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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Brooklyn

229 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Brooklyn, New York

Updated March 17, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store

The one-stop shop for all of your superhero (or evil arch-nemesis) needs.

Brooklyn, New York

New York Transit Museum

Ride the subways of yesteryear.

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Sniff the Titan Arum's rotting flesh.

Brooklyn, New York

Le Boudoir

Just your average Marie Antoinette–themed speakeasy in an abandoned 19th-century subway tunnel.

Brooklyn, New York

Sunshine Laundromat

One of New York's best collections of pinball is hidden in a secret bar in the back of this laundromat.

Brooklyn, New York

House of Wax

Tucked in a nondescript downtown Brooklyn mall is a bar containing a remarkable turn of the century anatomical wax collection last seen in 1920s Berlin.

Brooklyn, New York

Robotic Church

This former Norwegian sailor's church is slowly being taken over by ramshackle robot musicians.

Brooklyn, New York

City Reliquary

Behind a bodega is a small museum of relics and ephemera showcasing the history of New York.
See All 229 Things To Do in Brooklyn

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, New York

Le Boudoir

Just your average Marie Antoinette–themed speakeasy in an abandoned 19th-century subway tunnel.

Brooklyn, New York

Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

“Invented in Key West, Perfected in Brooklyn."

Brooklyn, New York

Bellocq Tea

A charming "tea atelier" hidden away in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

The factory for the popular Dumbo location, the Greenpoint shop is a quiet gem.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Brooklyn
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Resilience of New York in 10 Remarkable Sites

New York has been described as a playground for the rich and powerful, but the state's history is full of ordinary people who have overcome extraordinary struggles. What if Seneca Falls, the village that launched the fight for women's suffrage, were as famous as Niagara Falls? What if Weeksville, the historic free Black community in Brooklyn, were as well-known as Williamsburg? From immigrant sanctuaries to the Survivor Tree, here are sites where New York has shown its resilience. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary

Explore Brooklyn, New York

Shops 26
Architectural Oddities 23
Cemeteries 21
Ecosystems 16
Intriguing Environs 15
Art 15
Nature 14
Unique Restaurants & Bars 13
Ruins 12
Natural Wonders 11
History 10
Subways 10
Places To Stay 2

Brooklyn Leaderboard

Places Added

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    23
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    21
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    Mordy
    15
  4. Avatar image for Luke J Spencer
    Luke J Spencer
    15
  5. Avatar image for Oliver Hong
    Oliver Hong
    11

Places Edited

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    Martin
    44
  2. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    35
  3. Avatar image for lampbane
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    29
  4. Avatar image for Gerard Nolan
    Gerard Nolan
    23
  5. Avatar image for Anna Minster
    Anna Minster
    20

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for zevmark25
    zevmark25
    209
  2. Avatar image for wanderjon
    wanderjon
    189
  3. Avatar image for Anna Minster
    Anna Minster
    188
  4. J
    jennysgreatapt
    156
  5. Avatar image for andycarlos
    andycarlos
    154

Recent Brooklyn Activity

  • B

    bradcorradi

    wants to go to New York Transit Museum

  • A

    ameliastebbingg

    wants to go to The Grundhauser Hero Lending Library

  • A

    ameliastebbingg

    wants to go to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

  • A

    ameliastebbingg

    wants to go to Newtown Creek Nature Walk

  • A

    ameliastebbingg

    wants to go to Kingsland Wildflowers

Stories About Brooklyn

Podcast: Newtown Creek Nature Walk

One man in Brooklyn—armed with a homemade boat and an artistic vision—helped transform one of America's most polluted industrial waterways.
by The Podcast Team
February 21, 2023

Podcast: Duke Riley and the Poly S. Tyrene Maritime Museum

We meet an artist who has turned trash into a medium—and an indictment.
by The Podcast Team
December 14, 2022

Shake Up Your Cocktails with Miso and MSG

There's a long history of savory, surprising mixed drinks.
by Diana Hubbell
November 7, 2022

Podcast: Broken Angel

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
September 27, 2022

Podcast: Parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
September 5, 2022

How World War I Turned Soldiers Into Tourists

A new exhibit reveals the wondrous sights service members found away from the trenches.
by April White
November 8, 2021

Podcast: The Spritz Cookie Gravestone

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
October 11, 2021

Podcast: The White Squirrel of Prospect Park

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 12, 2021

Lists Featuring Brooklyn

The Geographic Center of NYC is located on a traffic meridian on Queens Boulevard.
Vale of Cashmere.
Underneath the entrance to the nature walk is a small separate garden (Michelle Enemark CC Attribution Share Alike)

30 Unexpected Places to Have a Joyful Adventure in New York City

Sponsored by Volkswagen
30

Including Geographic Center of New York City, Vale of Cashmere, and Marie's Crisis

Phyllis Diller
Detail of the Texaco map terrazzo mosaic tile floor of the New York State Pavilion (Tent of Tomorrow), 2009

18 Places to Discover Innovation in Roosevelt Island and NYC

Sponsored by Graduate Hotels
18

Including Holographic Studios Inc., Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and Patent Pending

Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
View from the pier

11 Surprisingly Romantic Places in New York City

We heart New York on Valentine's Day.

11

Including Albertine, Deno's Wonder Wheel, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden

The outside of The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company.

21 Cool and Unusual Kid-Friendly Places in New York City

Hidden gems to earn you major parent brownie points.

21

Including Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store, 767 Third Avenue, and Tannen's Magic Shop

Overlooking New York Harbor.
Gravestone at Trinity Churchyard.
The New York Marble Cemetery.

Unique Cemeteries in New York

Famous and historic graveyards to visit in the five boroughs.

14

Including Green-Wood Cemetery, Trinity Churchyard, and First Shearith Israel Graveyard

(Flickr/andreakw)
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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