There’s an earnest elephant on 14th Street, a flock of foreboding blackbirds on Canal, and ogling eyes all over Chambers.

They are a few of the mosaics, sculptures and figures that distinguish New York City’s 468 stations.

The MTA’s Arts for Transit program has brought in artists to brighten up the public transit system’s underground hubs since the 1980s. Lower Manhattan is home to some of the most unique pieces in the citywide subway collection. From the whimsical, bronze figurines in the 14th Street station to the stop motion movie in the tunnel to Manhattan, the works bring color to the stations’ tiled walls. Here are a few of the best works from the subterranean collection.

– Simone Sebastian