6 EPIC Reasons to Visit Brooklyn Children’s Museum in New York

INSIDE: A look at Brooklyn Childrens Museum.

Real life snow adventures thwarted our plans to arrive at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum before lunch.

But here’s the thing. This is one children’s museum where you can stay all day, and still not be done.

We need to go back. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is, without doubt, the BEST children’s museum in New York, and probably the world.

6 EPIC Brooklyn Children’s Museum Exhibits

The question is where to begin. The kids will show you. Follow them through the Rainbow Tunnel and off you go on a BIG day of adventure and fun!

No. 1 Neighbourhood Nature

Neighbourhood Nature is a chance to dive into what lives and breathes in Brooklyn backyards. Kids are introduced to life sciences through hands-on activities.

Kids can:

• Play in the Community Cork Garden and help the “garden” to grow. Plant a seed, water and weed.
• Use magnets to create a garden picture
• Create a sound landscape
• Touch and smell different items from nature

• See the live animals in the BCM collection
• Experiment with the Wave Tank
• Lounge at the ‘beach’ sandpit

• Check out the shell displays and design your own shell too. Display it for all to see.
• Take a peek at the Museum’s diorama habitats
• Discover trees that live in the local environment
• Play with the nature treasures in the rocky pool

No. 2 World Brooklyn

World Brooklyn was our favourite part.

This miniature town is filled with kid-sized shops based on real ones you find in neighborhoods across Brooklyn. It’s designed to help children gain an appreciation of world cultures found just outside the door, and develop empathy, tolerance and understanding for people who may eat, sing, speak, and do things differently to people in their own families. Kids can play with objects and listen to stories about real people and places.

Kids can role play shopkeeper, baker, grocer, shopper, designer, performer, and builder and see how a real community works and grows.  There’s even a ‘subway’ to ride.

Visit:

• Don Paco Lopez Panaderia Mexican Bakery
• The World Journal Chinese WJ Bookstore filled with books, magazines, music and movies from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
• Shop at the International Local Grocer and fill up your trolley with herbs and spices, coffee and tea, fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, and groceries. Or perhaps you’ll be the shopkeeper. It’s a big job to keep the shelves stocked with so many hungry customers.
• The Box Office and Theatre, where you can dress up and perform on stage in costumes from around the world (Pretend you are a ballet dancer, an Irish dancer, part of the Polish American Folk Dance company, enchant the audience with a Bangladeshi Fisherman Dance, or be part of the RedHawk Native American Arts Council storytellers.)
• Pick up Arts, Crafts, Clothing, Fabric and Gifts at the Owa Afrikan Market
• Run the L&B Spumoni Gardens Pizzeria and Sandwich counter. L & B Spumani Gardens began as a horse-drawn cart in 1937 selling Spumoni, a layered ice cream dessert with candied fruits and nuts from Naples Italy.  They later opened a shop in Bensonhurst and today this is run by the original owners grandchildren. Their best selling foods are sausage, pepper and onion hero, chicken parmigiana hero, pasta with eggplant and zucchini, and linguini with white sauce. You can try making ‘pizza’ here too.

No. 3 Totally Tots

Brooklyn Children’s Museum has the Ultimate Indoor Playground in New York for toddlers.

Brightly coloured, and bursting with life, Totally Tots for kids aged 0 to 6 has nine different sensory play areas including:

• Water play
• Music
• A Little Theater dress up
• Block play building zone with giant plastic bricks
• A reading nook

• Sand box play
• A Baby Hub for babies under 18 months filled with soft blocks, moveable toys, and wire and bead mazes to conquer.

The Tots Studio is an art-making creative space for toddlers and young children to explore techniques, materials, and ideas.

It’s the place to build fine motor skills, engage in sensory exploration, and learn how to share with others.

Totally Tots is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and until 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

No. 4 ColorLab

ColorLab is Brooklyn Children Museum’s family art-making space. Artists of ALL ages are invited to explore, create, make and celebrate art.  Hands-on programs are guided and supported by BCM’s teaching artists and educators.

Check out the rotating programs and exhibitions of African American, Afro-Caribbean, and African contemporary artists including Chakaia Booker, Wangechi Mutu, and Jack Whitten.

No. 5 Collections Central

Collections Central features a rotating selection from the museum’s collection of 29,000 historic cultural objects and scientific specimen – from lunch boxes to minerals, masks and trolleys!

Kids are encouraged become curator, artist and conservator as they create their own designs inspired by the collection.

No. 6 The Sensory Room

The Sensory room is an inclusive space that caters for children of all abilities. Sessions include a balance of self guided exploration, and joining in a facilitated program by one of the museum’s educators. Sessions may include stories, songs, meeting a live animal, and parachute play.

Look out for the new program.

Sessions will be offered 2:00-2:30pm, 2:45-3:15pm, 3:30pm-4:00pm, 4:15pm-4:45pm. Space is limited to 10 children and their caregivers for each session, first come, first served.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum Programs and Events

Check out the daily program and events here.

More Photos of Brooklyn Museum for Children

Nature Zone

Totally Tots

World Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Museum Building

The Inside Scoop

Correct at time of publication. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in US dollars.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum offers three floors of interactive exhibits and hands-on cultural and science programs for ages 6 months to 10 years.

Address: Brooklyn Childrens Museum is located at 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Telephone:  (718) 735-4400
Website: Click here.
Opening Hours:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10AM – 5PM
• Thursday: 10AM – 6PM
• Saturday, Sunday: 10AM – 7PM
• The Museum is closed most Mondays, and on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Museum will close at 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve.

Entry Fees: 

• General admission is $11.00 per person.
• Infants under 12 months are FREE
• Pay as you wish hours on Thursdays from 2PM to 6PM, and on Sundays from 4PM to 7PM
  Brought to you by Investors Bank, Astoria Savings Bank and Carver Bank.

Brooklyn Kids Museum Discounts:

• Click here to find out more about Brooklyn Children’s Museum discount offers.

How to get there:

• Get directions to Brooklyn Children’s Museum by subway, bus and car.
• By subway, the closest stops are the 3 train at Kingston Avenue; the 2 train to President; the A train to Nostrand Avenue; and C train to Kingston/Throop.
• By bus, the nearest stops are the B43 or B44 at St. Marks Avenue and the B25, B45, or B65 at Brooklyn Avenue.

Parking: BCM does not have a parking lot, but street parking is usually available within a few blocks of the Museum. Please check signage and follow New York City parking rules.

Nearest takeaway coffee and/or food options:

• Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s café is located on the Museum’s second floor. The café is open during regular BCM hours and changes its offerings seasonally. Guests are welcome to bring their own food to eat in our café or on the roof terrace.
• Please note that our café serves many different types of food, including nuts and dairy products. Please BYO food if your child has allergies.
• Food and drinks are not allowed in any part of the museum. (The only exception is water bottles and formula for babies under 2)

Toilets: Restrooms are located throughout the Museum, including four designated all-gender restrooms on the second floor. All restrooms are ADA-accessible.
Disability Access: Yes. Accessible entrances, elevator to upper level. All areas are accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. Brooklyn Children’s Museum strives hard to be inclusive by making their facilities and programs accessible to children with special needs.
Gift Shop: The Brooklyn Children’s Museum gift shop is operated by Brooklyn-based business Little Things, and offers a variety of toys and books. The store is located in the Lobby and opens during regular Museum hours.
Coat check: For the best BCM experience, we recommend leaving large bags and strollers at coat check.
Free Wifi: Free WiFi is available to all visitors by connecting to the “BrooklynChildrensMuseum-FreeWIFI” network. Follow the instructions provided to connect.
Notes:
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was last reviewed in November 2018.

Toadstool Rating – Children’s Museum in Brooklyn

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