My children and I love checking out local children’s museums during our travels. Last year while living in the New York City area, we headed over to Brooklyn to check out the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Founded in 1899, the museum was the first museum in the United States to cater specifically to children. Located in the predominantly residential Crown Heights neighborhood of the borough of Brooklyn, the museum underwent an expansion and renovation to double its space and become the first green museum in New York City in 2008.
Admission to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum costs $11 per person with free admission for infants under the age of 12 months. However, using our membership to the Children’s Discovery Museum, which allows us free or discounted entry into over 500 participating ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) and ACM (Association of Children’s Museums) museums, my kiddos and I received free admission. Street parking is available, and I found a spot just a block away from the museum entrance on both occasions that I took my toddler and preschooler. You can also travel to the museum by bus and subway.
My kids and I had a spectacular time during both of our visits to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Both times, we headed downstairs to the lower level of the museum first. Both children really loved the Neighborhood Nature exhibit, which introduces the life sciences through hands-on play in a community cork garden, close looking and listening in diorama habitats, and lounging at the indoor beach. My son and daughter equally loved digging in the garden, which consisted of tiny cork pieces rather than sand or other sensory substance.
At the time of our visits, my four-year-old and one-year-old both also loved the Totally Tots exhibit. Accessible exclusively for children from birth through age 5 and their parents, Totally Tots is a pint-sized paradise featuring nine different sensory play areas including water, sand, music, dress up, and blocks. The exhibit also includes the Tots Art Studio, which allows the youngest visitors to explore techniques, materials, and ideas through art-making. My daughter loved the sandbox, and my son loved crawling up and down the ramp to the slide.
If you ever find yourself in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn with children, definitely check out the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Having welcomed millions of children and families since 1899 to experience the love of learning, the museum offers a perfect educational and fun experience for kids and families. My children and I have visited twice and had an absolutely blast during both visits!
For more information, visit the Brooklyn Children’s Museum website.
Image Credits
Family Fun in New York City: Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Driving to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Tunnel at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
World Brooklyn at Brooklyn Children’s Museum 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
World Brooklyn at Brooklyn Children’s Museum 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Community Cork Garden at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Beach at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Fish Tank at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Animal Diorama Room at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Pond Tank at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Totally Tots at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Water Table at Brooklyn Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson