Center for Brooklyn History

The Center for Brooklyn History occupies a red brick Romanesque Revival building on Pierrepont Street with terra cotta trim and carved stone figures decorating the facade. The structure contains multiple floors of reading rooms and research spaces organized to help visitors navigate through Brooklyn's documented past.

The institution started in 1863 as the Long Island Historical Society, collecting materials about the region since its early days. A major merger with Brooklyn Public Library in 2020 broadened access to its extensive archives and reading materials for everyone.

The Othmer Library reading room reflects Brooklyn's diverse population through documents about the communities that have lived and worked here over generations. You can see how different groups shaped neighborhoods and contributed to the borough's development in your own way.

The center opens weekdays from 10 AM to 6 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, with wheelchair access available on the right side of the building. Plan ahead by contacting the staff about what materials you want to study, since some items need advance notice to be pulled from storage.

The center houses recorded interviews where Brooklyn residents speak directly about their personal experiences watching neighborhoods change and develop over time. These oral histories capture stories and details that written documents often miss.

Location: Brooklyn

Inception: 1863

Part of: Brooklyn Public Library

Website: https://bklynlibrary.org/center-for-brooklyn-history

GPS coordinates: 40.69476,-73.99279

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:10