Wikipedia

Brooklyn Children's Museum

The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a children's museum in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City. Founded in 1899, it is the first children's museum in the United States – and according to some, the first one worldwide.[1] It is unusual in its location in what is predominantly a residential area.[2] Housed in a multi-level underground gallery,[3] the museum underwent an expansion and renovation to double its space, reopened on September 20, 2008, and became the first green museum in New York City.

Brooklyn Children's Museum
The facade of the Brooklyn Children's Museum building, which consists of a glass wall at street level and a yellow roof above it. A traffic light is in front of the entrance.
The western side of the museum
Map
Established1899; 125 years ago (1899)
Location145 Brooklyn Avenue, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Coordinates40°40′28″N 73°56′38″W / 40.67448°N 73.9439°W / 40.67448; -73.9439
Public transit accessSubway:
Kingston Avenue "3" train
Kingston-Throop Avenues "C" train
Bus:
B43, B44, B65
WebsiteOfficial website

Exhibits

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The museum's collection and exhibitions reflect its long history as well as the changes in children's educational needs over time and the changing environment.[2] Its original focus was the presentation of natural science to children raised in an urban environment, but following World War II, technology and cultural awareness became more important.[3] The underground gallery in which the museum was located following a 1975 move provided the ideal location for arranging evolving exhibits.[4] The museum was not intended to solely attract the interest of a young audience, but rather to engage their minds from a young age.[5] Children contribute extensively in the planning of museum exhibits, and have done so for a significant part of its history.[6][7]

History

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Original museum

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The Museum was founded following a proposal from the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the Brooklyn Museum) on December 16, 1899, in the Adams House.[5] The museum operated under the direction of the Brooklyn Institute and received approximately $70,000 in funds from New York City each year to supplement the donations it received. Attendance grew quickly, with monthly visitation exceeding 13,000 by October 1905.[5]

In 1929, the museum opened the Smith House annex.[8] In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration supplied hundreds of workers to the museum, which thrived in the Great Depression.[9] Among these workers was Ellis Credle, who painted murals before her career as an author began.[10] By October 1930, monthly visitation had reached 60,000[11] and by 1939, the museum had received move than 9 million visitors since it opened 40 years prior.[1] In 1968 the Brooklyn Children's Museum opened MUSE, the Bedford Lincoln Neighborhood Museum.[12]

Brower Park space

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In 1975, the museum moved to a new space, housed underneath Brower Park at St Mark's and Brooklyn Avenues, following the demolition of the Victorian houses that served as its prior home.[3] In 1996, the museum was once again renovated at a cost of $7 million to include miniature amphitheaters and a number of new galleries.[13] Two years later, it became a part of Heart of Brooklyn, a cultural partnership established to promote tourism to Brooklyn.[14]

In 2005, it was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.[15][16] In the same year, work began on the $43 million expansion that was to nearly double the size of the museum,[17] and handle more than 400,000 visitors each year.[18] As part of its commitment to environmental integrity and energy efficiency, the institution has taken credit for being the first New York City museum to use geothermal wells for heating and cooling purposes.[19]

A section of the museum's building was converted into space for the Brower Park branch of Brooklyn Public Library, as part of a wider partnership between the museum and the library system. It opened in July 2023.[20] Gans and Company was hired to design another renovation of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which commenced in August 2024 at a cost of $15 million.[21][22] The renovation was planned to include a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) courtyard, as well as a new retaining wall along Brower Park, and was to be completed in 2025.[22][23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Laboratories of Patriotism". Time. January 23, 1939. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Rangel, Jesus (November 29, 1987). "A Children's Museum Adjusts to a New Brooklyn". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Yarrow, Andrew L. (October 13, 1989). "New Children's Museum Joins 2 Old Favorites". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  4. ^ "Lifestyle: Sunday Outing; Museum Is 90, but Young at Heart". The New York Times. July 8, 1990. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "The Brooklyn Children's Museum Does Its Work". The New York Times. November 12, 1905. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  6. ^ Brenner, Anita (October 4, 1942). "A Museum Run for and by Children; Youngsters don't do all the work around the Brooklyn Children's Museum, but they do a lot, and like it. Here is how the plan works out. A Museum Run for and by Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  7. ^ "Curators Sought; Brooklyn Children's Museum to Give Students Try Outs". The New York Times. February 22, 1962. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "Dolls Added to Collection Showing Foreign Costumes". The Standard Union. November 11, 1929. p. 4. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  9. ^ Denslow (January 8, 1939). "Children Like Their Museums". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Haycraft, Howard (1951). The junior book of authors. Wilson. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  11. ^ "Brooklyn's Children's Museum Wins Patrons With After-School Games in the Sciences; A Popular Loan Service". The New York Times. December 7, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Knox, Sanka (May 28, 1968). "Museum Beckons: 'Please Do Touch'; Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth Get New Place to Learn". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Louie, Elaine (May 30, 1996). "Currents;Lively Learning at the Renovated Brooklyn Children's Museum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Watson, Simon (September 1, 2001). "Heart of Brooklyn". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  15. ^ Roberts, Sam (July 6, 2005). "City Groups Get Bloomberg Gift of $20 Million". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "Carnegie Corporation of New York Announces Twenty Million Dollars in New York City Grants". Carnegie Corporation of New York. July 5, 2005. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
  17. ^ "Children's Museum Marks Construction Progress of $43m Expansion". New York Beacon. November 9, 2005. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  18. ^ "Brooklyn Children's Museum Begins Expansion". New York Amsterdam News. January 5, 2005. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  19. ^ Watts, Victoria (September 23, 2008). "Viñoly completes Brooklyn museum extension". BD Online. Archived from the original on October 3, 2008. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
  20. ^ Rahhal, Emily (July 20, 2023). "Brower Library Opens At Brooklyn Children's Museum". Prospect Heights-Crown Heights, NY Patch. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  21. ^ Klein, Kristine (August 15, 2024). "Gans and Company unveils design for new outdoor space at Brooklyn Children's Museum". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Ginsburg, Aaron (August 14, 2024). "Brooklyn Children's Museum begins $15 million garden makeover". 6sqft. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  23. ^ "Brooklyn Children's Museum breaks ground on $15 million garden renovation project". Brooklyn Paper. August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
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