Looking for the best museums in Brooklyn? Brooklyn has many incredible museums that have a lot to offer for visitors of all interests and ages.
Brooklyn is a must-visit if you are traveling to New York City and one of the reasons for that is that there are amazing museums. Whether you like art, vintage trains, history, sculptures, or something else, there is a great museum you can visit. The museums have incredible exhibits and they are great if you want to learn something new.
In this Brooklyn museums guide, you can find the best museums you have to check out!
Best Museums in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is one of the city’s largest museums and it has a permanent collection with about 500,000 different objects.
The museum dates back to the year 1898 and can be found in the Prospect Heights neighborhood.
At the museum, you can find a large variety of works of art. There are objects from all around the world. From Europe to Asia to Africa to Oceania, there’s a lot to see at the Brooklyn Museum. Moreover, the collection spans a period of about 3000 art and there are many different mediums of art on display.
There are also often temporary exhibitions of art at the museum that can be very interesting to attend.
In addition to that, lots of different events take place here. For example, you can go to a workshop, a film screening, and more.
Seeing art here is also one of the best things to do in Brooklyn.
Address: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Center for Brooklyn History
If you like to learn about history when you are in the borough, the Center for Brooklyn History is a great place to consider going to.
This is a museum that used to be the Brooklyn Historical Society. Nowadays, it is part of the Brooklyn Public Library.
At the Center for Brooklyn History, you can learn about the 400 years of history of Brooklyn. The collection of the center includes all kinds of interesting artifacts.
For example, you can go here to see historic maps, atlases, newspapers, pamphlets, and much more. Furthermore, you can see a lot of paintings and photographs here.
What’s great about his museum as well is that it is housed inside a historic building with a Romanesque Revival architectural style.
Address: 128 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum can be found inside a former subway station with the name “Court Street”. It’s located at 99 Schermerhorn Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, and going to this museum is also one of the best things to do in Brooklyn Heights.
This is a museum that is all about the transportation of the New York City metropolitan region. At the museum, you can learn about all kinds of topics related to transportation. For example, you can learn about trains, tunnels, buses, and much more here.
At this place, you can find a lot of memorabilia related to transportation.
Furthermore, you can see old subway cars at the museum and even enter them.
Also, it is sometimes possible to do nostalgia rides. These are special rides in vintage railcars that will take you to various locations in New York City.
Address: 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts
One of the best places to see contemporary art in NYC and Brooklyn is the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.
At this contemporary art museum, that you can find at 80 Hanson Place in Brooklyn, you can learn about the diverse art and culture of the African diaspora.
For example, you can often attend great art exhibitions here that relate to the experiences of people of African descent.
Also, lots of different events take place at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts. For example, there are sometimes festivals and lectures at the museum that are interesting.
Address: 80 Hanson Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a great museum in Brooklyn to visit with children as it’s one of the best museums for kids in NYC.
You can find this museum in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood and it is one of the first children’s museums in the world as it was founded in the year 1899.
At this museum, a lot of different exhibits can be found through which children can learn new things in a great hands-on way.
One of the exhibits that you can find here is the “Neighborhood Nature” exhibit. This exhibit lets children learn about life sciences.
Furthermore, there is an exhibit called “World Brooklyn” where children can play inside kid-sized shops that are based on real shops in Brooklyn. For example, there is a grocery shop here, there is a bakery, and there are many other miniature versions of shops at this museum.
What’s great to know is that every Thursday from 2 PM to 5 PM, you can visit this museum for free.
Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Coney Island Museum
The Coney Island Museum is a museum that was founded in 1983.
You can find this museum in the Coney Island neighborhood in the southernmost point of Brooklyn.
At the museum, there are a lot of interesting artifacts that relate to the former amusement park of Coney Island, the neighborhood’s history and culture, and much more related to the neighborhood.
Also, it is possible to see art at the museum related to Coney Island.
Through its displays and temporary exhibitions, the museum aims to promote and preserve the history of the “People’s Playground” and the contributions of Coney Island to American popular culture.
Address: 1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Old Stone House
The Old Stone House in Brooklyn is a museum that is located in Washington Park. The Old Stone House is a historic building that is a reconstruction of the Vechte-Cortelyou House from the year 1699.
Moreover, the location of the house marks the place where the original building was located and the place where the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn took place. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is very interesting to see.
You can visit the museum all year round and see a permanent exhibit that is focused on Dutch Colonization, the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, and several other topics.
In addition to that, there are sometimes other exhibits that relate to both the history and the present of Brooklyn.
Address: 336 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
Building 92
You should definitely check out Building 92 if you want to visit museums in Brooklyn. This is a building that you can find at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, an industrial complex and shipyard.
At Building 92, you can find a permanent exhibition where you can learn about the history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard from its beginning in 1801 when it was one of the earliest federal shipyards to the present day. Nowadays, Brooklyn Navy Yard is in use as an industrial and innovation hub, and many businesses are located here.
The exhibition that you can find here is spread across three floors, and you can find a large variety of artifacts from more than 200 years of the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s history. Through the exhibition, one can learn about the people of Brooklyn Navy Yard, both in the past and the present.
Address: 63 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium is the oldest aquarium in the United States that is still in use. The aquarium dates back to the year 1896 and moved to its current location in the year 1957.
The aquarium has many different exhibits where you can find about 300 species of marine wildlife. Some of the species that you can find here are sharks, penguins, harbor seals, and cownose rays.
Moreover, the zoo is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which is an organization that also operates other zoos in the city, such as the Central Park Zoo and the Bronx Zoo.
What’s interesting is that it is possible to have “wild encounter” experiences at the zoo. During these experiences, you can see animals up close and learn a lot about them, which can be very interesting to do!
Address: 602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Jewish Children’s Museum
The Jewish Children’s Museum is another great museum in Brooklyn to visit with children when you are in the borough. This museum is a large Jewish children’s museum that is located at 792 Eastern Parkway.
At this museum, children can learn about Jewish heritage through various permanent exhibits.
These are educational exhibits through which children can learn about Jewish life in an entertaining way.
For example, there are many exhibits here that relate to Biblical times. For example, there is a Noah’s Ark Ball.
Also, there is an exhibit where children can “shop” for kosher groceries.
Going here is also one of the best things to do with kids in Brooklyn.
Address: 792 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Pratt Institute Sculpture Park
The Pratt Insitute Sculpture Park is an interesting place that you can find on the Brooklyn campus of the Pratt Institute.
It is a part with green lawns, beautiful trees, and more than 70 sculptures.
These are contemporary sculptures that are very large and very colorful, and they were made by both well-known and emerging artists.
You can go for a relaxing stroll and check them out when you are in the borough.
What’s great is that the sculptures are at the park for a few years, which means that there is often something new to see at the park. Moreover, the sculptures are both works that are loaned to the institute as well as works that were commissioned by the Pratt Institute.
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Brooklyn Museum Tips
Do you want to see these Brooklyn museums for free when you are in the borough? You often can, because many museums have certain days or times of the week during which you don’t have to pay anything.
Also, there are often events at these museums. You can check out the websites of the different museums to see if there’s an event when you are going there.
Museums in Brooklyn Map
I hope you found a museum you want to visit. As you see, there are many great museums in Brooklyn!