Jane's Carousel

Visit Jane’s Carousel-- a beautiful, antique carousel in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Jane’s Carousel is a true antique. Originally built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel features 48 carved horses. The carousel was originally part of the Idora Park amusement park in Ohio. When the park closed in 1948, the carousel was purchased by Jane and David Walentas.

After 27 years of renovations, the carousel was donated by Jane Walentas as a gift to the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The carousel is housed in a glass pavilion that was designed by the Pritzker-winning architect Jean Nouvel.

The carousel costs $2 a ride and is free for children under the age of 3 who are accompanied by a paying adult.

The carousel is also a great place to host a birthday party, a photo shoot or even a wedding.

The Ed Center at the Brooklyn Bridge Park

The Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85-acre waterfront park that stretches 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline.

The park features a variety of activities, both indoors and outdoors. The Ed Center, part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, is a wonderful place to visit with young children. Open four afternoons a week, the Ed Center is free to visit. 

Hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5pm.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park has a 250-gallon aquarium filled with critters from the East River, a model of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and a reading corner. Special activities include crafts and themes related to the environment and nature.

Visiting The NY Transit Museum

Have you visited the New York Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn?

It’s a wonderful museum for visitors of all ages. Current exhibits include:

17th Annual Holiday Train Show—This train show includes a miniature model of Grand Central Station and miniature subway train sets.

Ticket to Ride is an exhibit that showcases the different tickets, tokens, and passes that were used to pay travel expenses.

Underground Heroes: NY Transit in Comics, an exhibit that explores how NY’s transit system has been featured in comic books.

Special activities are often available, including vintage holiday rides on the Nostalgia Train.

For younger children, there are a variety of hands-on activities in the Discovery Room, making the New York Transit Museum a wonderful place to visit, learn, and explore! 

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Looking for an educational, indoor activity?

Visiting the Brooklyn Children's Museum will help you keep your kids entertained with a variety of hands-on activities.

The children's museum offers a sensory room, a color lab and a large variety of interactive exhibits. Fun and learning are combined in this wonderful museum.

Keep in mind that the Brooklyn Children's Museum is closed on Mondays and offers free admission ("pay what you wish") every Thursday from 2 to 6 pm, and on Sundays from 4 to 7 pm.

Enjoy the museum this winter!

The Polar Bear Plunge

The Polar Bear Plunge took place on New Year’s Day and was a chance for adventurous swimmers to raise money for a good cause.

The 115^th annual Polar Bear Plunge invited swimmers to jump into the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Swimmers raised over $55,000 for the Coney Island community. Money was earmarked towards creating a cleaner and environment and improved quality of life for Coney Island Residents. The Coney Island community is a neighborhood with a high poverty rate that is still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.

Founded in 1903, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States. They swim every Sunday from November through April.

The Lefferts Historic House at Prospect Park

The Lefferts Historic House is a wonderful place to visit this winter. This hands-on educational experience is suitable for all family members.

Located within nearby Prospect Park, the Lefferts Historic House is a NYC designated landmark. Built in 1783 by Pieter Lefferts, the house remained in the family for four generations. It was later relocated from Flatbush Avenue to Prospect Park and opened as a museum.

The Lefferts Historic House operates an interactive children’s museum that includes a working garden, historic artifacts, and exhibits. Visitors can play with traditional games and engage in a range of historic activities such as candle-making and butter churning.

This destination offers an interesting and enriching educational experience.

History of the Kensington Public Library

The Kensington Public Library opened in January 1908 with a collection of only 400 books. In 1912, the library expanded and moved to 771 McDonald Avenue, where it remained for the next 48 years.

 By 1960, the Kensington Library, having outgrown its previous location, moved to Ditmas Avenue. Its renovation garnered national interest because Kensington was the first branch to have air-conditioning and children’s furniture in the children’ section.

In November 2012, the Kensington Library re-opened after additional renovations. The library was designed to be environmentally-friendly and was praised by the Art Commission of New York for its successful integration of green design.

Located in a residential area, the Kensington Library is based on the concept of daylight, and most of the library is bathed with natural light, creating a pleasant environment for readers.