Want to see the most beautiful abandoned subway station in Manhattan? Sorry, you’ll have to line up months in advance.

▲ The City Hall station retains the urban aesthetics of the time (Photo / New York Transit Museum fan page)

By Rita

This old City Hall subway station, known as “the most beautiful station in Manhattan,” has actually been closed for 70 years. Now there’s a chance for travelers to visit, but please line up months in advance first.

According to the Lonely Planet website, the old City Hall subway station opened on October 27, 1904, as a main station on the Manhattan line, and is the only one in the system designed in the Romanesque Revival style.

During the day, sunlight streams in through the glass skylight, while at night, brass chandeliers provide illumination. The intricate colored glass tiles are a feast for the eyes. These designs reflect the aesthetics of the time, but because the station could only accommodate trains with five cars, when most trains were converted to ten-car configurations in the 1940s, City Hall station had to close—becoming the most beautiful abandoned station.

▲ Manhattan’s most beautiful abandoned station (Photo / New York Transit Museum fan page)

The best way to visit this station now is to become a member of the New York Transit Museum and join one of its tours. However, current tours are already sold out, though more will be available for registration after mid-April 2016.

New York Transit Museum website
http://web.mta.info/mta/museum/