Brooklyn Children’s Museum

I took a two year old boy. He was obsessed with the grocery area. It was a little crowded but it was a rainy Sunday so probably peak time. It seemed decently clean, staff was friendly and helpful. A little pricey but a good half day activity. Found street parking about 2 blocks away without much trouble.

I’m the 108^th reviewer of the first museum in the U.S., if not the entire word, dedicated to children. Hey adults have fun learning things here too. This is a wonderful institution, but I do have some construction criticism. First, the architecture of the building itself. It doesn’t fit in with the aesthetic of the neighborhood. And although there are so many incredible exhibits here, they could reduce the number of them in favor of making more room for the visitors. This place is immensely popular and successful, but it gets so crowded. For example, they should quadruple the size of the water play area and eliminate the reading area altogether. That’s what libraries are for. I’m just saying is all — you’ve got kids packed into the main attractions and then these other areas that are almost empty. So why not lose the areas that are underutilized in favor of the areas that are?

After Pittsburgh Children’s Museum I had big expectations about this place. It is a big disappointment! It had dull and not creative sections. Definitely wouldn’t recommend.

Super fun and we’ll organized museum for little ones. My daughter loves the exclusive toddler room that has a water play area, sand play and unique structure made of various objects they can interact with for interesting sounds.
We can spend hours at this museum exploring and playing. I love how all the different areas encourage discovery and hands on interactions that are perfect for young children.

Pretty cool place for children. It’s safe and clean. The sand box is cool because it is filled with cork instead of sand. There was a few classes here but mostly parents and children. The long tunnel is cool and the price is right. 11.00 per person is a good deal. Parking is not an issue. They are closed on Mondays. It’s like Brooklyn’s best kept secret. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I think a map of the place would be helpful so you know where to go and what to see. I started from the bottom and worked my way to the exit. I would suggest this place to anyone whose looking for day out when the weather isn’t great. The little area where you first come in is cool. They have blue sand and tons of toys and a slide. It’s an area for children under 5 which is cool. The little stores on the second floor are cool. There are plenty of things to do here and could spend the entire day here.

This is a very unique indoor play space for children of all ages. I visited this location this past Friday with my best friend and her daughter. Her daughter is 3 years old. From the outside this location is very colorful and beautiful. We found parking easily right outside the entrance but it seems like a busy area. As we entered the staff was so friendly and gave us a map for the museum. Once you enter there is a beautiful colored tunnel with water flowing in the middle of it. Along the side of the tunnel there are showcases all the way down. To the left there is kid size shops for the children to play. There were various little play shops from different cultures. There was a grocery store for the children to play as well. There is also a greenhouse available and an outside area. In the outside area there were employees showing how to find worms and more. It was so fun and my friends daughter really enjoyed it. The staff was so friendly. There were two sandboxes, coloring stations, and more. There was also an area in for children 5 and younger. It was a beautiful area and i would recommend this location to others! The only reason it did not get 5 stars is because the «café» has VERY limited food choices! There also isn’t many restaurants in that area that is walking distance.

I’ve been coming here over the last 2.5 years and have been fortunate to avoid incredibly crowded days… until this past Saturday. It was mostly the toddler area that was unbelievably crowded. The rest of the museum is spread out enough so that the kids aren’t on top of each other. But it really wasn’t even the kids. It’s the parents hovering. There are parents everywhere and sometimes even two to one child… which is wonderful! But at the same time, they accidentally block the children from getting out of tunnels or finding a spot at the water play area. It’s like this everywhere and it’s no fault of the museum’s, but I would think they’d limit the number of families in the toddler area so that there’s room to play.
Other than that, I love the shopping play area, pizza play, touch tank and… wait…what happened to the library??? We really enjoyed that as part of our outing and now it’s gone!!! They replaced it with a private party area? Anyhow, as enjoyable as this place is, we probably won’t be returning anytime soon. Maybe if they make use of the outdoor roof area…

This unique indoor play space brings to life an enjoyable balance of educational yet playful experiences. I didn’t expect such a huge range of subject matter. I also didn’t expect my daughter to take such interest in the parts she did. Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a NYC’s educational treasure.
The museum is large at over 100,000 square feet. It’s well designed into three different levels and the layout allows you to easily experience each section without accidentally missing anything. As you enter you walk into a visual playground. We were immediately drawn to the tunnel made of corrugated metal with neon rainbow lighting and water flowing through a structure in the center. There’s not much to actually do in the tunnel, but it set the tone for our day. From there we wandered from section to section, allowing our daughter to take the lead on where she wanted to explore.
Totally Tots
This is a gated space dedicated for little ones ages 0 – 5. This area features several sensory sections as creative as their names like: Baby Patch, Kids’ Quarry, Sand Spot, Peek-​A-​Boutique, Play Pond, Reading Nook, and Parent Junction. Our daughter has outgrown this section so we didn’t spend any time here. Although I did step in to see what it was like and found it precious. Full of little kids splashing, making a big mess and proud parents standing around smiling and snapping photos.
Neighborhood Nature
This area allows kids of all ages to learn about ecosystems through hands on play.
My daughter played with a magnifying glass to investigate flowers, experimented with dam building and got a peek at what it’s like to be a duck by poking her head up through a dome in the middle of a pond. This area was my favorite. The displays are unusual, interactive but most of all they are fun. There’s also a chance to see turtles, lizards, birds and a touch tank with star fish and other sea creatures.
World Brooklyn
This is a really charming mini strip of kid-​sized stores. Each model looks like a real business in an actual NYC neighborhood. With all the families walking in and out you really get the sense you’re in a legit shopping district. The pretend store concept is a classic in most children’s museums I’ve visited, but this one is done better. The stores are a little bigger, the features are a little nicer and overall they are much better designed. As with all other museums, items were misplaced, damaged or other kids were already using them. My daughter was disappointed she didn’t get to play with the conveyor belt the minute she wanted to… but I call that a life lesson. Her frustration was easily distracted when she saw a real life Vespa-​like scooter she could try.
Greenhouse and Garden
Alongside the Neighborhood Nature section is a greenhouse and garden area filled with lush local vegetation and some wildlife. I saw clipboards where you could check off what you saw including specific types of birds, trees and insects all located within this area. I was eager to do this with my daughter. However the day we visited there was a special project hosted in this area which won her attention. An instructor set up little work stations where kids learned how to conduct electricity using circuits and play dough. If they built it correctly a light would turn on, or a buzzer would sound. To my surprise my little 4 year old daughter thrived playing with this experiment. She loved it so we spent a bit of time in this area.
Collections Central
This area is located upstairs. It’s a large wide open space filled with different sections to explore plus a great view of their gorgeous roof space. We played with colorful tiles on a light box, pieced together some artifacts and created art using strips of fabric on a fence. My favorite part was when my daughter took a seat on a sketching bench and asked her dad to pose so she could draw him. We took her seriously, he stuck a pose and she sketched away. I stood in the background trying not to laugh too loud and snapped my favorite picture of them to date.
Café
We also took a break at the café where our daughter ate the lunch we brought for her from home and we ate from their restaurant EAT. The food was reasonable but slightly pricey for what we had.
Tips:
The Museum is designed for kids between the ages of 2 and 10.
Admission is $ 11 per person, under one year old is free.
Every Thursday 2 – 6 is free!
There’s a great playground and park located behind the museum.
Bring your own lunch to make a full day outing.
We drove and easily found street parking.
The museum is accessible via public transportation.
Coat check and stroller check are free.
I saw a few strollers being used throughout the museum but you’re encouraged to check them.
This is a great rainy day activity with kids.
For more family fun ideas check out:

Not a museum but a place for little kids to play. Good for under 5. I am personally not thrilled by things I saw and what my 5 yo experienced. Not well maintained. I think just one visit is more than enough unless you live in the neighborhood. There are many interesting places in nyc that make this place pales in comparison.

I so wanted to dislike this place before even arriving there. I’ll explain, I am familiar with the area where the museum is located, but I followed their directions, and it left me about a mile short of the destination. As I’m walking there, I see both a train station and bus station within four blocks. So, please don’t fall prey to their faulty directions. Take either the B43, B44, or B65, if traveling by bus. Take the 2 train to Nostrand Ave, not Eastern Parkway, as incorrectly listed.
The museum itself was an excellent experience. Upon entry, you pay your fee of $ 11, then proceed to the check in, which is free. You can check all your items (coats, strollers, bags, etc.). Don’t forget to leave them a buck or two in the tip jar.
I believe they have two floors, but certain things were not available because of private parties. On the ground level was a theatre, but it seemed not to be working. Replica bakeries (Asian & Mexican) from my very own neighborhood (Sunset Park). An International food market, where kids can pretend to shop for groceries, use the conveyor belt, and make transactions. They have a travel agency, a music room where they can see both Latin and West Indian sights and sounds along with an area to draw. Spumoni Gardens (not available when I was there). On the opposite side was an arts and crafts section. They have staff who assist the children with drawing and they were very helpful and seemingly eager to help all the kids create a master piece.
On the level above was a bus, which all the kids seemed to go wild for and get to live out their dreams of being Ralph Kramden, and driving the bus through out Brooklyn.
Lastly, the top floor, has an area with seating; you can also purchase food there, but it’s pricey. The majority of this area with artwork seemed to be closed off as well for an event.
Overall, this museum is awesome, has a multitude of things to keep your child up to about age 8 or so entertained. They have a souvenier shop. My complaints along with the bad directives are they shouldn’t close exhibits for prívate parties on a Saturday. Also, maybe get a second bus, or have an employee monitor the bus because some parents disappear and it creates a wild scene of hysterical kids wondering when it’s their turn.

I would consider this more a really big indoor play space than a museum but it’s perfect for young children on a Rainey day. Filled with activities from art, water play to sand boxes and gardens. It’s a good place to take my three year old daughter for the day.

I had a good time today. Took the family out and enjoyed our time together. It was pretty crowded. I didn’t like that none members were signing up on the membership line which slowed everyone up. The food was super expensive. This was my oldest sons (6 year old) 5^th time visiting and my baby (17 months) 1^st time attending and he loved it. I would be eager to seeing new exhibits on a regular basis.

This is a great inside“play day” for children 5 and under. Children over 5 should not be allowed as they will probably not enjoy the «juniornees» of the museum. After finding parking directly in front of the museum, my daughter and I entered and was greeted by a very friendly front desk person. She asked how old my daughter was who is 1.5 and charged is $ 9 each to get in. It’s a fun place that seems to always have LOT happening and tons of activity! There was a dance party upstairs. Make believe show downstairs and tons of activities in between. Overall great day for bonding. Well worth the $$. Enjoy! 2 thumbs up!!!

I like this place really… my almost 2 year old daughter loves it. but I just paid 18 bucks for us both… can’t they hire a maintenance person or something? it’s so beat up and some things don’t work… there’s broken toys and totally worn out toys everywhere. also as soon as your past the vague ticket desk it’s like no one takes care to clean up the space at all. garbage, pencils, papers everywhere. cmon!
it’s great. really. if you happen to miss the insane day camp kids (I talking to you mill basin day campers! you’re totally out of control and obnoxious!) it’s really really great. lots to explore.

I loved this museum. I brought my 15 month old son and he was crazy about it. He was free to be as loud as he wanted to be and each exhibit is so interactive! He loves to crawl into things, and some exhibits has kids crawling into tunnels to see the animals behind the glass. The museum is pretty big for a toddler his age and we didn’t even get to go to the upper floors. By then, he was wiped out. The sand box and the water play are great for toddlers. They also have a music exhibition where the kids can hit drums and go down a slide.
The only thing I didn’t like we’re the older kids from day camps that frequent there. They were very rowdy and I had to keep an eye on my son in case he got knocked over. But the camp staff usually brought them under control.
There’s a little walk from the 3 station, but it wasn’t bad since the day was nice and I only had my son and husband with me. If there was a bigger group, I can see how that might be a problem.
Overall, I loved the museum. It’s a great resource, not only for toddlers but for older kids too, to learn about their neighborhood.

I like this museum, I really do!!! It’s a cultural institution for kids I mean I have kids how could I not like it… but (and the but is lengthy).
It’s essentially been the same museum for eons!!! My daughter has been making me pizza at the Spumoni Garden for six years, she’s been a travel agent, worked in the market and made me the same pan de muerto for six years. I would love it if they refreshed the first floor just a little. I mean really a travel agency? So irrelevant, it’s such a great opportunity to update at least that space.
There are changing exhibits upstairs but now with a three year old it’s hard to convince him to get off the first floor. So I’m afraid he will follow in his sisters footsteps and work in the same travel agency, the same market, serve me the same pan de muerto and I will be eating Spumoni Gardens pizza for the next three years.
He’s already a bit too wild for the toddler area and my six year old has officially been banned due to age.
I mean BCM has a great foundation but a nice update would be welcomed. Even though it’s also in almost the most inconvenient location, we still take the journey in hopes of something new. And if I’m being completely honest the free hours this summer are from 2 – 6 every Thursday so that’s a huge bonus. Free stuff check is also great, I don’t have to lug around a scooter, a skateboard, the snack bag, my purse to every section.
Lastly, BCM can you stock some magnets in your gift shop. Seriously I’ve tried to buy one the last two times and you «sold out» and in that short time of looking for the magnet and asking the cashier and being told it was sold my kids had each grabbed five things they wanted. I should get a free magnet for the two totally unnecessary purchases I had to make.

Under 5 years old a perfect place for a fun active day!
Great Way for toddlers to experience visual and sense around their atmosphere.

I have such mixed feelings about the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. First, I think it is really important that such an institution exists: a big space for children to explore, play, learn and grow. They have the idea: the lower floor is on the surface a fun space where kids can pretend to work at a travel agency, in a bakery, in a pizza shop, at a grocery store. etc. There is a tots area with what seems like a great water feature, a space for reading books, an art room a big block area, sand zone and a little slide an instrument zone. The upstairs is a regularly changing exhibit, and about 25% of the time, it is awesome: they once had a series of architecture related zones and at another point, they had a great variety of building toys (including the motherload of all magnatiles). Few people even know there is an upstairs area, which also includes a great library and a nice café area.
What brings my overall feeling about it entirely down is how LITTLE they seem to do to keep this place up or refreshed. Stuff is broken for YEARS at a time. They often have crappy exhibits replace what was otherwise a seriously awesome space upstairs (like the time immediately after they had a bedbug scare, they changed the exhibit upstairs to focusing on shoes. yes, shoes). There aren’t a great deal of tactile items that kids can actually use and play with in a lot of the spaces, and the computers that are around in some of the areas are basically from the 1980s.
The worst thing about the museum is getting there. It is a schlep from either the ²⁄₃ or the A/​C if you have small kids (and only people with small kids should come here: my 5 year old is basically done with going to this museum), and the buses are SO infrequent that it’s laughable. Forget calling a cab if it’s raining: I suppose that isn’t an issue any more with Über, but I’ve definitely had more than one annoyed trek back to the subway. There also aren’t a great number of food options nearby (though David’s Brisket House alone is worth the visit here), so it’s good to pack something if you plan to go.
Overall, I’m glad it exists. If I were visiting from afar I’d probably give it 2 stars compares to the many way better Children’s museum experiences that are around the world. If, however, you live locally and are looking for a place to take your kids for an hour or two every few months, you could do worse. Just avoid it when the shoe exhibit comes around again.

A place where kids can run free and wild and enjoy everything from internal pits filled with blue sand and toys to water games, a tot’s section (for kids under 5) and plenty of hands-​on activities? Yes, this is a winner. Get the family membership if you come here more often than a few times a month, it’ll be worth it but even so — $ 9/​person isn’t bad.
The cafeteria on the upper floor is simple and warms up food (no real prep here), but isn’t crazy expensive or full, so that’s nice. Wouldn’t you know it — the first thing my daughter goes for after I come in is the gift shop where there are a ton of overpriced but fun toys (lots of Thomas the Engine story trains, etc.).
No parking owned by the Museum, but street parking wasn’t hard to find on a wintery Sunday morning. 10a open. They have waves of kids running around here, particularly as birthdays moved through.
The bus inside allows kids to play, then take a trip around Brooklyn from the Chinatown to the travel agency to Spumoni. Plenty of fun in the greenhouse, lots of toys to assemble and let them draw and use light tables to trace. Lots of creatures hidden in and about the area — the tarantula to the fish. And plenty of kids running around.
Lots of space and it’s also made mostly of recycled materials — a good balance. There’s a few places here that tired adults would crash, but interesting nonetheless for the toddlers and younger kids (I’d say about up to 9 – 10 before they’d start to lose interest and should be in a bigger place like the Liberty Science Center).

The pretend stores were empty… not enough play food to make pizzas at the pizzeria… out of stock groceries in the little super market, not a single piece of dough to bake at the bakery! :-/
Down by the end was a play room right next to the fossils where there was a huge snake and one bird, both live. Inside the playroom (no shoes permitted) were some drums, a small rocker, and a hammock type swing. Nothing special really and on top of that it smells like sweat and feet, at least get a window or vent or some sort in there… so many kids running around in that small little room you really need to keep the air circulating.
My last hope was the play area for toddlers, for kids up to age 5. My 3 and 1 year old kept being run over by the older kids or kids that were actually «5».
It could’ve been cause I came on a really busy day with tons of kids visiting on a school trip, everything must of been misplaced. Didn’t really have such a good experience here, was hoping to get a little something at the gift shop before we leave… wanna take a wild guess? Yes, almost everything was out of stock! Sigh… I guess for $ 10 a person I shouldn’t really be complaining…