courtesy New York Transit Museum

It’s a little hard to get excited at the thought of spending your Sunday on a city bus.

A historic city bus, though—that’s a different thing altogether. This Sunday, September 24, the New York Transit Museum will throw its 24th Annual Bus Festival, a daylong celebration of the city’s surface transportation.

Historic vehicles line up on Boerum Place for 2016's edition of the Bus Festival.
Historic vehicles line up on Boerum Place for 2016’s edition of the Bus Festival. Courtesy New York Transit Museum

The museum is pulling out all the stops for the occasion. The planned event advertises “crafts, toys, and transit merchandise,” along with “special guests,” namely historic buses temporarily brought out of retirement.

Bus 3100, from 1956, was one of the first air-conditioned transit buses in the country.
Bus 3100, from 1956, was one of the first air-conditioned transit buses in the country. AEMoreira042281/CC BY-SA 3.0

This year, they’re teasing appearances from Betsy (a double-decker bus from 1931), Bus 2185 (restored after it was damaged by falling debris from the Twin Towers), and Tunnel Wrecker, aka the “Monster of the Tunnels,” which once rescued disabled vehicles from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.

The Tunnel Wrecker, taking a well-deserved break.
The Tunnel Wrecker, taking a well-deserved break. MTA/CC BY 2.0

The vehicles will be parked in stately rows along Boerum Place, where fans can step on and off of them, offer seats to each other, and generally pay their respects.

A small boy enjoys the 9098, which also boasts fiberglass seats and sliding windows.
A small boy enjoys the 9098, which also boasts fiberglass seats and sliding windows. Courtesy New York Transit Museum

The party starts at 11 a.m. (More information can be found on the Museum’s website.) Admission costs $1, which, shrewdly, is much less than a modern-day bus ride. Not bad for time travel.

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.