Long Island Museum Debuts Interactive Streetcar Exhibit on Transit Justice

The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook opened its new permanent exhibition, Riding Towards Justice, on Oct. 15. The installation allows visitors to board an 1887 horse-drawn streetcar to explore the history of public transportation and equal rights in the United States.

The project required two years of planning and development. Funding came from an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant and contributions from 33 community members. Southside Design & Building of Brooklyn executed the construction work for the exhibit.

The central artifact is a 24-foot-long streetcar built by the J. G. Brill Company of Philadelphia. The museum donated the vehicle in 2019. It had previously been part of a private collection and used in the 1969 film Hello, Dolly starring Barbra Streisand. The museum repainted the car to resemble a New York City streetcar for the production.

Sarah Abruzzi, Co-Executive Director of Operations at the museum, stated that the grant and community support allowed the institution to present the story in an immersive way. She noted that visitor feedback had requested the opportunity to climb into a vehicle. Abruzzi said the project makes that possible for visitors of all ages.

The streetcar features a wheelchair-accessible ramp for boarding. Interior modifications include LED lighting and large projected videos of early 20th-century New York City traffic. A smell-based interactive component allows visitors to experience odors from late-19th-century streets. Text panels and an actor’s video portrayal of court testimony guide the narrative.

The exhibition focuses on Elizabeth Jennings, a Black school teacher who fought for her right to ride a New York City streetcar in 1854. This occurred nearly 100 years before Rosa Parks. Nina Sangimino, the museum’s curator, said the interactive format helps visitors understand how Jennings’s determination and defiance catalyzed change in the regional transit system.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 15 took place in the Carriage Museum. This space spans 40,000 square feet and houses more than 100 historic vehicles and 800 carriage-related artifacts. Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich of the Town of Brookhaven issued a proclamation marking the day as Riding Towards Justice Day.

Consultants for the project included historians and design experts. They included Mia Bay of the University of Cambridge, Richard Bell of the University of Maryland, and Lynda Day of Brooklyn College. The museum is located at 1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.