Brooklyn Historical Society

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Housed in a majestic, landmarked 1881 building with striking terracotta details, this museum is devoted to all things Brooklyn. Its priceless collection contains a rare 1770 map of NYC and a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. Exhibits on Brooklyn life and history rotate regularly. Peek into the stunning 33,000-book Othmer Library, with its original 19th-century balcony of black ash.

The lobby gift shop (open noon to 5pm daily) is a fantastic resource for Brooklyn-themed books and upscale gifts.

The society also organizes regular exhibitions and neighborhood walks; check the website for details.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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  • OCTOBER 2015: Visitors paddle in boats near a bridge at Central Park..

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  • Ellis Island and the Immigration Museum

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  • Beautiful view of Manhattan during a summer sunset

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    3.71 MILES

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  • NEW YORK - MAY 29 : ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY grand opening day on May 29, 2015. It is open year round. Starting May 29th until September 7th from 9 a.m. until midnight

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  • SolomonR. Guggenheim Museum, detailed view

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  • Statue of Liberty

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    National September 11 Memorial Museum

    1.57 MILES

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Nearby attractions

1. Plymouth Church

0.3 MILES

Founded in 1847, this Protestant church became one of the centers of the mid-19th-century anti-slavery movement, thanks in large part to its first pastor,…

2. Brooklyn Heights Promenade

0.32 MILES

Six of the east–west streets of well-to-do Brooklyn Heights (such as Montague and Clark Sts) lead to the neighborhood’s number-one attraction: a narrow,…

3. New York Transit Museum

0.32 MILES

Occupying an old subway station built in 1936 (and out of service since 1946), this kid-friendly museum takes on 100-plus years of getting around town…

4. Invisible Dog

0.53 MILES

In a converted factory dating to 1863, the Invisible Dog is an interdisciplinary arts center that embodies the spirit of Brooklyn's creativity. Check the…

5. Brooklyn Bridge Park

0.54 MILES

This 85-acre park is one of Brooklyn’s best-loved attractions. Wrapping itself around a 1.3-mile bend on the East River, the post-industrial site runs…

6. Empire Stores

0.59 MILES

Built just after the Civil War, the Empire Stores are a vestige of Brooklyn's historic waterfront, which once supported 3 miles of brick warehouses…

7. Jane’s Carousel

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Behold the star attraction of the north end of Brooklyn Bridge Park: a vintage carousel built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company back in 1922. In 1984…

8. Brooklyn Bridge

0.7 MILES

A New York icon, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s first steel suspension bridge, and, at almost 1596ft, the longest when it opened in 1883…