Diverse aspects of Brooklyn’s 400-year history are on display in a well-designed museum that hosts cultural events and has a charming gift store.
Founded in 1863, the Brooklyn Historical Society is a part of the borough’s heritage. For more than 150 years, the researchers and curators have been bringing one of America’s largest and most vibrant communities alive for visitors and students, showing how it has been intrinsically connected to the fate of the United States as a whole. Visit the original Brooklyn Historical Society Pierrepont Street location, housed in a heritage-listed Queen Anne building. Inventive museum exhibits, a packed calendar of public events and a well-respected research library are among the highlights. The site’s shop is packed with made-in-Brooklyn goodies.
Before entering, stop to admire the exterior, which features terra-cotta decorations that both coordinate with and stand out from the surrounding brownstones. Peruse the exhibits on display, which teach about topics ranging from the art created here to the borough’s historical hospital and health care systems.
Even after going home, learn more by clicking through online exhibits, which highlight the borough’s history in the abolition movement, among other topics.
Listen to the society’s groundbreaking collection of oral history interviews to learn how real Brooklynites have experienced the borough’s 20th century.
Admire the Othmer Library’s historical maps, some up to 300 years old, which illustrate how quickly the region and the city have changed.
Pick up souvenirs in the shop, which also has a selection of books about and from Brooklyn.
Continue the fun with a stroll to the society’s DUMBO location, where guides provide walking tours of Brooklyn’s iconic waterfront.
The Brooklyn Historical Society’s main location is on the eastern edge of Brooklyn Heights, not far from Borough Hall and its subway station. The DUMBO location is a 15-minute walk away. Take the subway from Atlantic Terminal in about 10 minutes or walk in 20 minutes. Midtown Manhattan is about 30 minutes away by subway or car. Street parking is sometimes available on adjacent streets but extremely limited.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from noon to early evening. The shop opens daily. There is a suggested admission fee to enter.
