Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn Historical Society
4.5
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Combination museum, library and educational center which explores works of art and historical documents that represent Brooklyn's diverse cultures and society, past and present.
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Address
Neighbourhood: Brooklyn Heights
How to get there
- Court St • 3 min walk
- Borough Hall • 4 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
66 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
14
Average
3
Poor
4
Terrible
3
vbddrive
Virginia Beach, VA1,078 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
One winter afternoon we visited the Brooklyn Historical Society out of curiosity as my wife is a Brooklyn native. Those not affiliated with Brooklyn will obviously not be impressed with the displays however those with a serious appreciation for history and architecture will be thrilled. I spent as much time examining the building as I did the displays
Current times often dictate excitement and stimulating displays which this is not nor was ever intended to be. Rather the Society is a historical repository of Brooklyn History. Notice that this is a society, not a museum.
Current times often dictate excitement and stimulating displays which this is not nor was ever intended to be. Rather the Society is a historical repository of Brooklyn History. Notice that this is a society, not a museum.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paula Bendfeldt - GrowingUpBilingual.com
Cape Coral, FL1,304 contributions
May 2016 • Business
My company recently booked an event at the Brooklyn Historical Society. I had never been to Brooklyn Heights and I just loved the Historical Society!
The Historical Society is located in a magnificent historic building in Brooklyn Heights. There you can find information about the history of the borough of Brooklyn, walking tour and neighborhood guides. There is a small exhibit space and when we visited the exhibit was: Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation and there was a lot of interesting and engaging information. There is also a small gift shop with lot's of interesting and original Brooklyn and New York City related souvenirs.
We hosted an all day workshop and the space was ideal for our group. We culminated the event with a cocktail in the building as well. The staff was fantastic and made sure that the event was a total success.
The Historical Society is located in a magnificent historic building in Brooklyn Heights. There you can find information about the history of the borough of Brooklyn, walking tour and neighborhood guides. There is a small exhibit space and when we visited the exhibit was: Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation and there was a lot of interesting and engaging information. There is also a small gift shop with lot's of interesting and original Brooklyn and New York City related souvenirs.
We hosted an all day workshop and the space was ideal for our group. We culminated the event with a cocktail in the building as well. The staff was fantastic and made sure that the event was a total success.
Written 16 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review, Paula! We love it when people have the chance to visit our exhibits, shop in the Gift Shop, and enjoy some cocktails! We hope that you return again soon!
Written 13 June 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Douglas T
Los Altos, CA1,688 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
This 1888 building has an elegant staircase and original library, some good stained glass and some pretty good exhibits. It does not take a long time to see and adds lots of information to a visit to Brooklyn. Some decent places to eat a block away on Montague Street.
Written 30 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ariella
New York City, NY20 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
I went and there seemed to nothing there other than two exhibits and a huge library.
Will not return.
Will not return.
Written 22 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DJES75225
St. Petersburg, FL30 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
This beautiful building which opened in 1881 has been restored with care and the history of Brooklyn is clearly presented in a smart way. It can be toured in an hour. Then walk around the historic and original downtown area of Brooklyn. We were fascinated by the history of slavery and then leadership in abolition in Brooklyn.
Written 8 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sylvia L
New York, New York, United States15 contributions
Jan 2015 • Friends
Start celebrating Black History Month here. Brooklyn is teaming with tons of history from pre-slavery days to free Colored schools and townships to Hip Hop royalty. Abolition history buffs will be thrilled to see the amazing exhibits and speakers lined up here. The current exhibit about abolitionists is a must-see. Last week we heard awesome Black migration stories from Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitzer prize winning author of 'Warmth of Other Suns.' We are set to hear Prof. Henry Louis 'Skip' Gates Jr., on 'Five Centuries of African American History. You will also find clips of TV shows and films set in Brooklyn. The architecture is beautiful inside and out. Great place to buy 'made-in-Brooklyn' gifts too! Who needs Manhattan? Go Brooklyn!
Written 21 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sylvia,
Wow! Thanks so much for the lovely review! Here at BHS we strive to highlight Brooklyn’s diverse history, and we’re so glad you appreciate our efforts. We hope to keep seeing you around, especially this summer, as we continue to host events that examine mixed heritage and Black history here in good ol’ Brooklyn!
Regards,
BHS
Written 2 July 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
drichrx
Brooklyn, NY1,163 contributions
This is a poor excuse of a museum, whose claim to fame is their historic building For $6 they have 3 little rooms and expect you to view old photos on a computer in the library but you must surrender your purse and any jacket to do so. After 5 min we asked for a refund. We enjoyed the free Brooklyn Naval Yard Museum much more and learned more history.
Written 16 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vintagebydesign
New York64 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
Beautiful Historic building in Brooklyn Heights with ground floor exhibit space is currently featuring an exhibit on Ebbitts Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers. It includes stadium seats, tickets, baseball cards and photos. Library and research area upstairs for the historians in the group. The surrounding area of Brooklyn is a treasure in itself,a stroll around the block is a fascinating mix of historic architectural styles in homes, shops and restaurants.
Written 2 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Vintage,
Thanks so much for the fabulous review! We hope you’ve come by again since—we’ve really transformed in the past few years, and we would love to see you again. Thanks for being a part of the BHS community!
Regards,
BHS
Written 2 July 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie K
Washington DC, DC94 contributions
May 2011 • Couples
This museum, housed in a beautiful old mansion in a residential area just off the busy streets of commercial Brooklyn, is a lovely respite from the bustle of the city. Quiet, attractive, and filled with interesting memorabilia from Brooklyn's earliest days, the museum also contains a large library of reference materials. We enjoyed the special exhibit on the Brooklyn Dodgers, complete with seats from the original Ebbets Field. We also enjoyed a room about the history of Brooklyn that included audio information from Brooklynites to complement the visual exhibits.
Written 21 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Stephanie,
Thanks so much for your wonderful and thorough review! We hope you’ve been back since 2011 to see what else we have to offer. If not, hey, come back! Thanks again for the feedback, and for your patronage.
Regards,
BHS
Written 2 July 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bob Q
Brooklyn, NY125 contributions
Oct 2019
I expected to see exhibits chronicling the founding and rise of Brooklyn as a major city in the world. You know, artifacts from Ebbits field, Coney Island, The Battle of Brooklyn. As the cop at the crime scene said, move along, there's nothing to see here.
Except the lovely library. And the building is lovely.
Just call me disappointed.
Except the lovely library. And the building is lovely.
Just call me disappointed.
Written 18 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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