Brooklyn Children's Museum

The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a general purpose museum in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Founded in 1899, it was the first museum in the world to cater specifically to children. The museum is currently undergoing renovation.

History

• The Museum was founded on December 16, 1899 in the Adams House at what is now Brower Park.
• In 1929, the museum opened the Smith House annex. Eleanor Roosevelt attended the ceremony.
• In 1930, the Works Progress Administration supplied hundreds of workers to the museum, which thrived in the Great Depression.
• From 1968 to 1977, the museum was relocated as the Bedford-Lincoln Neighborhood Museum. This ended with the opening of the current structure at the original location on May 17, 1977.

Admission

Traveling Exhibits

• Pattern Wizardry encourages children to recognize, identify, create, and compare patterns.
• Night Journeys is all about sleep.
• Global Shoes explores world culture through footwear.
• Wild About Plants is about the role of plants in everyday life.

Permanent Exhibits

• Totally Tots is intended for children younger than five years of age.
• Together in the City honors many New York City landmarks.
• Collections Central is a huge 27,000-piece collection of assorted artifacts and specimens.
• Children's Library and Education Center contains thousands of books.
• Animal Outpost features live animals, including a basilisk and a Burmese Python.
• Con Edison Greenhouse and Garden features plants, insects, and allows children to study soil and ecosystems.
• Music Mix features foreign musical instruments.
• The Visiting Exhibit Gallery.
• Mainstage allows children to put on their own "shows".

Expansion

The current renovation project will double the museum's size and is due to open in 2007.

Recent News & Events

Talking about Philantrophy
An overview of the mission, background, current programs, museum team, and funding needs of the Brooklyn Children's Museum.