Museums in Brooklyn: Choosing a Museum Visit

Brooklyn’s museums suit different interests and age groups, so start by deciding what you want to spend time seeing or doing. The Brooklyn Museum focuses on art and decorative arts, while the New York Transit Museum explores transit in a former subway station.

For a visit built around hands-on activities, Brooklyn Children’s Museum describes its three floors as offering interactive exhibits and cultural and science programs for ages 6 months to 10 years. The Jewish Children’s Museum is another children’s-focused option; its address is 792 Eastern Parkway.

If you’re comparing destinations by neighborhood, use the listed addresses to plan your route. The New York Transit Museum is at 99 Schermerhorn Street, and Coney Island Museum is at 1208 Surf Avenue.

For a separate heritage-focused outing, you can also read about the Weeksville Heritage Center; for a campus visit, see the guide to Pratt Institute visits and campus access.

The Brooklyn Museum is the broadest choice here for a visit centered on art, while other Brooklyn museums offer more focused subjects and experiences. The Brooklyn Museum was established in 1895, and its collection includes more than 1.5 million works.

That collection spans ancient Egyptian, African, American and European art, as well as decorative arts. Its address is 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11238.

For a different kind of museum visit, the New York Transit Museum occupies a decommissioned subway station. At Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the focus is interactive cultural and science programming for children ages 6 months to 10 years. Coney Island Museum offers another distinct option at 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224.

These venues aren’t interchangeable: choose the Brooklyn Museum for a wide-ranging art collection, the Transit Museum for transit history, or a children’s museum for programming aimed at younger visitors.

Hours and admission vary by museum, so compare the details for your chosen destination before you go. The Brooklyn Museum is listed as open Wednesday through Sunday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and closed Monday and Tuesday.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum is listed as open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am–5 pm, with last entry at 4:50 pm; it is closed Monday and Tuesday. General admission is $15 per person. The New York Transit Museum is listed as open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am–4pm.

Coney Island Museum publishes seasonal hours from May through September: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 12pm–5pm. Its admission is $5 for adults and $3 for seniors, children under 12, and residents of ZIP code 11224. Admission is free for Coney Island USA members.

The Jewish Children’s Museum lists hours of Monday–Thursday, 10:00AM–5:00PM, and Sunday, 10:00AM–5:30PM; it is closed Friday and Saturday. Admission is $19 for children ages 2–15, $17 for adults ages 16 and older, and $16 for seniors 65 and older. Children under 2 enter free.

Check the official site before you go, since hours, admission details and reservation arrangements can change.

Nearby subway access gives you a way to start a museum trip from the hotel area. Halsey Street station is about a one-minute walk from Red Carpet Inn Brooklyn; Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues station is about an eight-minute walk, and Seneca Avenue station is about a 13-minute walk. For more on local routes and stations, see Brooklyn subway access near the hotel.

For the New York Transit Museum, more than 20 subway and bus lines provide access to the Brooklyn museum. Its main entrance is down two flights of stairs; a wheelchair-accessible entrance is at the corner of Schermerhorn and Court Streets.

The New York Transit Museum strongly encourages advance reservations. A limited number of tickets are available on site, and tickets become available three weeks ahead on a rolling basis. Visitors ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Coney Island Museum is on the second floor and is not wheelchair accessible. Tickets are sold at the gift shop, with no online sales.

Free admission is available at some Brooklyn museums on specific days or under particular conditions, while other venues charge admission. Smack Mellon says general admission is free during its regular exhibition hours, Wednesday–Sunday, 12–6 PM.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum offers free admission every Thursday from 2 pm–5 pm through Community Access Thursdays. Tickets can be reserved online or at the museum, but group visits are restricted during that time.

The Brooklyn Museum describes First Saturdays as a monthly program with free admission and special programming on the first Saturday of each month. Its listing gives extended First Saturday hours of 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

At the New York Transit Museum, admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 2–17 and seniors 62+. Museum members and MTA employees can enter free using the checkout code goingyourway.

Which Brooklyn museum has a large art collection?

The Brooklyn Museum’s collection has more than 1.5 million works, including ancient Egyptian, African, American and European art and decorative arts.

Which museums are suited to children?

Brooklyn Children’s Museum offers interactive exhibits and cultural and science programs for ages 6 months to 10 years. The Jewish Children’s Museum also lists admission prices for children and adults.

Can you visit a museum in a former subway station?

Yes. The New York Transit Museum is located in a decommissioned subway station at 99 Schermerhorn Street.

Where can you find free admission?

Smack Mellon offers free general admission during regular exhibition hours. Brooklyn Children’s Museum has free Community Access Thursdays, and the Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays are a monthly free-admission program.