225 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Brooklyn - Atlas Obscura

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

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

Le Boudoir

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

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

Brooklyn Art Library

Leaf through over 30,000 artists' sketchbooks in what may be the world's largest collection of doodles

See All 225 Things to Do in Brooklyn See All 225 Places

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

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

Sponsored by Volkswagen

Brooklyn, New York

New York Transit Museum

Ride the subways of yesteryear.

Bronx, New York

Bronx Zoo Bug Carousel

The first and only carousel with a lineup entirely of insects.

New York, New York

Tannen's Magic Shop

New York's oldest magic store.

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

Coney Island Museum

An oasis of calm amid the chaos of the boardwalk, the museum traces the heritage of this beloved beachside amusement park.

The City of Live Mermaids - Only in Florida

A childhood dream come true on the Gulf Coast is also an ode to roadside Americana and a love letter to Florida’s natural beauty.

Sponsored by Visit Florida

Explore the List

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

Brighton Bazaar

This neighborhood grocery houses a treasure trove of Eastern European delights.

See all 27 places to eat in Brooklyn See all 27 places to eat in Brooklyn

Atlas Obscura Trips

Only in Queens: Tasting Our Way Through New York’s Most Diverse Borough

Community Forums / United States / US: Northeast

Top Discussions in the US: Northeast Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Map of New England Oddities	15 March 29, 2020	8493	March 29, 2020
New England Road Trip	27 February 7, 2020	5693	February 7, 2020
Liederkranz Cheese	10 August 29, 2019	3308	August 29, 2019
Try our NYC culinary scavenger hunt!	4 July 18, 2019	1623	July 18, 2019
Road Trip Creepy/ Cool things to see Traveling from New York to Salem, MA	7 August 18, 2019	2527	August 18, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Brooklyn, New York

Launch Map

Brooklyn Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Brooklyn Activity

briannanicosia wants to go to Coney Art Walls

briannanicosia wants to go to Vinegar Hill

Deirdre Coyle has been to Morbid Anatomy Museum

briannanicosia wants to go to Kingsland Wildflowers

briannanicosia wants to go to Leroy's Place

Stories About Brooklyn

How World War I Turned Soldiers Into Tourists

A new exhibit reveals the wondrous sights service members found away from the trenches.

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

Podcast: Brooklyn Latrine

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

The Gowanus: kinda picturesque, but also terribly polluted since the 19th century.

Brooklyn's Putrid, Beloved Gowanus Canal Has Been a Horror for Centuries

A new $1.5 billion cleanup effort is underway, targeting its "black mayonnaise" of pollutants.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 14, 2021

The Notorious B.I.G. as the "King of New York."

For Sale: Biggie's Crown, and Other Icons of Hip-Hop History

There's lots to intrigue West Coasters, too.

by Matthew Taub

September 9, 2020

The shore of Dead Horse Bay, photographed in 2015, is known for its trash.

New York's Favorite Trash-Strewn Beach Is a Wee Bit Radioactive

The National Park Service has closed a portion of Dead Horse Bay.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 20, 2020

Cities such as San Francisco are full of history—but there's opportunities for discovery everywhere.

How to Dig Into the History of Your City, Town, or Neighborhood

Even a short local walk can hold countless stories.

by Lauren Vespoli

Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.

Lists Featuring Brooklyn