Best Museums in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Museum

“Zero expectations going in, blown away. Assyrian and Egyptian collections are fantastic, mummies included. Same looting issue as the Met. Worth the trek.”

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

A kid-friendly annual cherry blossom festival, a Japanese garden & more, spread across 52 acres.

NY Transit Museum

“Every subway type from the early 1900s on, parked in the tunnels under the museum. Worth the visit alone. Great for kids, also genuinely interesting for adults.”

Amud Aish Memorial Museum

Mill Basin museum on the Holocaust focused on Jewish religious life, faith, and resistance.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Building 92

Featuring the history & innovation of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this museum offer exhibits & a tour.

Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

“Fun!”

Center for Brooklyn History

Stately museum & historical society in an 1881 landmark building with exhibits on Brooklyn history.

Harbor Defense Museum

“On a military base which is neat, meh museum. You can absolutely walk on without an appointment, but the guards can be annoying about it.”

Interference Archive

“Archive of literature and prints around resisting the government. Small with a rotating exhibit. All-volunteer, friendly.”

International Studio & Curatorial Program

International artist residency in East Williamsburg with rotating open studios and exhibitions.

Lefferts Historic House

This circa 1783 home with a working garden & period rooms depicts Brooklyn family life in the 1820s.

Museum of Food and Drink

“Interesting, but overpriced”

Old Stone House

“Historical house turned Battle of Brooklyn museum, with a second-floor gallery. After all the period interiors, I appreciated that they didn't try to preserve this one. One brief mention of Robert Moses being involved in the restoration, interesting.”

Pioneer Works

Arts center with rotating art exhibitions & workshops, plus artist talks & live music.

Pratt Institute Sculpture Park

Outdoor sculpture park on Pratt's Brooklyn campus, with rotating large-scale contemporary works.

Prison Ship Martyrs Monument

Memorial to 11,500 Americans who died on British prison ships during the Revolutionary War.

The Bone Museum

East Williamsburg curiosity museum and shop displaying bones, taxidermy, and natural oddities.

Valentine Museum of Art

Flatlands museum showcasing emerging contemporary artists in southern Brooklyn.

Von King Cultural Arts Center

Public complex offering indoor & outdoor recreation facilities, plus a computer resource center.

Waterfront Museum

“In the boonies of Red Hook: a barge a guy lives on, opened to the public. Cool Rube Goldberg machine. Three nearby restaurants had lines around the block.”

Weeksville Heritage Center

“Another historical house, but with real history: free Black families hiding here during the Civil War draft riots. Friendly staff.”

Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

An ornate 1867-vintage former bank building houses an art gallery with diverse shows & events.

Wyckoff House Museum

“Another historic house...”

City Reliquary Museum

“A museum of junk. Don't bother.”

Coney Island Museum

“Charges money it shouldn't ($5). Skip. No interesting content, no narrative, just hodgepodge. Doesn't answer why Coney Island became the hellscape it is. Staff unwelcoming. Most surprising thing was the dozen other people there. Save your money; don't go even if you're standing in front of it.”

Living Torah Museum

“Bizarre, had to see it to believe it”

Salvator Mundi Museum

“Why does this exist? It's a painting in front of a door, and they sell tomato sauce. Google Maps directions are wrong; the owner is friendly and helped me find it. But: why the tomato sauce.”

Vander Ende–Onderdonk House

“Another historic house... I really need to figure out how to enjoy these; there are a lot more to go.”