Brooklyn Bridge Park: Pier 6 playgrounds and Jane's Carousel
Free waterfront playgrounds and a 1920s carousel. Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo, Brooklyn.
The short answer
Brooklyn Bridge Park is free and open daily from 6am to 1am, with 85 acres and 1.3 miles of waterfront. For children, Pier 6 is the main event: Slide Mountain for climbing and sliding, Sandbox Village (one of the largest sandboxes you will see), Swing Valley, and the Water Lab, which is seasonal and runs 10am to 7pm when open. Bring a change of clothes. I mean that as an instruction.
What it is like
Jane's Carousel is at the other end, near Dock Street and Main Street in Dumbo, a restored carousel in a glass pavilion that is open year round. Time Out lists rides at $2 each (the carousel's own site is the place to confirm the current price) and the pavilion is a decent shelter on a drizzly day. The two ends of the park are about a mile apart, so decide which end you want rather than hoping for both.
Pier 6 has food too: the Fornino wood-fired pizzeria with rooftop seating, plus picnic tables with harbor views and Liberty Lawn for flopping. Because Pier 6 is also where the seasonal ferry to Governors Island leaves from on weekends and holidays, the two combine well into a day.
Best time to go
Weekday mornings; summer for the Water Lab.
Tips before you go
- The Water Lab is seasonal, so check it is running before you promise it.
- Pier 6 is where the Brooklyn-side Governors Island ferry leaves from (weekends and holidays, seasonal).
- Pack a towel and a change of clothes.
Where it is
Pier 6, Atlantic Avenue at Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201; Jane's Carousel, enter at Dock or Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. OpenStreetMap ↗ · Directions ↗
What's on here
From The New York Almanac, the next 60 days.
Friday, October 23, 2026, 15:30
Library Lab: Spooky Science
Brooklyn Heights Library, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn · Free
A monthly Library Lab session with Halloween-themed science experiments for school-age kids. No registration needed. Organizer ↗
Nearby on the Brood List
Take the ferry to Governors Island
Governors Island · 0.8 mile away
Climb aboard vintage subway cars at the New York Transit Museum
Downtown Brooklyn · 0.6 mile away
Ride the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty
Lower Manhattan · 1.0 mile away · Free
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Civic Center, Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights · 1.2 miles away · Free
Questions people ask
Is Brooklyn Bridge Park free?
Yes. The park is free and open daily from 6am to 1am.
What playgrounds are at Pier 6?
Slide Mountain, Sandbox Village, Swing Valley and the seasonal Water Lab.
Is Jane's Carousel open all year?
Yes, it is open year round in an all-weather pavilion. Check janescarousel.com for hours and the current ride price.
How do I get to Pier 6 by subway?
The 2/3 to Clark St, 4/5 or 2/3 to Borough Hall, A/C to High St or F to York St all work, then walk. Borough Hall is the accessible option.
Can you take a stroller?
Fine on the waterfront paths; the park is flat and open.
How long do you need?
2 to 3 hours.
Sources
The whole list
All 40 on a map
Open the map →For the fridge
The printable list
Print it →Brooklyn
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