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Deets: FAREwell, MetroCard opens at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn on December 17 and invites visitors to reflect on the card that shaped daily life for millions. The exhibition explores the MetroCard’s origins, its systemwide rollout, the technology and operations that made it work, and the many ways it became a cultural icon for a generation of riders. 

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS :

Early adoption and education: SubTalk ads, pilot brochures, and photographs of the first turnstiles activated in 1994 show how riders learned a new way to pay. 

The mascot that might have been: A proposed campaign from 1993 introduced the Cardvaark, a high-tech but lovable character imagined to “sell” the card to customers. 

Prototype for a new way to pay: On view is a 1997 MetroCard Vending Machine (MVM) prototype designed by Antenna Design for the MTA. The MVM let riders buy and refill cards beyond token booths, using color cues like green for inserting cash and yellow for the MetroCard, to guide the process. 

From fare card to cultural canvas: Limited edition and promotional cards featuring artists, athletes, and entertainment icons, including series for David Bowie, WorldPride, and television and film. 

Safety, wayfinding, and rider information: MetroCards used as tools to communicate service changes, safety campaigns, and programs like BusTime, The Weekender, and the 511 information service. 

Poetry in Motion and Train of Thought: Cards and car cards that brought verse and ideas to commutes across the city.

Hint for the Average Socialite: Buy tickets now!

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