When visiting the city, one of the nicest things to do is visit all of the wonderful museums. There are a plethora of museums in Brooklyn, not to mention a plethora of notable museums in NYC, to visit, and today we’ll go over some of the greatest in the borough so you can select which ones to see during your stay.
In addition to being home to a fantastic array of independent art galleries in Brooklyn, there are many museums in Brooklyn that focus on art, history, children’s museums, and unusual museums. There is something for everyone.
Brooklyn Museum
For art lovers, the Brooklyn Museum is one of the best museums in Brooklyn. This museum, which houses 1.5 million works of art, is located next to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and close to all of Prospect Park’s best attractions. One of the most fascinating aspects of this Brooklyn museum is that it is the city’s third-largest museum.
Permanent collections from all over the world are housed at the Brooklyn Museum. What’s the best part? Each collection is divided into sections based on geography, time period, or culture. The Arts of the Pacific Islands, Egyptian, Arts of the Islamic World, Arts of Africa, American Art, and European art collections are among the most popular.
Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Edgar Degas, Mark Rothko, and Norman Rockwell are among the famous artists whose work is on display. General admission is suggested and pay as you wish, as it is at many other museums in NYC, but it is not required in order to keep art accessible to all.
The new museum also features newer exhibits which can be found on the second floor, but the best things are that there are also pioneer works like the Battle of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Navy yard which are not temporary exhibitions but are famous works of art that are there to stay and for which you need a full day to fully check out. The honorable mention artist here is Fort Hamilton.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
This stunning Brooklyn garden spans 52 acres and houses over 14,000 different plant species and collections from across the globe. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which dates back to 1910 and was formerly known as Institute Park, is part of this museum in Brooklyn.
The Flora Garden was the first of several gardens that would follow over the following thirty years. Boulders left behind by melting glaciers at the conclusion of the last Ice Age make up a large portion of the rocks found here.
They were discovered during the garden’s building, and some even have plaques noting their unique heritage. The Aquatic House and Orchid Collection are one of the most stunning places in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with several distinct exhibitions and collections.
A huge variety of tropical and subtropical aquatic plants from all over the globe that flourish in wetter situations may be found here. There are nearly 6,000 orchids in this collection, representing over 1,000 species. By far the most striking is the 300-pound tiger orchid!
A beautiful flowing waterfall is encircled by rocks that drop into a pool in this unique indoor greenhouse show.
We suggest allotting 2.5-3 hours to appreciate all this Brooklyn museum has to offer, depending on how much time you spend at each garden. 150 Eastern Parkway, 455 Flatbush Avenue, and 990 Washington Avenue are the three major gates of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
There is a known quantity of Maritime history and the animal kingdom. Critics say that there is even a better future ahead for the botanic garden.
Next time you are visiting midtown Manhattan make sure to double-check the Botanic garden for the main reasons of special exhibitions and permanent exhibits which are sometimes free admission.
Coney Island Museum
The Coney Island Museum is another fascinating museum in Brooklyn. Located on Coney Island, its entire concentration is on the history of Coney Island’s iconic boardwalk and beach. All types of historical germs from the world-famous seashore amusement park may be found here.
The wacky furniture mirror, decommissioned antique bumper vehicles, lost and found things from beachgoers, and other entertaining objects from Coney Island’s past may all be seen while walking around the exhibitions.
The “Five Cents to Dreamland” exhibit, which is in collaboration with the New York Transit Museum, is another of the top museums in Brooklyn. This exhibit depicts the history of guests who paid five accents to go to Coney Island through the subway system.
This, along with the Circus Sideshow that takes place in the same building, is one of our favorite Coney Island hidden secrets!
Weeksville Heritage Center
Its aim is to chronicle, preserve, and explain the history of Weeksville, Brooklyn, and beyond’s free African-American communities, as well as to produce and inspire new, modern applications of African-American history via education, the arts, and civic participation.
Weeksville was a free African American community in the 19th century, and this museum is dedicated to offering resources and information about everyday life in the community.
Weeksville is still a thriving Black neighborhood, and the homes there are filled with mementos from the past as well as comments on contemporary events.
The current shows and cultural events are combined with contemporary arts and incredible exhibitions which is a great way to make this the main location for any fan of educational exhibits. This beautiful museum is also open Saturdays and it features a number of artists.
The City Reliquary
If you’re interested in New York City’s history, the City Reliquary Museum in Williamsburg is a truly hidden treasure. This is a community-run museum dedicated to all things New York City! It’s also one of Brooklyn’s greatest museums for learning about the boroughs’ history.
Dave Herman, the creator of this Brooklyn museum, started it as a window exhibit in 2002. Here you may discover everything relating to the city, including vintage postcards, building remnants, and other fascinating relics. Make sure to see all of their displays, not just one.
You may discover everything about New York City’s history and link yourself to the lives of everyone who has gone via their permanent collections, community collections, and changing exhibitions. This museum is situated at 370 Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
Lefferts Historic House
Prospect Park is home to another famous museum in Brooklyn. A Dutch immigrant family erected the Lefferts Historic House in 1783, and it is now a recognized historical property.
Before being granted to the city of New York for preservation, the home remained in the Leffert family for four generations and was mostly used for farming in the Flatbush region. Because of Brooklyn’s fast expansion and urbanization, the mansion was transferred to the city of New York.
It would have to be relocated 6 blocks from its original site to Prospect Park to be saved. It is now a fantastic museum in Brooklyn with exhibits and antiques depicting the lives of a 19th-century Brooklyn family. It depictures a witness to war in a number of ways.
Museum Of The Moving Image
The Museum of the Moving Image is the only museum in the United States dedicated only to the history, art, and technology of movies, television, and video. It is housed in a former building of the famous Astoria Studios.
There are regularly conducted panels to discuss current movies, in addition to several notable artifacts. If you’re a Muppets lover, there’s also an ongoing Jim Henson exhibition with vintage puppets, interesting old TV footage, paintings, and even interactive projects where you can try your hand at puppeteering.
Close to the luna park it has feature photos of modern and historic art at the same time. Honorable mention here includes the Lesbian Herstory Archives which have the world’s largest collection of documents and writings devoted to the lesbian community.
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