New York City Brooklyn

Brooklyn Museum Of Art. In any other city, the Brooklyn Museum would have the largest and most impressive art collection in town. Even when compared to the giants of Manhattan’s Museum Mile, the Brooklyn Museum of Art stands out as one of the New York City’s finest cultural destinations.

Art at the museum comes from all over the world. The central two-story space on the first floor is devoted to the art of Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas—the towering totem poles couldn’t fit anywhere else. When it opened in 1923, the African collection was the first of its kind in a US museum. Also on the first floor is the Learning Center, which provides computer work stations, Internet access to art-related sites, and art history lesson plans.

The third floor holds the ancient Egyptian galleries. Only London’s British Museum and Cairo’s Egyptian Museum have larger collections. Also on this floor is European art from the early Renaissance to post-Impressionist periods. Crafts, textiles, and period rooms on the fourth floor tell the story of American upper-class interiors from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Be sure to visit the Moorish Room, a lush bit of exotica from John D. Rockefeller’s Manhattan townhouse. John Singer Sargent and the Hudson River School grace the fifth floor. Galleries downstairs host temporary exhibits and weekend talks.

In 1999, the Brooklyn Museum found itself at the center of a worldwide debate on censorship when Mayor Giuliani attempted to suppress a show of controversial modern art that included a portrait of the Virgin Mary clumped with elephant dung. After a number of courts ruled against the mayor’s efforts to cut off the BMA’s funding, the show went on and was met with critical acclaim. The BMA continues to host ground-breaking exhibits, such as the 2008 retrospective of world-renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

Free tours of the museum and curator talks are offered regularly; call or check the website for calendar. In addition to offering a wide selection of educational programs, the museum hosts a free night of lectures, films, storytelling, and dancing on the first Saturday of each month. (200 Eastern Pkwy., at Washington Ave. S 2, 3 to Eastern Pkwy./Brooklyn Museum. ☎718-638-5000; www.brooklynart.org. Open W-F 10am-5pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm; 1st Sa of the month open 11am-11pm. Audio tours available for free online at the museum’s site or on iTunes. $8, students with ID and seniors $4, children under 12 free; 1st Sa of each month after 5pm free. Free Wi-Fi througout the museum.)

Brooklyn Children’S Museum. Founded in 1899, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the oldest American museum of its kind. The interactive exhibits tackle subjects ranging from culture and history to the natural sciences. The Together in the City exhibit focuses on the communal life of New Yorkers, while the animal corner has live turtles, spiders, and a Burmese python. Children can dress up and stage impromptu performances in the “Main Stage Theater,” or spend quiet time in the library. There’s a special “Totally Tots” area for toddlers. Check the website for special events like family stepping classes, puppet concerts, rooftop jams, and GLBT family days. (145 Brooklyn Ave., at St. Mark’s Pl. S 3 to Kingston Ave.; C to Kingston/Throop Ave.; A to Nostrand Ave. ☎718-735-4400; www.brooklynkids.org. Open Sept.-June W-Th noon-6pm, F noon-6:30pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm; July-Aug. Tu-Th noon-6pm, F noon-6:30pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm. $4, children under 1 free; Sa-Su before noon and first Th of every month free.)

New York Transit Museum. Embrace your inner subway nerd. This museum, housed in the now-defunct Court St. subway station (yes, the entrance is, in fact, a subway stop), portrays the birth and evolution of New York’s mass transit system. Exhibits include old subway maps, turnstiles, and even restored trains as well as an in-depth look at how the subway was constructed. The museum is also home to one of the best tourist shops in New York—souvenirs include MTA map jigsaw puzzles ($15), subway logo t-shirts ($20), and MetroCard playing cards ($4.50). (Corner of Schermerhorn St. and Boerum Pl. S 2, 3, 4, 5, M, R to Court St./Borough Hall; A, C, G, to Hoyt-Schermerhorn; A, C, F to Jay St./Borough Hall. ☎718-694-1600; www.mta.info/museum. Open Tu-F 10am-4pm, Sa-Su noon-5pm. $5, children and senior citizens $3, W seniors free. Store annex at Grand Central Station in the Shuttle Passage; open M-F 8am-8pm and Sa-Su 10am-6pm.)

Brooklyn Historical Society. This striking 1881 building, lined with busts of Shakespeare, Beethoven, and others, contains a museum devoted to Brooklyn’s past and present. Recent exhibits include Suspended Over Time: Brooklyn Bridge 125th Anniversary and Counter/Culture: The Disappearing Face of Brooklyn’s Storefronts . In addition to overseeing the museum, the Historical Society hosts themed walks in Brooklyn neighborhoods, including tours of Historic Williamsburg and Brewer’s Row, Walt Whitman’s Brooklyn, and other interesting areas; see the online calendar for info. (128 Pierrepont St., at Clinton St. S 2, 3, 4, 5, M, R to Court St./Borough Hall; A, C to High St. ☎718-222-4111; www.brooklynhistory.org. Open W-Su noon-5pm. $6, seniors and students with ID $4, children under 12 free.)