The Brooklyn Museum

For most visitors and many residents, New York City is Manhattan. And with all there is in Manhattan, Brooklyn can be easily overlooked. But this borough, the largest of the 5 that make up the city, is a world unto itself with many treasures both large and small. The Brooklyn Museum is one of the largest and most comprehensive art museums in the country. With permanent collections of more than a million objects, its holdings include objects ranging from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art and represent almost every culture. The Museum is housed in a 560,000-square-foot landmark Beaux-Arts building designed by McKim, Mead & White. It is located in central Brooklyn, a half-hour from midtown Manhattan, with its own subway stop. The Brooklyn Museum is set on Eastern Parkway, one block from Grand Army Plaza, in a complex of parks and gardens, conceived in the 19th century, that is also home to Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (with which the Museum shares a parking lot), the Prospect Park Zoo, and the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. In 2004, a $63 million dollar renovation was completed. The museum also has very diverse exhibits atypical for an art museum - I believe this makes it more accessible to a broader audience. Even if you are not an art museum goer, I highly recommend a visit ...