Things to do in Kings County

Opening night at the Barclays Center was headlined by Jay-Z. The site is one of New York City’s biggest venues. In addition to hosting music superstars, the stadium is home for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the NHL’s New York Islanders, who share stadium space during the winter season. Located in a thriving part of Brooklyn, the arena provides a big-concert or big-game feeling without leaving the city. Plan a visit to the Barclays Center to have dinner at a tiny restaurant and enjoy the evening with the almost 20,000 other people who descend on the center.

Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Prospect Park is one of many attractions that has made Brooklyn a highly desirable place to live. It is surrounded by the Brooklyn Museum and several restaurant districts, and is a welcome retreat from the busy city. Take a slow walk through one of the scenic walkways. Stay long enough for the romantic streetlights to come on and cast a romantic glow during your walk.

Join walkers, runners and sightseers on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Stroll along the East River and look out on stunning vistas of the Manhattan skyline across the water. Grandiose townhouses and mansions line the promenade.

Discover the diverse artistic heritage of cultures from around the world at the Brooklyn Museum, a landmark institution dating back to 1897. A series of permanent exhibitions and exciting temporary displays are spread across the museum’s sprawling 560,000 square feet (52,000 square meters). With an art collection comprised of 1.5 million works, Brooklyn Museum’s thought-provoking exhibits feature an amazing array of art.

Once an industrial wasteland, the Brooklyn waterfront today is home to the grassy Brooklyn Bridge Park. Running 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) along the East River bank, the park encompasses six piers and passes under the Brooklyn and the Manhattan bridges.

Plants from near and far are brought together in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a horticultural haven in Prospect Park. Founded in 1910, the garden features heritage landscaping and architecture across its 52-acre (21-hectare) estate. Make a journey around the globe and peer into the waters of a Japanese pond flecked with cherry blossoms or follow a boardwalk through the native woodland habitat of the New York region.