Brooklyn & Queens Attractions
Brooklyn, NY
Coney Island
DESCRIPTION: Although most of its grandeur has faded, Coney Island is like a cherished institution with great ocean views. You canโt visit Brooklyn for any length of time and not stop by. Among a few dozen seperate attractions are the Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, Aquarium, Coney Island Museum, Astroland – home of the Cyclone Rollercoaster, which is still one of the worldโs best, Circus Sideshows by the Seashore, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Coney Island Surf and Turf, beach and boardwalk round out the visit. Today, the park includes KeySpan park for minor league baseball and has a multi-arts center offering museum and theater programming leading the cultural revival of a downtrodden but historic landmark neighborhood. Astroland and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park sponsor fireworks at 9:30p every Friday night between June and Labor Day.
ADMISSION: free, but you pay per ride or attraction
DAYS & HOURS: Rides and attractions are open on weekends from Easter until Memorial Day, all week long from Memorial Day until Labor Day, and then weekends from Labor Day until the end of September. The beach and boardwalk are open year round.
ADDRESS: Surf Ave between Ocean Parkway and 37th Streets MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: D, F, N, Q lines
PHONE: 718-372-5159
WEBSITE: http://www.coneyisland.com
New York Aquarium
DESCRIPTION: Featuring 8,000 animals, the Aquarium offers diversity and great viewing opportunities to learn about animals from the Southwest coast of Africa to the Arctic penquins, and those found locally in the Hudson River
ADMISSION: Adults $13, Seniors $10, Ages 3-12 $9, Ages 2 and under Free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 10-4:30p with longer Summer hours
ADDRESS: Surf Avenue and West 8th Street MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: D, F, N, Q lines
PHONE: 718-265-3474
WEBSITE: http://nyaquarium.com
Barclays Center
DESCRIPTION: Completed in 2012, this multi-purpose arena sits over MTA rail transit yard and is part of a $4.9 billion business and residential complex now known as Pacific Park; the arena’s odd shape features three articulated bands with a glass curtain wall composed of 12,000 preweathered steel panels paying homage to Brooklyn’s brownstone houses; it seats 18,000 for Brooklyn Nets basketball and New York islanders hockey. For many people, the arena is best known for hosting the circus and concerts; it claims to host more concerts and family events than Madison Square Garden; an part-investor in the project, Jay-Z also held its first concert on 28 September 2012; since the building was optimized for basketball games, the seating arrangement for hockey is asymmetrical; engraved into the rotundaโs large floor and archways are words and images that defined Robinsonโs nine core values: Courage, Excellence, Persistence, Justice, Teamwork, Commitment, Citizenship, Determination and Integrity; In 2015, the arena installed a green roof.
DAYS & HOURS: event dependent
ADDRESS: 620 Atlantic Avenue MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R lines and Long Island Railroad
PHONE: 917-618-6100
WEBSITE: http://www.nba.com/nets
Brooklyn Museum of Art
DESCRIPTION: Housed in a 560,000-square-foot, Beaux-Arts building next to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, is one of the oldest and largest encyclopedic art museums in the country; its permanent collections include Ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and represent a wide range of cultures; one must see exhibit is more than 500 pieces of Egyptian art; the museum features notable West, Central, East African Art collections as well
ADMISSION: Adults $8, Students & Seniors $4, Age 11 and under Free
DAYS & HOURS: Wed-Fri 10a-5p, Sat 11a-6p, Sun 10a-5p
ADDRESS: 200 Eastern Parkway MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: 2, 3 lines
PHONE: 718-638-5000
WEBSITE: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org
Madd Funn Family Entertainment Center
DESCRIPTION: Brooklynโs 41,000 square foot family entertainment center is a great entertainment and educational resource for children and their families; it features Video Games, Laser Tag, Rock Climbing Wall, Ball Pit/Tunnels Arena, Bumper Cars, Mini Train, Computer Learning Forum, Arts & Crafts area, and Toddler Soft Play Area
ADMISSION: purchase game tokens inside
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 11a-6:45p, Sat 11a-8:45p, Sun 11a-7:45p
ADDRESS: 303 Stanley Avenue MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: L line
PHONE: 718-498-9002 WEBSITE: http://www.maddfun.com
Queens, NY
Citi Field
DESCRIPTION: Completed in 2009 with many retro-ballpark feeatures, it home to New York Mets baseball team; $850 million Citi Field with a 41,800 seating capacity replaces old Shea Stadium; seats are green in an homage to the Polo Grounds, longtime home of the baseball Giants and the original home of the Mets; the front entrance rotunda is named after Brooklyn Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson and honors his life accomplishments; engraved into the rotundaโs large floor and archways are words and images that defined Robinsonโs nine core values: Courage, Excellence, Persistence, Justice, Teamwork, Commitment, Citizenship, Determination and Integrity
DAYS & HOURS: event dependent
ADDRESS: 126th Street at Roosevelt Avenue MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: 7 line
PHONE: 718-478-2921
WEBSITE: http://newyork.mets.mlb.com
Queens Museum of Art
DESCRIPTION: The building opened as New York City Building at the 1939 Worldโs Fair; in 1972, the north side of the New York City Building became the Queens Museum of Art; in 1994, the Museum undertook its first major renovation and upgrade; today it presents exhibitions of contemporary art and photography, including African American artists, throughout the year; also contains one of New Yorkโs best-loved permanent exhibitions, the Panorama of New York City, a meticulously rendered model of all five boroughs that encompasses an entire gallery; in 2010, QMA doubled to 100,000 square feet with more interesting architecture inside and out
ADMISSION: Adults $5, Seniors and Children $2.50; age 4 and under enter Free
DAYS & HOURS: Wed-Fri 10aโ5p, SatโSun Noonโ5p
ADDRESS: Flushing Meadows Corona Park MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: 7 line
PHONE: 718-592-9700
WEBSITE: http://www.queensmuseum.org