Brooklyn’s art scene has historically developed outside the commercial gallery infrastructure that dominates Manhattan’s Chelsea and SoHo. The borough’s arts culture grew from artist communities in Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Fort Greene who developed exhibition and performance spaces that operated on different economic terms — often free or pay-what-you-can — because the work required audiences rather than buyers.
Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays
The Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month from 5 to 11pm. The museum is the second-largest art museum in New York City — the Egyptian collection (including reconstructed tomb chambers and an extensive mummy collection), the American art wing, the Judith and Rochelle Rubin Gallery for feminist art, and the rotating special exhibitions are all included. The First Saturday programming typically includes live music, dancing, and special evening programming that makes the museum a social event as well as a cultural one.
BRIC Arts Media: Free Cultural Programming
BRIC at 647 Fulton Street in the former Strand theater in Fort Greene is Brooklyn’s primary multi-disciplinary arts center. The programming spans free and low-cost concerts, film screenings, theater performances, and visual art exhibitions. The BRIC House gallery is free to visit. The Contemporary Art exhibitions rotate throughout the year with work by emerging and mid-career artists from Brooklyn and beyond. The Celebrate Brooklyn! outdoor concert series in Prospect Park, presented by BRIC, offers free concerts throughout the summer.
Bushwick Collective: The Outdoor Gallery
The Bushwick Collective murals are accessible any time of day, always free, and continuously changing as new murals are added and old ones are replaced. The primary concentration is on Troutman Street and Jefferson Avenue near the Jefferson Street L train stop. Walking the main mural circuit takes 45-60 minutes. Bushwick Open Studios in late April or early May opens individual artist studios throughout the neighborhood — free admission to hundreds of spaces for one weekend annually.
Gallery Districts: Free by Default
Brooklyn’s commercial gallery scene is concentrated in several neighborhoods and is, like Chelsea in Manhattan, free to enter. Williamsburg galleries are scattered through the neighborhood with no specific district concentration. DUMBO has a gallery presence in the Empire Stores and surrounding buildings. Greenpoint has emerging gallery spaces along Manhattan Avenue and the side streets. Gallery openings on Thursday evenings follow the Manhattan pattern and include free wine and the chance to see new work in a social context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Brooklyn Museum free?
The Brooklyn Museum offers free admission on the first Saturday of each month from 5 to 11pm. Regular admission is pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents ($0 if you choose). Suggested admission for visitors is $20. Special exhibitions sometimes have separate ticket requirements.
What is the BRIC arts center?
BRIC at 647 Fulton Street in Fort Greene is Brooklyn’s primary multi-disciplinary arts center — presenting free and low-cost music, theater, film, and visual art in a converted theater space. Much of the programming is free. Check bricartsmedia.org for the current schedule.
Where is the best street art in Brooklyn?
The Bushwick Collective murals on Troutman Street and Jefferson Avenue near the Jefferson Street L train stop are the most concentrated and significant. Williamsburg has murals throughout the neighborhood. DUMBO has several notable large-scale works on the warehouse walls near the waterfront.
Is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden free?
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden charges general admission ($22 for adults). Free admission is offered on select days — check bbg.org for current free days, which typically include certain weekday mornings and special event days. The Cherry Blossom season in late April draws enormous crowds regardless of admission.
Also see: our free Brooklyn activities guide
Also see: our Brooklyn on $50 a day guide
