18 museums for kids in Brooklyn, 6 free. Exhibits and family programs. Includes BLDG 92 at Brooklyn Navy Yard and BRIC House.
The world's first children's museum, with three floors of hands-on exhibits on nature, science and Brooklyn's cultures. Little ones can play in a pretend neighborhood, explore a sensory space and meet live animals.
Brooklyn's history museum and library in a landmark Brooklyn Heights building, with exhibits on the borough's neighborhoods, people and waterfront. It offers school programs, teen internships and public talks.
A free exhibit space at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park showing vintage photos, signs and artifacts from Coney Island's amusement history. An easy stop between rides on a summer weekend.
Housed in a stone fortification at Fort Hamilton near the Verrazzano Bridge, this free museum displays cannons, uniforms and weapons tied to the defense of New York Harbor. Adults need photo ID to enter the military post.
A large, hands-on children's museum in Crown Heights where kids explore Jewish holidays, traditions and history through interactive exhibits and play spaces. Exhibits like 'Exploring Jewish Life' are designed for children of all backgrounds.
A Red Hook gallery dedicated to drawing and works on paper that runs K.I.D.S. Art Education youth and family programs. Exhibitions are small and approachable for young artists.
Housed in a decommissioned 1936 subway station, this museum lets kids climb aboard vintage subway cars and buses, sit in a driver's seat and turn turnstiles. Exhibits explain how the city's trains, buses and bridges work.
A reconstructed 1699 Dutch farmhouse in Park Slope tied to the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn and the early Brooklyn Dodgers. Exhibits are small and approachable, and the surrounding park has a playground and hosts family events.
A tiny, quirky Williamsburg museum filled with New York City artifacts like subway tokens, Statue of Liberty souvenirs and old seltzer bottles. Kids enjoy spotting everyday objects from the city's past.
A 1914 wooden railroad barge docked in Red Hook that kids can walk aboard to learn how goods moved around New York Harbor. It also hosts family performances and shows, with great views of the Statue of Liberty.
Preserved 19th-century houses mark the site of Weeksville, one of America's largest free Black communities before the Civil War. Guided tours, a heritage garden and family festivals help kids understand the neighborhood's history.
The oldest building in New York State, a 1650s farmhouse in East Flatbush with a working farm garden. Kids learn about colonial farm life and can join seasonal gardening and harvest programs.
A three-floor exhibit in an 1858 Marine commandant's residence tracing the Navy Yard from building warships to today's workshops and manufacturers. A good pick for kids curious about ships, making and engineering.
Downtown Brooklyn's arts and media hub with a large free contemporary art gallery, public-access TV studios and a drop-in community space called the Stoop. BRIC also hosts family days and runs the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival in Prospect Park.
One of the city's largest art museums, with an Egyptian collection kids love, period rooms and visible storage to peek into. Families can join stroller tours and art-making activities, and First Saturday evenings bring free music and workshops.
A small second-floor museum above the Coney Island boardwalk area packed with vintage amusement-park memorabilia, old postcards and a model of the original Luna Park. A cheap, quirky stop during a beach or amusement-park day.
A Fort Greene museum focused on art and social justice through the lens of Africa and its diaspora. Youth education programs and community events introduce kids to contemporary artists.
A Red Hook cultural center in a renovated 19th-century ironworks mixing art, science and music, with a garden open to visitors. Exhibitions and science talks can inspire curious older kids.
LittleGotham lists 18 museums for kids in Brooklyn.
Yes. 6 of 18 are free to attend, including BRIC House, Center for Brooklyn History, Coney Island History Project Exhibit Center.
15 listings are indoors, such as BLDG 92 at Brooklyn Navy Yard, BRIC House, Brooklyn Children's Museum.
Crown Heights (3), Red Hook (3), Coney Island (2).