History

New York’s geography has placed its citizens in the forefront of many of the advances in transportation over the centuries. Starting with the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers trade routes, New Yorkers opened up the vast resources of the United States. The Erie Canal made New York the Empire State and New York City the financial capital of the 19th century. The vast network of railroads and highways kept commerce and people flowing throughout the state. The airports and highways of today continue the tradition of giving New Yorkers the freedom to travel and move their goods quickly and efficiently.  The collection of the New York State Museum includes items related to the various transportation corridors as well as examples of vehicles made in New York. We have cars, racing vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, steam rollers, signs, boats, a plane, horse drawn vehicles, and various items from the support industries that relate to transportation, including the façade of an art deco gas station. We also have oral histories, scrapbooks, and photographs relating to the construction and use of New York’s transportation corridors.