For the First Time in Decades, the Public Can Walk the Haunted Halls of the Ridge Spur.

BROAD STREET — For years, it has been the Holy Grail for urban explorers and graffiti artists: the abandoned lower level of the Spring Garden subway station. Dark, dusty, and frozen in time, it has sat silent beneath the bustling Broad Street Line since it closed in 1989.

Starting this Saturday, the silence breaks. In a surprise partnership with the Philadelphia Transit Museum, SEPTA is launching “The Underline,” a limited-run tour series that invites the public into these subterranean ruins.

A Time Capsule of the 80s Stepping onto the platform is like walking into a different era. Faded advertisements for cigarette brands long gone and movie posters from the Reagan era still cling to the tiled walls. The vintage turnstiles, covered in decades of dust, stand as sentinels to a transit system that once was.

“It’s spooky, but beautiful,” says tour guide Sarah Jenkins. “You can feel the history. This was a busy commuter hub, and then one day, it just… stopped. It’s a snapshot of Philadelphia that hasn’t been touched in almost 40 years.”

Why Now? The tours are part of a fundraising effort to preserve the city’s transit history ahead of the 2026 celebrations. Tickets are $25, with proceeds going toward the restoration of vintage trolley cars.

The “Vibe” Shift The opening of the Ghost Station reflects a shift in how Philadelphia views its “blight.” What was once considered an eyesore or a safety hazard is now being repackaged as “gritty chic.” It appeals to a generation raised on “The Last of Us” and post-apocalyptic aesthetics.

Be warned: The tours are not for the faint of heart. The air is damp, the lighting is dim (attendees are given flashlights), and the distant rumble of active trains overhead adds an eerie soundtrack. Tickets for January are already 90% sold out, so if you want to see the ghosts of the Ridge Spur, grab your spot now.