Stand at the railing of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the East River opens in front of you, with Lower Manhattan stacked across the water and the Brooklyn Bridge carrying traffic to your left. It is one of the clearest views in New York, and it costs nothing but the walk to get there.
Brooklyn suits travellers who want a borough they can cross on foot and by subway, mixing nineteenth-century streets with beaches, ballparks and a major art museum. The neighbourhoods are distinct, and many of them are ethnic enclaves, so a single day can move from a Dutch-founded village green to a boardwalk in a few stops.
This guide covers the landmarks, museums, parks and performances that the source material names, with practical notes on how to combine them. It does not attempt to cover every neighbourhood.
Top things to do in Brooklyn
1. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is the borough's most famous landmark and the one connection to Manhattan that is worth doing on foot. It is architecturally significant, and the walk gives you the skyline from the water rather than from a train window.
You can also walk under the bridge into the DUMBO neighbourhood for views of Manhattan across the East River, which makes a natural continuation of the crossing. If you prefer a different route, the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges can be walked as well.
2. Brooklyn Heights Promenade
The promenade is one of the best places in the borough to walk for views of Manhattan. Come here when you want the skyline without committing to a long route.
Pair it with the bridge walk: the promenade sits on the same stretch of waterfront, and the two together make a half-day of walking with the river always in sight.
3. Prospect Park
Prospect Park was designed by Olmsted and Vaux, who also designed Manhattan's Central Park but preferred their Brooklyn creation. It is the green centre of the borough and the anchor for several of the places below.
In summer the park hosts the Celebrate Brooklyn concert campaign every weekend in the Bandshell area, so an evening visit can double as a concert. The Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are adjacent, which makes it easy to combine all three.
4. Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum sits in Prospect Park and is New York City's second largest art museum. It is the strongest single indoor stop in the borough and worth a dedicated block of time.
Because it is in the park, combine it with a walk through Prospect Park or with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next door rather than treating it as a separate trip.
5. Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is adjacent to Prospect Park and covers 52 acres, home to more than 10,000 taxa of plants. It rewards a slower pace than the museum next door.
Both the garden and the park are covered in the Prospect Park district article, so plan them as one outing. A morning in the garden followed by the museum is a sensible order.
6. Coney Island
Coney Island is a hotspot during the summer season. You can go for a day and enjoy the beach and beach vendors, then stay into the night.
In the evening you can visit Luna Park and ride rides for a cheap price, or watch a game at the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball field. Among the attractions is the Coney Island Cyclone, one of the world's oldest and still operating wooden roller coasters.
7. Luna Park at Coney Island
Luna Park is the amusement park at Coney Island and the easiest way to spend an evening after a day on the beach. Rides are inexpensive, which makes it a low-commitment stop.
Go after the beach rather than instead of it, and check whether the Brooklyn Cyclones are playing at the nearby ball field if you would rather watch sport than ride.
8. Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park
The Brooklyn Cyclones are the New York Mets' single-A minor league baseball team, and Coney Island is their home. MCU Park is also home to Rugby United New York, a team playing in Major League Rugby, the top level of rugby union in the US and Canada.
A game fits neatly into a Coney Island day: beach and vendors first, then the ballpark, then Luna Park if you still have energy.
9. Grand Army Plaza
Grand Army Plaza marks the gateway to Prospect Park and is home to the distinctive Soldiers and Sailors Arch. It is a landmark you will pass through rather than a destination in itself.
Use it as the entry point to Prospect Park, which puts you within reach of the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on the same visit.
10. New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum is in Downtown, close to the bridge and the waterfront. It is a good indoor option when you are already in the area.
Combine it with the Brooklyn Bridge walk or the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, since all three sit in the same part of the borough.
11. Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Brooklyn Academy of Music in Downtown is one of the borough's best options for concerts. It gives an evening plan that does not depend on the weather.
Bargemusic, also in Downtown, is the other strong concert option in the same area, so you can choose between them depending on what is on.
12. Bargemusic
Bargemusic in Downtown is named alongside the Brooklyn Academy of Music as an excellent option for concerts. It is a small-scale alternative to a full concert hall.
Both venues are in Downtown, which means you can pair a concert with an afternoon at the New York Transit Museum or a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
13. Marine Park
Marine Park is a public park in the Marine Park neighbourhood, surrounding the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. It covers about 800 acres and has a bike path, handball court, shuffleboard court and playground.
The park is mainly a fertile salt marsh supplied with freshwater from Gerritsen Creek. The neighbourhood was also home to North America's first tide mill, built by the Dutch, and the foundation can be seen today.
14. Brooklyn Children's Museum
The Brooklyn Children's Museum is in Bedford-Stuyvesant. It is the obvious choice if you are travelling with young children and want an indoor stop away from the waterfront.
Flatbush is home to the Jewish Children's Museum, the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States, if you want a second option in a different part of the borough.
15. Barclays Center
The Barclays Center in Downtown is where Brooklyn's basketball teams play. Brooklyn has been home to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets since 2012, and is home to the New York Liberty of the WNBA.
It sits in Downtown, so a game can be worked around the New York Transit Museum, Bargemusic or the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start by walking the Brooklyn Bridge, then continue under the bridge into DUMBO for views of Manhattan across the East River. From there, walk the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
Afternoon. Move on to Prospect Park. Enter through Grand Army Plaza, where the Soldiers and Sailors Arch marks the gateway, then spend the afternoon between the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, both adjacent to the park.
Evening. Return to Downtown for a concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music or Bargemusic, or take a game at the Barclays Center. In summer, the alternative is to head to Coney Island for the beach vendors, Luna Park and, if the schedule allows, the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Park.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get between Manhattan and Brooklyn on foot?
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the borough to Lower Manhattan. The Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges can also be walked if you prefer a different route.
What can I do in Brooklyn in the evening?
Concerts at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Bargemusic in Downtown are both good options, as is a game at the Barclays Center. During the summer season, Prospect Park hosts the Celebrate Brooklyn concert campaign every weekend in the Bandshell area.
Is Coney Island worth a full day?
Yes, particularly in summer. You can spend the day on the beach with the beach vendors, then visit Luna Park in the evening for rides at a cheap price, or watch the Brooklyn Cyclones at their baseball field.
Which Brooklyn sights are close enough to combine?
Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are adjacent to one another. In Downtown, the New York Transit Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Bargemusic and the Barclays Center are all in the same area, and the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights Promenade sit on the same waterfront.
Pick the two or three places above that match your pace, check what is on at the venues while you are in town, and build your days around the walk across the bridge.