The 6 Hidden Gems of Brooklyn Your Kids Will Love

Add these lesser-known destinations in Brooklyn to your list of must-visit locales.

By Brigitt Earley August 9, 2018

You could take the family to the movies, your favorite pizza joint, or even to Smorgasburg. Or you could do something a little more adventurous—a trip to Coney Island or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, perhaps.

As fun as these activities are, you can only do the same thing so many times. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best family-friendly hidden gems in Brooklyn, New York. These six places are truly spots even the locals don’t know about.

Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store

372 5th Ave., Brooklyn

From capes and spandex to mind readers and truth serum, this unique store has everything your superhero-loving kid needs to rule the world. All proceeds from the store benefit a hidden writing center co-founded by best-selling writer Dave Eggers.

New York Transit Museum

99 Schermerhorn St., Brooklyn

Housed in the abandoned Court Street station, the New York Transit Museum features subway cars dating back to 1916, wooden elevated cars dating back to 1903, old brass subway tokens, and other miscellaneous subway equipment from years past.

Brooklyn Art Library

28 Frost St., Brooklyn

Unlike other art galleries, this unique space in Williamsburg houses crowdsourced artwork from over 40,000 sketchbooks filled by artists around the world. It’s not stuffy. Bring the kids, sign up for a library card, and browse sketchbooks catalogued in themes like “Things Found on Restaurant Napkins.” You can even work on a family sketchbook to add to the ever-growing collection of artwork.

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

97 Commercial St., Brooklyn

The Greenpoint location, which serves as the factory for the better-known Dumbo location, is much quieter than the aforementioned spot, but features the same freshly made, small-batch, old-fashioned ice cream and hot fudge patrons love so much.

Buzz-a-rama

69 Church Ave., Brooklyn

The last slot car store in New York City, this store is the only place you can watch small plastic cars speed around five different tracks. Cars can go over 100 mph, and average about 300 laps in around 40 minutes.

The Mosaic House

108 Wyckoff St., Brooklyn

Sandwiched between nondescript Brooklyn Brownstones is artist Susan Gardner’s unique home. She’s been adding items to the facade of her house for more than a decade. The result? A breathtaking—and quite unusual—mosaic home in the heart of Cobble Hill.