Top 20 Things To Do In Williamsburg, New York City

1. Taste sample beers at Brooklyn Brewery

Brooklyn Brewery has been welcoming visitors from all corners of the globe. Thanks to Brooklyn Brewery, the bars not just in New York City but beyond serve the very popular Brooklyn Lager and other iconic brews. Stop by the Tasting Room, enjoy a few beers, good food, music, and other surprises. Be a part of the Small Batch Tour and know more about one of the largest and best-known craft breweries in the world. Also, there are specialty and technical tours, where you can learn about the art of brewing.

Brooklyn Brewery

Address: 79 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: Brooklyn Brewery

Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 5pm - 11pm; Fri: 2pm - 12am; Sat: 12pm - 12am; Sun: 12pm - 8am

2. Take your kids to go swimming at McCarren Park

Whether you are looking for a picnic spot or want to spend time reading a book, McCarren Park can be a fantastic option. Originally known as Greenpoint Park, it is a very popular venue for soccer, kickball, baseball, handball, bocce, football, basketball, and tennis. There are tournaments organized here quite often. Visitors also come here for running, dog-walking, and sunbathing. On Saturdays, there is also the Greenmarket. Further, this 35-acre (14-hectare) of property is also home to McCarren Pool and Play Center. The swimming pool is very popular and you will often see a long queue waiting outside the swimming pool area.

McCarren Park

Address: 776 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States

Website: McCarren Park

Opening hours: 6am - 1pm (daily)

Price: Entry free

3. Plan a barbecue night at East River State Park

Fondly called Williamsburg Waterfront, East River State Park is an excellent place to soak up the most breath-taking views of Manhattan. Head to this 7-acre (3-hectare) park placed along East River, where you will find different types of recreational activities. It features a pleasing play area, a big dog park, and an outdoor market. Seat yourself on any of the park benches and enjoy the breeze. You can even enjoy free concerts during the summer. If you are foodie, then relish the mouth-watering food at the weekly food festival and if you are cook, then you can plan a leisurely barbecue party with your family or friends. Take the East River ferry if you wish to explore more of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

East River State Park

Address: 90 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: East River State Park

Opening hours: 9am - 9pm (daily)

Price: Entry free

4. Walk your dogs at Domino Park

Well-loved as one of the finest waterfront parks in New York City, Domino Park is undeniably a must-see spot when in Williamsburg. The place where the extremely famed Domino Sugar Refinery was previously located was reinstated as this wonderful park as a homage to the workers. It features an amazing range of amenities like a big splash pad, a playground that even the oldest member of your family would love, fabulous views of the Manhattan skyline, a great restaurant, and a lot more. The park even has a Dog Run area, where you can walk your furry friends without any hassles.

Domino Park

Address: 300 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: Domino Park

Opening hours: 6am - 1pm (daily)

5. Browse through New York City artifacts at The City Reliquary Museum

Often referred to as “the weird museum”, The City Reliquary Museum is a not-for-profit community museum. The journey of this museum started at founder Dave Herman’s Williamsburg apartment, who very thoughtfully adorned this eclectic museum. Press the button outside the building and you will hear narration in Dave’s voice. Through a beautiful display of community-related collections, New York City artifacts, rotating exhibits, and annual cultural events, the place connects its visitors to both the present and past of New York, ensuring that the visitors always have something fresh to see.

The City Reliquary Museum

Address: 370 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: The City Reliquary Museum

Opening hours: Thu - Sun: 12pm - 6pm (closed from Mon - Wed)

Price: From 5 USD

6. Pay a visit to Domino Sugar Refinery

One of the architectural icons of New York City, the Domino Sugar Refinery was once the most productive sugar refineries in the world. After several years, the ruins of this place were transformed into a 6-acre (2-hectare) public park, as a tribute to the Domino workers and their families. This marvelously designed park features an elevated walkway, a playground, fountain with seating steps, a fog bridge, beach volleyball, flex field, and a lot more. Relish delicious Mexican flavors and drinks at their popular restaurant called Tacocina. Pieces of the refinery’s equipment are also a part of the park’s landscape.

Domino Sugar Refinery

Address: 300 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: Domino Sugar Refinery

Opening hours: 6am - 1am (daily)

7. Buy handmade items and vintage clothing at Artists & Fleas Williamsburg

Artists & Fleas Williamsburg is placed in a spacious warehouse with a very neat and inviting setting. A weekend-specific indoor market, you will see very organized rows of vendors who sell extremely high-quality vintage clothing, handcrafted art, and crafts items. With the presence of more than 75 sellers, this place has immense popularity amongst entrepreneurs, shopaholics, and trend-spotters. Its located in the heart of Williamsburg and is a very popular place to pick up gifts for your loved ones back home.

Artists & Fleas Williamsburg

Address: 70 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: Artists & Fleas Williamsburg

Opening hours: Sat - Sun: 10am - 7pm (closed from Mon - Fri)

8. Learn about healthy food and drinks at Museum of Food and Drink Lab

Featuring edible and aromatic exhibits, Museum of Food and Drink Lab is an extremely creative space, where you can touch, smell, and taste the exhibits. The first of its kind in New York, this innovative place aims to culminate curiosity about food and educate and inspire eaters belonging to all age groups and backgrounds. The idea came from a promising food writer and inventor and gradually many joined. Spread across the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-meter) area, there are several stations where you press a button to smell different things, both natural as well as artificial.

Museum of Food and Drink Lab

Address: 62 Bayard St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States

Website: Museum of Food and Drink Lab

Opening hours: Fri - Sun: 12pm - 6pm (closed from Mon - Thu)

Price: From 7 USD

9. Check out the sketchbooks at Brooklyn Art Library

Having the biggest collection of sketchbooks in the whole world, the Brooklyn Art Library is undoubtedly a must-see place. Home to a crowd-sourced collection of more than 45,000 sketchbooks and over 20,000 in its digital library, here they amalgamate the analog with the digital to offer a unique experience to the artists and the visitors. Quite different from other libraries, here you will hear a lively track playing that makes the ambiance more enjoyable. The submitted sketchbooks have been very neatly categorized according to subject, medium, location of the artists, and other factors. There is a separate space to organize private events.

Brooklyn Art Library

Address: 28 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Brooklyn Art Library

Opening hours: Wed - Sat: 10am - 6pm (closed from Sun - Tue )

Price: Entry free

10. Let your kids have fun at Twinkle Playspace

Twinkle Playspace welcomes your kids to a magical journey into a world of infinite fun moments of creativity and exploration. This customized 4,500 square feet (419 square meters) of the play area is perfectly suited for kids of ages six and below. There is a wonderful range of activities and exhibits to meet the energy level of this age group and also enable their physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. Be it climbing a life-size tree or playing with the tall dragons or building your own Brooklyn bridge – many such exciting activities are available in a very safe environment.

Twinkle Playspace

Address: 144 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Twinkle Playspace

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 6pm; Sat - Sun: 8am - 11:30am

Price: From 25 USD

11. Attend a service at Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Shrine of our Lady of Mount Carmel and Annunciation is a very charming church and is home to very welcoming parish which has deep roots in the Roman Catholic tradition. They strongly believe in the Gospel of Christ and are totally devoted towards following their faith. Extremely aware and proud of their rich cultural heritage, they welcome everyone to be a part of their service, irrespective of your culture and background so feel free to attend a friendly congregation.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Address: 275 N 8th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8:30 am; Sat; 8:30am - 5pm; Sun: 8am - 6pm

Price: Free entry

12. Witness a live performance at C3 NYC

An amazing church with an extremely welcoming environment, the service here is very inviting and the leaders are very humble and share wisdom. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the weekly services as well as the dinner parties. Not only this, unlike other churches, you can even get an opportunity to witness a live performance here. Blaring music, streets bubbling with young hipsters having a great time – hardly sounds like a church service! This is the scene every Sunday at the Williamsburg Music Hall.

C3 NYC

Address: 66 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: C3 NYC

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

13. Marvel at the vintage-style architecture at Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

Don’t miss visiting this amazing art space, which welcomes artists irrespective of them being local, national, international, budding or established. If art is something that fascinates you then you will definitely love the amalgamation of visual, performing, and theatrical arts presented by this architectural wonder. Positioned right by Manhattan Bridge, it is considered to be an artistic treasure in Williamsburg. You can visit this center not just for exceptional art exhibitions and cultural events but also for different types of educational programs, lectures, and seminars.

Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

Address: 135 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Williamsburg Art & Historical Center

Opening hours: Fri - Sun: 12pm - 6pm (closed from Mon - Thu)

14. Stop by and spend time at Father Jerzy Popieluszko Square

When you arrive at this square, you will see a splendidly carved statue amidst lush green surroundings. That’s the statue of Father Jerzy Popieluszko. Carved out of Barre gray granite, the statue was unveiled on 21st October 1990 that marked the priest’s sixth death anniversary. It was built in honor of this Roman Catholic priest who ardently supported the Polish trade union federation. Earlier, Father Jerzy Popieluszko Square was a part of McCarren Park but was renamed as a tribute to him. This small but very well-maintained park features many benches and monuments in honor of the priest. It has a lovely ambiance to sit, relax, and spend quality time with your family and friends.

Father Jerzy Popieluszko Square

Address: Nassau Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United State

Website: Father Jerzy Popieluszko Square

Opening hours: 6am - 1pm (daily)

Price: Free entry

15. Spot the Washington statue at Continental Army Plaza

The park gets its name from the striking bronze statue of George Washington, the first President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief. Positioned in Continental Army Plaza, this statue is certainly the most impressive piece of sculpture found in North Brooklyn. It’s not difficult to spot the statue as it serves as the centerpiece of this park. It was presented to the city by the Committee of Supervision and Construction and local Congressman James R. Howe and it was sculpted by Henry Mervin Shrady.

Continental Army Plaza

Address: S 4th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Continental Army Plaza

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Entry free

16. Take a leisurely stroll at Green Dome

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Green Dome Park can be a fantastic choice when you want to escape the crowded subways and sidewalks of the City. Take a stroll at this quiet pocket of nature, a 2,500 square-foot (233-square-meter) volunteer’s garden nestled in McCarren Park. Maintained beautifully with mindful landscaping done by the volunteers from the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhood, the park is also home to a variety of insects and birds and other activities. There are many benches and the stone paths have been paved in such a way that even the elderly, wheelchairs, and baby strollers can access easily.

Green Dome

Address: 227-235 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Opening hours: 10am - 6pm (daily)

Price: Entry free

17. Relish New American delicacies at Meadowsweet

Opened by a couple, Polo Dobkin and Stephanie Lempert, Meadowsweet is a chic Michelin-starred restaurant which boasts of a scrumptious menu comprising of Mediterranean-influenced New American dishes, wines, ciders, and refreshing cocktails. Relish your meal in a nicely adorned room with comfortable chairs and good music. Overall, the restaurant has a very high feel-good factor which makes you want to go back for more. Among the many delectable dishes, crispy artichokes, octopus with piquillo peppers and chorizo, and many house-made kinds of pasta are a must-try.

Meadowsweet

Address: 149 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Meadowsweet

Opening hours: Mon, Wed: 6pm - 10pm; Thu: 12pm - 10pm; Fri: 12pm - 11pm; Sat: 11am - 11pm; Sun: 11am - 10pm (closed on Tue)

18. Down some drinks at Skinny Dennis

Situated in the heart of Williamsburg, Skinny Dennis is a premier honky-tonk bar featuring 18 draft beers and many signature cocktails. Although it’s a small and cozy place, the staff has designed it thoughtfully to maximize the space. Along with this, the bar also promotes national touring acts and local music. Enjoy the lively vibe and immaculate service coupled with high-quality musical entertainment every night. Don’t forget to try their most popular Willie’s Frozen Coffee. Also, don’t worry if you see peanut shells lying on the floor as it’s a house rule to toss those on the floor!

Skinny Dennis

Address: 152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Website: Skinny Dennis

Opening hours: 12pm - 4am (daily)

19. Have a gala time at Dream Machine presents Nightmare Machine

Appropriately named as Nightmare Machine, here, they aim to present a fun, creepy and content-focused environment to its visitors. Take a trip of this spine-tingling and spooky space that features cockroaches, alien abduction, a room focused on creepy clowns, a colorful hallway that becomes a tunnel with ‘Clockwork Orange’ theme. It’s interesting to explore the things that terrify us in our routine lives. Open just in time for Halloween, overall, this nine-room experience with shock you and surely add to your shareable memories.

Dream Machine presents Nightmare Machine

Address: 93 N 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: Dream Machine presents Nightmare Machine

Opening hours: Thu - Sun: 5pm - 10:30pm (closed on Thu & Fri)

Price: 38 USD

20. Do yoga at North Brooklyn Farms

The mission of North Brooklyn Farms is to transform and reshape vacant land into urban farms and green spaces where people can engage with nature and agriculture. Enjoy marvelous views of the Statue of Liberty, Williamsburg Bridge, and the Manhattan skyline while you visit this beautiful place for farm-to-table dinners, weekly farm stands, musical performances, community volunteer days, and other public and private occasions. Breathe in fresh air while you do yoga in this lovely green patch amidst the surrounding picturesque views. The timings change as per the events.

North Brooklyn Farms

Address: 320 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States

Website: North Brooklyn Farms

A memory-making trip to Williamsburg

Undoubtedly, Williamsburg welcomes you all through the year with lots of opportunities to gather memories for a lifetime. The incredible vibe of this place has been luring people from all corners of the globe. So, plan your Williamsburg adventure soon to experience endless enjoyable possibilities – irrespective of age or interest.