If you’re in Brooklyn, you should definitely check out the best things to do in Prospect Heights.
Prospect Heights is a neighborhood with many great sights, fun activities, attractions, and more! From admiring beautiful nature to seeing art to exploring incredible streets, you’ll be surprised by all the fun things you can do in the neighborhood.
If you’re wondering what to do in Prospect Heights, this guide got you covered! In this guide, you can find the most fun activities in the neighborhood and I made sure to include a large variety of them so there’s definitely something for your liking.
Best Things To Do in Prospect Heights
See Grand Army Plaza
Grand Army Plaza is a public plaza that you can find next to Prospect Park. The plaza connects to several streets in Prospect Heights.
You can find many different types of monuments on Grand Army Plaza.
For example, you can find the Solider’s and Sailors’ Arch here, which is a triumphal arch that was built at the end of the 19th century and is an official New York City Landmark. On it, you can see many sculptures and figures. For example, there is a figure of President Lincoln.
You can also see the Bailey Fountain, the John F. Kennedy Monument, and several other monuments here that can be interesting to see.
Explore Vanderbilt Avenue
Vanderbilt Avenue is a busy avenue that is located in Prospect Heights. This avenue was named after Cornelius Vanderbilt who built the Grand Central Terminal.
When you first check out Grand Army Plaza, it is easy to go to Vanderbilt Avenue as it is connected to the plaza.
You can find many stores and restaurants on Vanderbilt Avenue that are wonderful to check out. For example, you can find a lot of local shops and eateries here.
In addition to that, throughout the year, some events take place on Vanderbilt Avenue. For example, there are sometimes events with music that can be great to attend.
Go to the Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum located in the southernmost place of the neighborhood is one of the best museums in New York City and it is a great place to visit if you want to see art.
The Brooklyn Museum has a large collection of more than 500,000 objects that spans more than 3,000 years and covers art from all corners of the world.
For example, you can find Japanese art, European art, American art, and art from many other places here. Moreover, the collection includes objects from ancient Egypt.
You can also find a lot of works of art here by some of the world’s most famous artists, such as Max Weber and Edgar Degas.
Address: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Visit Unnameable Books
Located at 615 Vanderbilt Avenue is Unnameable Books.
This is an independent bookstore that makes for one of the best things to do in Prospect Heights for book lovers.
At the bookstore, you can buy both new and used books. Because of this, the bookstore’s selection is amazing and very diverse. From fiction to history to academic books, you can find it at this great bookstore.
Unnameable Books also has an amazing relaxing atmosphere, which makes it a great place.
What’s great too is that many events take place at Unnameable Books. For example, you can sometimes go to events with music or poetry here. Also, there are sometimes talks that you can attend at the bookstore.
Address: 615 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Go to an Event at the Barclays Center
Barclays Center is an amazing venue in Prospect Heights to check out when you are in the neighborhood.
You can find this venue on Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues. The venue has a modern design and has a capacity of about 17,00 people.
The center is a great place for a wide variety of events.
For example, you can often go here to attend basketball games as it is the home of the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA, and it is possible to go to other sports events at Barclays Center.
In addition to that, lots of concerts by some of the most famous musicians take place here. For example, in the past Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Jay Z, and many other famous musicians performed here.
Address: 620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Get Ice Cream at Ample Hills Creamery Prospect Heights
A great place to get ice cream in Prospect Heights is Ample Hills Creamery, and going here is a great thing to do in Prospect Heights, especially on a hot summer day!
Ample Hills is an ice cream store with several locations in New York City. You can find the Prospect Heights location at 623 Vanderbilt Avenue.
At this ice cream store, you can get amazing small-batch ice cream and unique flavors. What’s great is that these flavors regularly change, so keep that in mind when you are visiting these ice cream stores.
Some of the flavors that you can get here include “Peppermint Pattie”, “Salted Crack Caramel”, and “Morning in Paris”. Each flavor is amazing to try and what’s great is that there are also many vegan options to try!
Address: 623 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Go to the Central Library of the Brooklyn Public Library
The Central Library of the Brooklyn Public Library can be found in Prospect Heights.
This is the main branch of the borough’s library and it is a great place to check out when you are in Prospect Heights.
At the Central Library, you can find a large collection of both historical and contemporary books, but that’s not all that you can find here!
For example, many cultural events take place at the library, including talks, music events, visual art exhibitions, and much more. So when you check out the library’s calendar in advance, you can have a fun time when you go here.
What’s great about the Central Library is that it has a beautiful façade that dates back to 1941. The library was also designated a New York City Landmark.
Address: 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238
See Ebbets Field Flagpole
The Ebbets Field Flagpole is a historically significant flagpole that you can find in front of the Barclays Center.
This is the central flagpole that used to be on Ebbets Field, which was an MLB stadium that was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers before they moved to Los Angeles.
Throughout the years, the flagpole was located at various places in the city, until it was installed in front of the Barclays Center in 2012.
Go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is a botanical garden that you can find in the northernmost part of Prospect Park on the border of Prospect Heights.
This botanical garden houses about 14,000 different types of plants, and you can find these plants spread over a variety of specialty gardens.
For example, you can find a section with hundreds of cherry trees of many different species. Especially during Spring, these trees can be amazing to check out as they are in bloom from March to April.
Furthermore, there is a Japanese garden at the garden and there is a garden where plants can be found that are native to the area of New York City.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a wonderful place for a relaxing stroll in the neighborhood.
Get Donuts at Doughnut Plant
Doughnut Plant is a wonderful donut shop that you can find at 245 Flatbush Avenue and going there is one of the most fun activities in Prospect Heights. This donut shop was founded in 1994 and is a great place to check out for artisanal donuts.
You can get many unique types of donuts here that are made with the finest all-natural ingredients.
For example, you can get amazing crème brûlée donuts at this place that are very delicious.
You can also get donuts here with seasonal fruit that are very tasty, and what’s great is that each donut of this place looks very beautiful. In addition to that, you can get amazing vegan donuts here as well.
Combined with the good coffee of Doughnut Plant, makes this a great spot to check out in the neighborhood.
Get Pastries at Ciao Gloria
Ciao, Glorida is a daytime café and bakery that you can find in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights. This is an American cafe with an “Italian accent”.
At this bakery, you can get many different types of delicious sweet pastries. For example, you can go here for croissants with fresh pistachio crema. Also, you can get very tasty bundt cake here and the amaretti cookies that you can get here are amazing too.
Furthermore, you can get more savory food at Ciao, Gloria as well. For example, you can go here for lunch and enjoy fresh salads and delicious toast!
Address: 550 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
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What To Do in Prospect Heights Tips
If you want to have the best time in the neighborhood and you can’t decide what to do in Prospect Heights, then I recommend combining the activities on this list. For example, you can combine going to the Brooklyn Museum with checking out the Grand Army Plaza. Or go to Doughnut Plant and Unnameable Books for a fun time!
Prospect Heights Things To Do Map
As you see, there are many amazing things to do in Prospect Heights. Thanks for reading my guide and I hope I helped you find some great activities!