Your Brooklyn Museum Cheat Sheet

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The Brooklyn Museum is a vibrant center for arts and culture. It engages with contemporary issues, showcases diverse collections, and maintains its historic roots as a vital institution in New York City. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, and for 25 years, they’ve hosted First Saturdays — monthly evenings of free programming.

Whether you’re a regular visitor or about to become a digital explorer with Bloomberg Connects, here are ten facts you may not know about the Brooklyn Museum. 

• At 560,000 square feet, the Brooklyn Museum is New York City’s second largest museum.
• It’s located in Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, and sits on Lenapehoking – part of the ancestral homeland of the Lenape (Delaware) people.
• The museum was founded in 1823 by Augustus Graham as the Brooklyn Apprentices’ Library. It was established for the education and cultural enrichment of tradesmen and was the first free library in NYC. In 1843, the Brooklyn Apprentices’ Library merged with the Brooklyn Lyceum and was later renamed the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences to reflect the development of several divisions focused on these topics.
• Needing a center to house all their activities, the Brooklyn Museum building, designed by McKim, Mead & White in the Beaux-Arts style, began construction in 1895 and officially opened to the public in 1897.
• Today, the art collection consists of around 500,000 objects, including African, Asian, European, and Japanese art and antiques spanning over 3,000 years. American Art is heavily featured, as are salvaged architectural pieces displayed in the sculpture garden.
• In 1923, it became the first museum in the United States to exhibit African cast metal and other objects as art rather than artifacts.
• In 2007, The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art opened within the museum. It’s dedicated to showcasing feminist art and hosts Judy Chicago’s iconic installation, “The Dinner Party.”
• OY/YO, the sunny sculpture by Deborah Kass that greets you outside the building was installed in 2018. Hear musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker, David Bryne’s feelings on it in the Brooklyn Museum guide.
• The “Africa Fashion” exhibition, on display from June to October 2023, was the largest-ever presentation on the subject. It featured over 180 works, including pieces from the Museum’s collections, including “Nigeria FESTAC ‘77” and “Skipping Girl.”
• This year (2024), the Brooklyn Museum is turning 200! Anniversary celebrations kick off next month with a Birthday Bash, programming, and events highlighting the best of the borough. Some must-sees at the Brooklyn Museum include “Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps” and “ALONG THE WAY.”

Open the Brooklyn Museum guide on Bloomberg Connects to discover more about this iconic institution.