161^{st Street} River Avenue (River Ave/West 161^st Street) IND Section opened 7/1/1933, IRT Section opened 7/12/1917:

161^st Street (4) this station has three tracks and two wall platforms and has been renovated. One dedicated rail fan discovered four mosaic name tablets here and "pestered" transit supervision and management to the point of offering to get together a crew of volunteers to save the tablets. While the rail fan was unable to save three of the four, one was saved. There are extra exits leading to Yankee Stadium at the South end of both platforms. While not sure, the rail fan likes to think that their efforts saved the tablet even though three were sadly lost. All four were painted over. For a photo see our Late Great NYCT Page

161^st Street (B, (rush hours), D (non rush hours) the station was renovated by three different contractors and 4 years. It is a major transfer point to the IRT #4 Lexington Ave Express/Woodlawn line upstairs and is fully ADA accessible. Yankee Stadium is outside, and many Bronx County courts and government facilities as well as shopping are a short walk to the east. When originally built in 1933, the method of transfer tickets to the #4 line was used until the 1950’s when the indoor escalators were built. The f/t mezzanine area is at 161^st Street/River Avenue with four street stairs, while the p/t side is on Walton Avenue and has two street stairs and passageway to 161^st Street and tunnel. Before the renovation there was a full length mezzanine, with the Transit Bureau Offices located to one side. After the renovation, the NYPD area was expanded and public areas inside fare control are sealed, thus dividing the mezzanine into two separate areas. In this process, a few staircases to the IND platforms are also sealed and removed. 

Artwork is by Vito Acconci (Acconci Studio) and is entitled Wall-Slide and was installed in  2002. According to the MTA Web Site "...Vito Acconci creates the 161st Street Yankee Stadium station as an archaeological site and dislocates walls that allow the curious to "see" the stone and steel underneath. Elsewhere, protruding and receding walls provide seating for waiting travelers. Parts of the project thrust through floors and ceilings and at one point even project aboveground. The overall effect is as if the station has been pushed and pulled in various directions to accentuate the relationship of the building to the earth into which it has been inserted.

This project was one of the first collaborative efforts undertaken by Arts for Transit. The architects, di Domenico Partners, in their redesign of the station, were challenged to open the lower levels to allow light to flow inside.

The final contractor was M.A. Angeliades.