215 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

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.

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Art Library

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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Stories About Brooklyn

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

The History of Race, Performance, and Drag Intersect in a Rare Photo of Thomas Dilward

Dilward performed with all-white minstrel troupes that otherwise excluded black people.

by Sabrina Imbler

February 21, 2020

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