I’ve been to a lot of museums in New York City. The Brooklyn Museum is without a doubt my favorite one. If you’re someone who typically doesn’t do museums, or maybe you’re even intimidated by some aspect of museums (crowds, getting there, what have you) this is an excellent place to start, and I’ll share why below.
The bonus is, you’ll feel like a real local as that’s who typically goes here. And if you were so inclined, places like Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Prospect Park Zoo are all within walking distance!
1. Getting There is a Breeze!
As someone who hates and fears both parking in New York City as well as taking the subway, I’m a good authority on what constitutes as “a breeze” in terms of transportation. If you’re coming by way of driving you’ll be happy to now that there’s a HUGE parking lot right on the property of the museum that’s never full. You’ll have to pay per hour of course, but they don’t beat you over the head with pricing. Five hours will run you about $18 bucks.
If you’re taking the subway, you’ll be happy to know that you exit at the Eastern Parkway station. According to The Patch, Eastern Parkway was the highest rated subway stop in all of New York City. Participants in the survey cited that it was cleanly, they felt personally secure, and there was a thankful lack of people behaving erratically.
2. It’s Not Expensive
You’ll see general admission prices when you go to purchase a ticket, but those are only suggested prices. The Brooklyn Museum is pay what you wish, which always makes for a reasonable day out.
3. There’s a Little of Everything
I love going to museums in Manhattan, but they’re super specialized. Want to see high art and dinosaurs in the same day? Too bad. Not to mention, getting through the entirety of The Met can take days.
The Brooklyn Museum by contrast has a little bit of everything. There’s ancient mummies and panels of hieroglyphics. There’s Assyrian sculptures. There’s period rooms. There’s American art. I think this museum is the perfect place to bring both your friend who for some reason majored in art, and your toddler who probably hears the word “art” and laughs because it sounds like “fart.” There’s something for just about every age and taste here.
Speaking on the issue of toddlers, if you’ve always been into museums and have been longing to lug your tot to one, I think this is the perfect choice. You can breeze through in about two hours and there’s a HUGE space where it’s semi encouraged for kids to run around and just do their thing.
Little kids are pretty good about picking up on “vibes” and considering the Brooklyn Museum isn’t stuffy, they’ll appreciate that. Also there’s an entire few rooms dedicated to ancient Egyptian artifacts and for whatever reasons, kids just love that.
4. Special Exhibits are Optional
If you want to keep your cost and time down, then you can just see the typical collections and exhibits within the museum. However, there’s always the option of paying a little more to see special exhibits that are centered on everything from fashion to history. If you’re a local and the Brooklyn Museum is close to you, this helps keep things fresh.
5. The Size Isn’t Intimidating
A lot of the big shot museums in Manhattan are intimidating. More often than not those places are far more exhausting than they are enjoyable. There’s a pressure to see everything. For some reason everyone’s dressed like they’re about to walk the runway. A pressure to move quickly. And at the end of the day, your feet are killing you, you’re cranky and tired.
Two hours, hell, an hour and a half in the Brooklyn Museum and you’ve seen the majority of it. You can walk through once and pretty much know exactly where you’re going after.
Like, if you lost your kid in the Brooklyn Museum, you’d probably panic a little. But, if you lost your kid in The Met, you’re never seeing your child again.
Not to mention, it’s relaxed. Jeans. Sneakers. Messy bun kind of deal. Everyone moves slowly. People stop to have conversations with strangers and neighbors alike. There’s an entire room just for sitting and being hungover. (Ok, I added the second part. But being hungover here is way less worse than being at the Guggenheim hungover.)
6. Coat Checking is Ridiculously Easy
Walk up the counter with all of your crap. Pay a dollar a pop (cash or card is fine.) And you’re on your way. Seriously…two dollars to check a diaper bag and my coat. NOTHING in Brooklyn is two dollars!
7. There’s Cool Events at The Brooklyn Museum
If you’re interested in doing a deep dive into culture and art, there’s certainly the chance for that at the Brooklyn Museum. From pop up talks to family concerts, themed gallery tours to pop art markets — there’s no shortage of opportunities to get an in depth insight into the creative voices and faces that make up the artifacts in the museum.
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