Brooklyn attractions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Walking around Dyker Heights, you may feel like you’ve wandered out of New York City and into a Connecticut suburb. But no, don’t let the stately Victorian mansions and tree-lined residential blocks fool you. This tight-knit neighborhood is still very much the Big Apple. And it may not be on the tourist track (yet) outside of the Christmas holidays, but if you value atmosphere over attractions, Dyker Heights offers plenty of hidden charm.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

On a hot summer day, you can hear the click and rumble of the Cyclone from a block away—quickly followed by gleeful screams as the roller coaster reaches its first drop. Located in Coney Island’s Luna Park, the Cyclone draws thrill seekers with its speeds reaching 60 mph (96 kph). This rideable piece of Coney Island history has been a New York favorite for decades, introducing new generations to the adrenaline rush of wooden roller coasters.

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.

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.

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.

One of Brooklyn’s most popular foodie destinations, Smorgasburg Williamsburg is a street-food market, which runs seasonally outdoors. Held on Saturdays and located in Marsha P. Johnson State Park overlooking the East River, the market is a New York summer staple. With more than 70 food vendors serving dozens of global cuisines, it offers a uniquely eclectic dining experience.

The restored opulent interior of Kings Theater is like something from a bygone era—think chandeliers, plush velvet, and art deco splendor—making this performance arts venue one of the loveliest in Brooklyn (Flatbush, to be exact). A powerhouse of cultural events, it hosts big-name concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, and red-carpet events.

Variously referred to as a creative hub, an ecosystem, or a campus, Brooklyn’s Industry City is a large multi-use complex that contains offices, restaurants, event spaces, pop-up shops, permanent retailers, and more. Hundreds of businesses, and thousands of people, work here. Travelers can dine, drink, and shop, as well as enjoy the outdoor spaces, see art installations, or attend an event.

Although Bedford Avenue stretches across a large part of Brooklyn, its best-known segment is in the unabashedly hipster neighborhood of Williamsburg. This strip is known for its restaurants, bars, and boutiques and is usually busy with shoppers and diners from Brooklyn and beyond.

A must for animal lovers of all ages, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo is home to around 400 creatures belonging to 100 species. The enclosures mirror the natural habitats of the animals, enhancing the wellbeing of the animals and making for a pleasant visitor experience. You’ll spot sea lions, Himalayan red pandas, Australian dingoes, and more.

Although it stretches a short distance—a quarter mile or around half a kilometer—the Brooklyn Heights Promenade offers supersized views. Developed by Robert Moses and built over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in 1951, the promenade is a surprisingly peaceful pedestrian walkway. Given its views overlooking Lower Manhattan and the New York Harbor, it’s a popular Big Apple photo stop and filming location.

Housed in a former 19th-century tobacco warehouse under the Brooklyn Bridge, St. Ann’s Warehouse brings performances and events to the DUMBO district of Brooklyn, ranging from plays to dance, opera, live music, and more. The theater features an open and flexible performance space, multi-use studio, and garden.

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.

From its HQ in the heart of Brooklyn, the Raaka Chocolate Factory creates vegan, organic chocolate from single-origin and transparently traded cacao. Since it was founded in 2011, it’s quickly become a staple of Brooklyn’s food scene, thanks to its award-winning sweet treats and hands-on workshops that follow the chocolate-making process from bean to bar.

A waterfront neighborhood in southern Brooklyn, Brighton Beach is known for its boardwalk, sandy shore, and traditional restaurants, reflecting the community’s Russian and Eastern European residents. Often considered more low-key than nearby, well-known Coney Island, Brighton Beach comes alive in summer, when locals and visitors arrive to swim, sunbathe, explore food markets, and shop along the boardwalk.

By the Atlantic Ocean in Brooklyn’s Coney Island, the New York Aquarium showcases more than 500 species, including sharks, sea lions, and colorful fish. View interactive exhibits like the "Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" and watch live animal shows, while also supporting the aquarium’s conservation efforts. Its family-friendly atmosphere makes it a must-visit for marine life enthusiasts of all ages.