New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [284]
On the first Saturday of each month the museum throws an extremely popular free evening of art, music, dancing, film screenings, and readings, starting at 5 pm. | 200 Eastern Pkwy., at Washington Ave., Prospect Heights | 11238 | 718/638–5000 | www.brooklynmuseum.org | $10 suggested donation. Combo ticket with Brooklyn Botanic Garden $16 | Wed. and weekends 11–6, Thurs. and Fri. 11–10; 1st Sat. of month 11–11; call for program schedule | Subway: 2, 3 to Eastern Pkwy./Brooklyn Museum.
Central Library.
Across Grand Army Plaza from the park entrance is this sleek, modern temple of learning—the central location of the Brooklyn Public Library. The building resembles an open book, with the entrance at the book’s spine; on the facade, gold-leaf figures celebrate art and science.
Bright limestone walls and perfect proportions make this an impressive 20th-century New York building. Inside, more than 1.5 million books, public programs, and exhibitions in the lobby will keep you busy for at least a few hours. | 10 Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Heights | 11238 | 718/230–2100 | www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org | Mon.–Thurs. 9–9, Fri. and Sat. 10–6, Sun. 1–5 | Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; Q to 7th Ave.
Fodor’s Choice | Prospect Park.
Brooklyn residents are fiercely passionate about Prospect Park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the park was completed in the late 1880s. Olmsted once said that he was prouder of it than of any of his other works—including Manhattan’s Central Park.
A good way to experience the park is to walk along its 3.5-mi circular drive and make detours off it as you wish. The drive is closed to cars at all times except weekday rush hours. Families with children should head straight for the eastern side, where most kids’ attractions are clustered.
The park’s north entrance is at Grand Army Plaza, where the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch honors Civil War veterans. (Look familiar? It’s patterned after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.) Three heroic sculptural groupings adorn the arch: atop, a dynamic four-horse chariot; to either side, the victorious Union Army and Navy of the Civil War. The inner arch has bas-reliefs of presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, sculpted by Thomas Eakins and William O’Donovan, respectively.
To the northwest of the arch, Neptune and a passel of debauched Tritons leer over the edges of the Bailey Fountain. On Saturdays year-round a greenmarket at the plaza sells produce, flowers and plants, cheese, and baked goods to throngs of locals. Other days, you can find a few vendors selling snacks here and at the 9th Street entrance.
If you walk down the park’s west drive from Grand Army Plaza, you’ll first encounter Litchfield Villa (718/965–8951 | Free | Weekdays 9–5), an Italianate hilltop mansion built in 1857 for a prominent railroad magnate. It has housed the park’s headquarters since 1883; visitors are welcome to step inside and view the domed octagonal rotunda.
The Prospect Park Band Shell (718/855–7882 Celebrate Brooklyn Festival | www.bricartsmedia.org) is the home of the annual Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, which from early June through mid-August sponsors free films and concerts that have included Afro-Caribbean jazz, flamenco dance troupes from Spain, David Byrne, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.
Styled after Sansovino’s 16th-century Library at St. Mark’s in Venice, the Prospect Park Audubon Center and Visitor Center at the Boathouse, built in 1904, sits opposite the Lullwater Bridge, creating an idyllic spot for watching pedal boats and wildlife, or just taking a break at the café. Here, learn about nature through interactive exhibits, park tours, and educational programs especially for kids. On a nice day, take a ride on the electric boat to tour the Lullwater and Prospect Lake. You can also sign