119 Best Sights in Brooklyn, New York City

Strolling this esplanade famous for its magnificent Manhattan views, you might find it surprising to learn that its origins were purely functional: the promenade was built as a sound barrier to protect nearby brownstones from highway noise. Find a bench, and take in the skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge; in the evening, the lights of Manhattan sparkle across the East River. Below are the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (BQE) and Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Most visitors cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, but you'll get better views traversing the span from the Brooklyn side. It's a surprisingly long walk (more than a mile) that normally takes about 40 minutes, but the exhilarating views are worth the exertion. No need to look out for cyclists; a separated bike lane on the vehicle road has made the pedestrian walkway much more pleasant. The bridge is most magical and quiet in the early morning, but if you don't mind the crowds, it's worth making the trip at sunset in summer, when the lights of Manhattan come to life. There are two pedestrian access points for the bridge on the Brooklyn side: at the intersection of Tillary Street and Adams Street, and another in DUMBO from a staircase at the underpass where Cadman Plaza East intersects Prospect Street.

This sprawling, 85-acre industrial-turned-recreational riverside park stretches from the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and all the way south to Pier 6 at the end of Atlantic Avenue. It's a gathering spot for tourists and Brooklynites alike, who come to picnic or watch movies on the lawn in the summer, play various sports on its many courts and playing fields, or simply stroll the promenade and gawk at the most postcard perfect view of the downtown Manhattan skyline—especially at sunset. The DUMBO section has a playground and a small pebble beach, plus the wonderfully restored Jane’s Carousel ( janescarousel.com).

Bushwick is well known for its street art, as the Brooklyn graffiti scene endures with colorful, larger-than-life murals. It's all encouraged, supported, and curated by this urban art collective, under the helm of Joseph Ficalora. The outdoor street art gallery is omnipresent as you walk Troutman Street and the adjacent blocks of St. Nicholas Avenue and Wyckoff Avenue, the area's main drag. Fans of global street art will recognize featured artists, including Sam Lao, Robert Vargas, and Case Maclaim. Every summer, the Collective throws a block party that's a mix of DJs, hip-hop performances, food trucks, and local vendors. Check their social media for details.

Equal parts architectural marvel and children's plaything, this beautifully restored 1922 carousel twirls within a glass-walled waterfront pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize--winning French architect Jean Nouvel. Situated between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, near the northern reaches of 85-acre Brooklyn Bridge Park and directly across from Manhattan's skyline, the carousel's 48 horses and two chariots are off to the races year-round.

History buffs, train geeks, and playful children will all appreciate this unique museum inside an underground, decommissioned 1930s subway station. Exhibitions include timelines of the transit system's construction and evolution over the decades, but the true highlight is the subway platform two levels down, featuring train cars of different eras of the subway, dating back over a century ago. Adults and kids alike can wander these cars, each a time capsule of vintage aesthetics and advertising, or sit behind the driving wheel of a replica MTA bus. There are also old turnstiles and other transit memorabilia. The gift shop carries subway-line socks, decorative tile reproductions, and other fun souvenirs.

Occupying the refurbished 19th-century redbrick factory of the eponymous machine manufacturer, the Pioneer Works is a nonprofit cultural center comprising a soaring three-level space dedicated to nurturing independent artists, scientists, musicians, and their creative avant-garde communities. In fact, director Darren Aronofsky and David Byrne of the Talking Heads are on the advisory board. The performance stages and giant exhibition space designed by Red Hook artist Dustin Yellin regularly showcase changing exhibitions and performance art with lively opening parties, films, book fairs, and music concerts. On the grounds outside is an artfully landscaped yard with a bar. 

Built in 1923, this famous wood-planked walkway is better known as the Coney Island Boardwalk, and in summer it seems like all of Brooklyn is out strolling along the 2½-mile stretch. The quintessential walk starts at the end of the pier in Coney Island, opposite the Parachute Jump, where you can see the shoreline stretched out before you, where the waves of the Atlantic Ocean meet the Big Apple. From here to Brighton Beach is a little over a mile and should take about a half hour at a leisurely amble. Admire the modernistic, rectangular structures perched over the beach, housing bathrooms and lifeguard stations.

What looks like a giant block of yellow cheese is actually the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, an interactive space where kids can run, touch, and play with abandon. Exhibits include a greenhouse, a rooftop play space, World Brooklyn—a warren of rooms dedicated to various NYC cultures—and the new Air Maze, where kids can insert objects into a topsy-turvy pneumatic-tube system. Check their calendar for ongoing programs, including their Drag Story Hour, which celebrates gender diversity.

This historic wooden roller coaster first thrilled riders in 1927, and it'll still make you scream. Anticipation builds as the cars slowly clack up to the first unforgettable 85-foot plunge—and the look on your face is captured in photos that you can purchase at the end of the ride. The Cyclone might not have the speed or the twists and turns of more modern rides, but that's all part of its rickety charm. It's one of two New York City landmarks in Coney Island, and deservingly in the National Register of Historic Places.

Many Bushwick galleries showcase edgy and experimental work, but visiting this converted warehouse is an easy way to see a lot of art in one place. The BogArt houses a few galleries, including standouts M. David & Go and the Amos Eno Gallery, plus large loft studios, often with open studio viewing sessions. Gallery hours vary, but the best time to visit is on Friday and weekends, when most places are open.