PROSPECT PARK
By the same designers as Central Park but much larger and less crowded, Prospect Park provides scenic beauty for relaxation, recreation and culture. Explore a gracious meadow, an immense lake, a lush native forest and tons of attractions for all ages. Printable maps availble at the informative Prospect Park Alliance website.
Also see our guide to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the rest of Brooklyn.
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PLAY
J.J. Byrne Playground & Old Stone House
Enjoy lots of modern climbing equipment juxtaposed with colonial themes inspired by the adjacent Old Stone House, site of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. Explore a submarine periscope and interactive panels depicting the historic battle among natural stone and rustic pavement, then attack your enemies with water cannons. A gated toddler area features bucket swings,…
Zucker Natural Exploration Area
Strategically placed branches and stumps of trees damaged by storms and other materials from within Prospect Park invite engagement nature and unstructured play in this magical playground. several areas to explore including sand for digging and water features for pumping and splashing.
LeFrak Center Ice Skating
Skate in a half-covered/half-open lakeside rink in Prospect Park.
* Olympic figure-skating athletes Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov direct the Sports Programs for Lakeside’s growing Skate School which offers learn-to-Skate and Learn-to-Play-Hockey classes for all ages.
🔓 Lockers available for rent ($3-$8, 2-hour time limit).
🍽 Light fare and drinks available for takeaway at rinkside…
Prospect Park Carousel Opening Day
Take your first ride of spring on Prospect Park Alliance’s historic Carousel. 53 magnificent horses ride alongside a lion, a giraffe, a deer and two dragon-pulled chariots in a charming carousel built in 1912. One of the only wheelchair accessible carousels in the nation.
Snacks available at the Pony Express Snack Bar.
In the park’s…
Spring Break in Prospect Park
Join the Prospect Park Alliance during Spring Break for family-friendly activities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center and the Carousel.
Pick up Discovery Packs, a ready-to-go kits filled with nature activities for families. At 2 pm, join Alliance Naturalists to learn more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. At 3 pm, join a…
NATURE
Prospect Park Zoo
This former menagerie is designed to allow up-close animal viewing, perfect for families with young children who want to learn about wildlife.
Explore a Discovery Trail and encounter 400 animals of 150 species including red pandas, dingos, procupines and a host of beautiful birds. Visit unique small cats, sea lions and Chinese-big headed turtles.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Explore a 52-acre urban botanic garden with a variety of plants and habitats.
* Don’t miss the lovely Japanese Garden’s pond, home to turtles, carp, ducks and its small Shinto shrine guarded by two stone fox statues (and gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring).
* Download a kids field journal and see tips for visiting with kids. The one-acre friendly Discovery Garden features an elevated boardwalk, an “insect hotel,” hosting leaf-cutter bees, praying mantises, and termites and tall native grasses and flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.
* Join weekly interactive programs for all ages.
🍽 Enjoy casual entreés at the seasonal outdoor eatery Yellow Magnolia Canteen or sandwiches, snacks, and drinks at the Coffee Bar at the Visitor Center, with socially distanced outdoor seating for either option.
🌳 Near Brooklyn Museum and happening Prospect Park.
Spring Break in Prospect Park
Join the Prospect Park Alliance during Spring Break for family-friendly activities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center and the Carousel.
Pick up Discovery Packs, a ready-to-go kits filled with nature activities for families. At 2 pm, join Alliance Naturalists to learn more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. At 3 pm, join a family bird walk. Ride the Park’s beloved 1912 carousel ($3/ride).
Family Discovery Days at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Experiment, learn, and play at hands-on activity stations throughout the Discovery Garden that encourage families to explore science and nature together. Pot up a plant or create a nature craft to take home alongside volunteer Discovery Docents.
Drop-in program for families with children of all ages. Free with Garden admission.
All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather. Check the website for updates.
See our guide to Brooklyn Botanic Garden & Prospect Park.
CULTURE
Esencial
Acclaimed Spanish cirque company Vaivén Circo invites young minds to join them on an adventure of imagination. Five performers leap, dive, dance, and juggle through a puzzle-like world of pillars and arches that constantly unfolds into new possibilities. With infectious energy and humor, they use world-class acrobatics to create a mesmerizing story of collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Also at 2 pm
Sensory-Friendly Performance on Sunday, March 26 at 2pm
Matilda
See 1996 (non-musical) film adaptation of a Roald Dahl work with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman on teh big screen. Matilda Wormwood, a gifted girl is forced to put up with a crude, distant father and mother, and Agatha Trunchbull, the evil principal at Matilda’s school. However, when Matilda realizes she has the power of telekinesis, she begins to defend her friends from Trunchbull’s wrath and fight back against her unkind parents.
Holi Concert & Celebration
Join Mixed Masala and BKCM in celebrating Holi at a music-filled outdoor event.
The celebration begins at 3pm with live music performed by Neel Murgai and Tripp Dudley at a designated picnicking area in Long Meadow, near Grand Army Plaza. Later on, the music will change its tune and everyone can join in the traditional color throwing celebration with colored powder.
Ice Theatre of New York Pop Up Concerts
Ice Theatre of New York presents a free ice dance show and a one-hour Pre-Olympic skating clinic taught by ITNY teaching professionals and junior apprentices. The age-appropriate works performed include both repertory and new works performed by ITNY professional ensemble members, young apprentice performers ages 6-16, and guest artists.
See our guide to LeFrak Center Ice Skating.
Get Up, Stand Up!
At 1 pm, join a dynamic workshop that gets the whole family involved, happening right before the 2 pm Get Up, Stand Up! performance.
Isaac Sawyer—a one-person hip-hop extravaganza—welcomes families to an joyful interactive concert as he beatboxes, raps, and engages kids in the art of freestyle and improvised rap. Glide and groove with Isaac as he magically transforms beats and rhymes, spontaneously bringing them to life.
First Saturday: Rhymes with Brooklyn
Enjoy engaging and eclectic free art and entertainment for all ages the first Saturday of the month at Brooklyn Museum. Celebrate National Poetry Month and the fiftieth anniversary of hip-hop with a lineup of poets and artists who activate language’s power to connect and express. Join all-ages music, poetry, dance, art projects and more.
Free, but advance registration is required. Purchase separate tickets to Thierry Mugler: Couturissime for $25.
Little Red Riding Hood
The classic fairy tale is brought to life with hand puppets at intimate Puppetworks. Advance reservations recommended.
Strollers must be left on the porch outside (camera monitored).
Also at 2:30 pm.
Spoons Toons All Ages ROCKS!
Introduce your favorite childhood cartoons to the next generation (or have them share theirs with us!) and enjoy an afternoon of music-themed animated entertainment and unlimited cereal.
This interactive cartoon watch party brings music-themed episodes of animated fun for any age group with a menu of over 200 cartoons from 1940 to 2020/ Kids and parents can compete in silly Double Dare-style challenges + cartoon trivia games anyone can play. Winners get prizes and to decide what cartoons the audience watches.
Help yourself to a free Cereal Bar stocked with delicious flakes and puffs, plus cereal-infused cocktails for the adults who want to imbibe.
Presented and hosted by SecretFormula’s cartoon and cereal experts Michael Austin and Nell Casey.
EAT
Lincoln Station
Choose from sandwiches, soups, and salads, rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese, lasagne and more tasty food plus beer, wine, house-made pastries and La Colombe coffee. Counter service with lots of seating in a cozy spot with exposed brick and cool art. Across the street from the Brooklyn Museum.
Ample Hills Creamery
Smorgasburg In Prospect Park
Spend your Sundays noshing at the largest weekly open-air food market in America featuring 35 local vendors—including Parantha Alley and Vaquero Elotes—and a full bar. At what the New York Times calls “The Woodstock of Eating,” try Amazeballs meatballs by NFL player Derrell Smith, egg sandwiches based on Japanese tamagoyaki, Fluffies’ thick soufflé pancakes. Portuguese…
Smorgasburg Season Finale: Halloween
Join the last week of this legendary open-air food market of the season and celebrate Halloween with festive drinks, spooky celebrations and a doggie costume contest. Grab some Halloween mini donuts from Bite Brooklyn.
See guide to Prospect Park for more family fun.
Hello Spring
Decorate beautiful eggs, eat Colomba and chocolate eggs, delicious sweets of Italian Easter Tradition and shop for beautiful books. Includes delicious Italian refreshments for children and adults, Eggs Lab with Artist and Illustrator Costanza Musumeci, collective Art Project for children, tenderness and fun.
Spoons Toons All Ages ROCKS!
Introduce your favorite childhood cartoons to the next generation (or have them share theirs with us!) and enjoy an afternoon of music-themed animated entertainment and unlimited cereal.
This interactive cartoon watch party brings music-themed episodes of animated fun for any age group with a menu of over 200 cartoons from 1940 to 2020/ Kids and…