10 Weird and Wonderful Hidden Gems in Brooklyn

One of the things we love most about life here in Brooklyn is that it attracts people from all walks of life. With so many drastically different personalities comes varied interests, some that push past the edges of mainstream culture.

As Brooklyn real estate agents, we’re always on our feet exploring Brooklyn’s residential neighborhoods, including the weird and wonderful. If your curiosity tends to wander off the beaten path too, or you simply want to see Brooklyn from a new angle, these hidden gems are worth exploring.

1. Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

Cypress Hills

Calling all bubble fans—this museum is for you! Their mission? “Preserving and promoting the effervescent history of seltzer water.” The museum is located within NYC’s oldest, family-run seltzer business so you get both a museum and factory tour where you’ll learn about the business and cultural history.

Not local to NYC? No problem, you can take their virtual tour.

Brooklyn Seltzer Museum
474 Hemlock Street
Brooklyn, NY 11208

2. New York Sign Museum

East New York

Since 2019, the New York Sign Museum has been the place to go for anyone passionate about advertising, signage or NYC history. See what goes into making a sign and learn the importance of signage to small businesses.

We love that the museum team is made up of industry professionals who provide sign de-installations at no cost to building or business owners in an effort to preserve old signs.

The museum is next door to Noble Signs, which you can also visit by appointment to get an insider look at their sign-making process and manufacturing shop.

New York Sign Museum
2465 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11207

3. Bone Museum

East Williamsburg

Sure, you could head to the Catacombs of Paris or the Czech Bone Church to see centuries-old skeletal displays, but Brooklyn is also home to its own fascinating Bone Museum and it’s much closer! You’ll find more than 150 skulls, a large spine collection and even some full skeletons. Learn about medical bone trade, pathology and what happens to bones as we age.

In case you’re wondering where these macabre specimens come from, many belonged to former medical students and doctors. Until 1985, medical school students were actually required or strongly encouraged to purchase their own human bones.

Bone Museum
255 McKibbin Street, Studio 0014
Brooklyn, NY 11206

4. New York Transit Museum

Brooklyn Heights

Perhaps the coolest part of the New York Transit Museum is that it’s housed in a decommissioned subway station dating back to 1936. Spanning nearly an entire city block, the museum features a vast selection of vintage subway cars that you can explore and walk through.

Depending on the exhibit, you’ll also discover the history of NYC’s public transit through photographs, ephemera, video, and trolley and work car scale models.

New York Transit Museum
99 Schermerhorn Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

5. Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD)

Dumbo

Whether you consider yourself a foodie, an amateur cook, or someone curious about cuisine, this one-room museum should satisfy your hunger. Depending on when you visit, you might find an exhibit where you can taste different flavors, smell familiar food scents, learn about dim sum or even see how taste affects your brainwaves.

They also host a number of food-related events celebrating diverse cultural cuisines, which you can keep up with on their Instagram.

MOFAD
55 Water Street, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

6. The City Reliquary

Williamsburg

What began as a window display in front of founder Dave Herman’s apartment has grown into a permanent two-room museum of NYC artifacts, rotating community exhibits and eclectic cultural events throughout the year such as Miss Subways, Liberty Costume Contest and the Panorama Challenge.

You’ll find a variety of New York postcards, subway tokens, vintage subway tiles, old gum packets, seltzer bottles, coffee cups, terracotta pieces of landmark buildings and so much more.

The City Reliquary
370 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211

7. House of Wax

Downtown Brooklyn

An homage to the touring wax attractions of the 1800s, this eerie little bar is part of Alamo Drafthouse, where you can catch a movie, and located in the same building as DeKalb Market Hall, where you can grab a bite to eat.

Pass through the iconic hexagon carpet from The Shining and enter the hall of horrors where you’ll find more than 100 wax figures including anatomical models, death masks and depictions of diseased body parts curated by Ryan Matthew Cohn (of Oddities fame).

House of Wax
445 Albee Square West, Suite 4410
Brooklyn, NY 11201

8. Coney Island Museum

Coney Island

This quirky museum celebrates NYC’s century-old amusement district in all its glory, along with the industry itself. You’ll find memorabilia, historical films and photographs, old rides and displays, and knowledgeable guides who can bring it all to life.

Coney Island Museum
1208 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224

9. Sideshow by the Seashore

Coney Island

If you’ve ventured to Coney Island to see the Coney Island Museum, step right up—because you’ll find this sideshow at the same location. The last permanent, traditional sideshow in the country, the performance takes place in a small theatre where you might catch a sword swallower, fire performer, mime, contortionist or juggler, among other daring circus acts. Check the website for showtimes.

Seashore Theater
1208 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224

10. Red Hook Pinball Museum

Red Hook

Started by two pinball enthusiast friends, Wesley Michalski and Kevin Murray, who restore the machines, this museum had been on Van Brunt Street but is currently doing pop-ups with a new home TBD. Admire and play vintage pinball machines—some from the 1880s!—and take part in one of the many parties or tournaments they host. We really love the vintage vibe of their website too.

Red Hook Pinball Museum
Location TBD

From vintage subway cars to skull collections, seltzer factories to sideshow stages, Brooklyn is always keeping itself weird, thankfully. These hidden gems invite you to discover new stories and experience NYC in ways that most visitors (and even some locals) miss.

Whether you’re a longtime Brooklynite or just beginning your journey here, embracing the offbeat is one of the best ways to feel the true spirit of our borough. Check out some of our previous posts to explore some Brooklyn architectural marvels, offbeat attractions of Park Slope or Brooklyn green spaces.