Brooklyn attractions

One of Brooklyn’s most atmospheric and well-heeled neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights is also conveniently located just one subway stop from Lower Manhattan, making it easy to fit into a day of sightseeing. Featuring streets of centuries-old brownstone buildings, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (which offers panoramic Manhattan skyline views), cultural stops like the New York Transit Museum, and an enviable dining scene, it provides visitors with a taste of the borough’s best.

Flatbush Avenue is a major thoroughfare running south through Brooklyn from the Manhattan Bridge to Jamaica Bay. Brooklynites live, eat, shop, socialize, and relax along Flatbush Avenue, which is home to a wide range of stores, restaurants, landmarks, parks, and historical neighborhoods. Don’t miss highlights such as Prospect Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the 1920s-built Kings Theatre. Flatbush’s numerous eateries serve a diverse range of cuisine, from Caribbean to classic American fare.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a tranquil 52-acre (21-hectare) green space in the middle of a busy borough. Located adjacent to Prospect Park, the garden boasts an impressive selection of plants, flowers, and trees. It also hosts a range of themed gardens, including the Children’s Garden (which addresses sustainability) and the Fragrance Garden (which encourages everyone to stop and smell the flowers).

Get undisrupted views of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches across six piers on the borough’s northern waterfront. In addition to being a popular reprieve from the city with its nature trails and gardens, the park also features family-friendly attractions such as a roller rink, recreational courts, and Jane’s Carousel.

Prospect Park—Brooklyn’s most-visited green space—is a vast expanse of grassy meadows and natural woodland set around a freshwater lake. Whether you want to enjoy outdoor activities, take your dog to the dog beach, or have a family day out, there’s plenty to see and do in Prospect Park. It’s also home to the Prospect Park Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Brooklyn Museum.

This Brooklyn cemetery is so beautiful that it used to be one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US. With its tree-filled hills and ponds, Green-Wood could easily pass for an elegant urban park, except it houses hundreds of thousands of graves. Despite its peaceful atmosphere, the cemetery was actually founded on a former Revolutionary War battlefield and has a fascinating history.

Framing the northern corner of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, the oval-shaped Grand Army Plaza looks like something out of Paris. Originally known as Prospect Park Plaza, the square boasts a 19th-century military arch, the art deco Bailey Fountain, tree-dotted lawns, classical-style gazebos, and the popular Saturday Greenmarket. The plaza serves as the park’s main entrance, and it’s a piece of American history every NYC visitor should see.

Shop vintage clothes, unique collectibles, and more at the weekly, seasonal Brooklyn Flea, one of the borough's largest flea markets. The primary location is in the Dumbo neighborhood, near the scenic Brooklyn waterfront. Browse records, antiques, homewares, jewelry, art, and more on a visit to this outdoor market. Located in the Dumbo Archway, Brooklyn Flea also offers a full bar.

Named after the 17th-century Brooklyn–to–Manhattan ferry, Empire Fulton Ferry is one of the most scenic spots in the waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park. At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, the park offers picnic areas, riverside walkways, and the historic Jane’s Carousel. Overlooking the East River and framing Lower Manhattan’s iconic skyline, it also boasts one of the top viewpoints in New York City.

Crossing the mouth of Upper New York Bay and linking the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the US. A marvel of engineering, this massive project was completed in 1964, and more than 200,000 vehicles pass over it daily. A must-see for architecture buffs, this steel and concrete bridge also makes for striking photos from the southern reaches of Brooklyn and Coney Island Beach.

Brooklyn’s premier public library defies the adage about not judging books by their cover: the building’s entrance resembles an open book, with its concave portico adorned by bronze sculptures of figures from American literature. Head inside to browse the collection of reading materials—one of New York City’s largest—or to check out curated author talks and other literary events.

Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is a modern entryway to New York City, welcoming visitors to Red Hook, Brooklyn, as well as providing easy access to nearby Manhattan. With no shortage of things to do in New York—the city has a plethora of world-class attractions, museums, shows, and dining options—tours are the best way to see more in less time.

With an outdoor oculus, weathered panels resembling Brooklyn brownstones, and a “sound-muffling” green roof, Barcalys is an architectural statement and multipurpose arena. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Barclays is ideal for getting out of Manhattan to catch a game, match, or an A-list concert. It’s home to the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s New York Liberty.

The Center for Brooklyn History—formerly known as the Brooklyn Historical Society, and now managed by the Brooklyn Public Library—is housed in a stately, Queen Anne-style building in the heart of Brooklyn Heights. The research center brims with art, archival documents, and exhibitions on the borough’s history; don’t miss the ornate Othmer Library and the gift shop filled with local products.

For more than 150 years, the Brooklyn Academy of Music—better known as BAM—has been showcasing the best of avant-garde film, dance, opera, theater, and dramatic arts, as well as hosting author visits and panel talks. Drawing more than half a million annual visitors, BAM’s three Brooklyn venues together host more than 200 performances a year, cementing its status as one of Brooklyn’s leading cultural organizations.

With more than five floors of themed galleries including games, multimedia displays, and interactive exhibitions, Brooklyn’s Jewish Children’s Museum is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in the United States. Here, children can learn about biblical stories, discover Jewish traditions and customs, and explore Jewish history through interactive exhibitions. Children of all faiths are welcome to learn, play, and take part in special activities like cooking classes at this hands-on museum.

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum, located in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, is one of the top family-friendly attractions in New York City. Its founding in 1899 also makes it officially the world’s first dedicated children’s museum. At this interactive space, you’ll find inclusive spaces, cultural and arts programs, and educational exhibits, from kid-sized stores in World Brooklyn to diorama habitats in Neighborhood Nature.

One of Brooklyn’s most notable industrial landmarks, the Domino Sugar factory, has been transformed and repurposed into scenic parklands at Domino Park. Looming relics of the old refinery frame the grassy lawns and recreational areas, which line the banks of the East River and provide panoramic views of the Williamsburg Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, and Manhattan’s glittering skyscraper skyline.

For more than 160 years, workers at this former industrial site on the East River cranked out America’s most famed warships. Through minor miracles of urban planning, “The Yard” has been transformed into an industrial and innovation hub, with hundreds of locally minded businesses operating side by side with art and exhibition halls, a food hall modeled after a bygone pre-World War II market, and other public spaces.

A neighborhood named for its large park, Sunset Park is known for its cultural diversity. It’s well-known in Brooklyn for its Chinatown and myriad flavors from restaurants from across the globe, including some of the city’s best Mexican, Central American, South American, and South Asian dishes. First-time visitors won’t want to miss the park, which offers views of the waterfront and the Manhattan skyline.

Few people think of farming when they think of the Big Apple, but Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farming and green roofing business, is trying to change that. Started in 2010, it now produces upwards of 80,000 pounds (36,300 kilograms) of organic produce yearly—grown in sustainable rooftop gardens atop two Brooklyn buildings. While the spaces primarily operate as working farms, they’re also open for tours and private events.

Founded in 1988, Brooklyn Brewery if a staple of Brooklyn's craft beer scene. Located on Brooklyn's bustling Northside, the brewery houses a production facility, tasting room, and store with beer-related merchandise. Tours run daily, and the tasting room is open on weekends; it's a perfect spot to hang out and drink up.

For some of New York City’s most famous chocolate treats, head to Jacques Torres Chocolate. Stop by the company’s flagship store in DUMBO, Brooklyn, or its Grand Central Terminal outpost to enjoy a variety of sweets—from handmade truffles to mugs of luxurious hot chocolate and handmade ice cream sandwiches. And don’t forget to try the chocolate chip cookies; they’re legendary for a reason.

When sweltering summer temperatures hit the city, New Yorkers flock to this kitschy seaside resort and amusement area. As well as a boardwalk and almost 3 miles (5 kilometers) of sandy beach, Coney Island is home to roller coasters and amusements, the New York Aquarium, a minor league baseball team, and Nathan’s Famous, a landmark hot dog joint that began as a stand in 1916.

A Brooklyn cultural beacon—and one of New York City’s top museums—the Brooklyn Museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 1.5 million pieces and hosts several rotating exhibits yearly. The museum has a little of everything, from one of the largest Egyptian art holdings in the country to a robust American decorative arts collection and landmark feminist artworks, including Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party.

Not far from Brooklyn’s well-known brownstones, gourmet restaurants, and cool-kid bars lies this multicultural, non-denominational megachurch. Located a few blocks from Fort Greene Park in downtown Brooklyn, this church offers Sunday worship services and nighttime prayer meetings for the borough’s diverse community. For the uninitiated, the highlight is typically the music of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, a 300-voice Gospel choir with Grammys—among other awards—under its belt.

A weekend-only indoor market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Artists & Fleas offers everything from artisanal crafts to vintage clothing. As with its sister location in Manhattan (Chelsea), this flagship marketplace is a hot spot for curio-seekers, crafters, creatives, and souvenir hunters. Known for its upbeat atmosphere, this market attracts plenty of serious vintage hunters, but is equally great for grabbing a coffee, people-watching, and gift shopping.

Luna Park Coney Island offers dozens of rides, games, and attractions—including the wooden Cyclone roller coaster, which opened in 1927. Epitomizing summer in the Big Apple, the park has been a beloved Brooklyn destination for more than 120 years. It’s close to several miles of beaches and boardwalks too, making it a warm-weather must for visitors of all ages.

At the New York Transit Museum, you get a firsthand look at the city’s history with a collection of vintage subway cars, trams, and buses. You’ll find digital and hard-copy archival photos and signs, plus rotating exhibits that illustrate how public transportation has shaped NYC. The museum is popular with families for its hands-on experiences: Sit behind the wheel of a city bus, hop through classic subway turnstiles, or board an old train.

A South Brooklyn gem, Carroll Gardens’ brownstone-lined blocks are ideal for an afternoon stroll. Small cafés, antique shops, and boutiques abound on Smith and Court streets, while you can visit tree-lined Carroll Park and the Carroll Gardens Historic District for a taste of old New York architecture. Thanks to its Italian community, the area is also known for its abundance of Italian bakeries and restaurants.