Brooklyn Children's Museum facts for kids
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The western side of the museum
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| Established | 1899 |
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| Location | 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Public transit access | Subway: Kingston Avenue  Kingston-Throop Avenues  Bus: B43, B44, B65 |
The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a special place in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, New York City. It opened in 1899, making it the very first children's museum in the United States. Some people even say it was the first one anywhere in the world! It's unique because it's located in a neighborhood where many people live. The museum is built mostly underground. It was made bigger and better, reopening on September 20, 2008. It also became the first "green museum" in New York City, meaning it was designed to be good for the environment.
Contents
Discovering Museum Exhibits
The museum's collections and exhibits show its long history. They also reflect how children's learning needs have changed over time. When it first opened, the museum focused on teaching kids about nature. This was especially helpful for children growing up in a city. After World War II, the museum started to focus more on technology and different cultures.
Designing Engaging Displays
The museum's underground space, which it moved into in 1975, was perfect for creating new and changing exhibits. The goal was not just to get kids interested, but to really make them think. What's cool is that children themselves help plan the museum's exhibits. They have been doing this for a very long time!
A Look at the Museum's History
The Early Days of the Museum
The Brooklyn Children's Museum started on December 16, 1899. It was first suggested by the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, which is now the Brooklyn Museum. The museum was located in a building called Adams House. The Brooklyn Institute managed the museum. Each year, New York City gave about $70,000 to help run it. This money was added to other donations. More and more people visited the museum very quickly. By October 1905, over 13,000 people visited each month.
Growth and New Programs
In 1929, the museum opened another building called the Smith House annex. During the 1930s, a government program called the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped the museum. Hundreds of workers from the WPA came to help, and the museum did very well even during the Great Depression. One of these workers was Ellis Credle, who painted murals before she became a famous author. By October 1930, about 60,000 people visited the museum each month. By 1939, after 40 years, more than 9 million people had visited the museum! In 1968, the Brooklyn Children's Museum opened another location called MUSE.
Moving to Brower Park
In 1975, the museum moved to a new home. This new space was built underneath Brower Park at St Mark's and Brooklyn Avenues. The old Victorian houses where the museum used to be were taken down. In 1996, the museum was updated again. This cost $7 million and added small theaters and many new exhibit areas. Two years later, the museum became part of Heart of Brooklyn. This was a group formed to help bring more visitors to Brooklyn.
Modern Updates and Green Features
In 2005, the museum received a large grant of $20 million from the Carnegie Corporation. This money was given to 406 arts and social service groups in New York City. It was made possible by a donation from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. In the same year, work began on a big expansion project. This project cost $43 million and almost doubled the size of the museum. It was designed to welcome over 400,000 visitors every year. The museum is also committed to protecting the environment. It was the first museum in New York City to use geothermal wells. These wells use heat from the Earth to help with heating and cooling the building.
New Partnerships and Renovations
A part of the museum building was turned into a new branch for the Brooklyn Public Library. This was part of a bigger partnership between the museum and the library system. This new library branch opened in July 2023. A company called Gans and Company was hired to design another renovation for the Brooklyn Children's Museum. This work started in August 2024 and cost $15 million. The plans included a 20,000 square foot courtyard. There was also a new wall built along Brower Park. This renovation was completed in 2025.
See also
In Spanish: Brooklyn Children's Museum para niños
