The 10 best playgrounds in Brooklyn for kids
Our 10 favorite playgrounds in Brooklyn, famous and lesser known, with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway, including the nearest station the MTA lists as accessible.
The short answer
Our top playgrounds in Brooklyn are Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground, Third Street Playground and Fort Greene Park Playground. For water in summer: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground, Third Street Playground and Fort Greene Park Playground. Less famous but worth the trip: Brower Park Playground, Imagination Playground at Betsy Head and Coffey Park Playground.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground
The big waterfront playground at the south end of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Conservancy describes Slide Mountain, Sandbox Village, Swing Valley and the Water Lab with seasonal water features, open sunrise to sunset. It is popular, so a weekday morning is the sensible bet, and the Conservancy's page does not confirm restroom details, so check before you rely on them.
- Ages
- Mixed ages (the Conservancy says the playground suits kids of all ages and adventure levels)
- Restrooms
- Not confirmed on the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy page; check before you go.
- Subway
- R/2/3/4/5 to Court St (partly accessible, check the MTA), about 0.5 mi; also 2/3 to Clark St (not accessible), about 0.6 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Borough Hall (4/5), 0.6 mile, about a 12-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Third Street Playground
One of several playgrounds Parks lists inside Prospect Park, on the Park Slope side. Parks lists water-based play, accessible swings for ages 5 to 12, sensory-friendly spaces and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible). Handy if the plan is a morning in the park and the afternoon on 5th Avenue in search of a sit-down.
- Ages
- Mixed ages (Parks lists accessible swings for ages 5 to 12)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- F/G to 7 Av (accessible), about 0.4 mi; also 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum (accessible), about 0.6 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 7 Av (F/G), 0.4 mile, about an 8-minute walk
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Fort Greene Park Playground
Fort Greene Park started as the site of forts built for the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, per Parks, which is a decent hook for a child who needs a reason to climb the hill. The playground has ground-level and water-based play and a wheelchair-accessible restroom, plus sensory-friendly spaces.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- G to Fulton St (not accessible), about 0.2 mi; also C to Lafayette Av (not accessible), about 0.3 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- DeKalb Av (B/Q/R), 0.4 mile, about a 9-minute walk
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Brower Park Playground
Right next to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which makes it a natural pairing: museum first, burn off whatever is left second. Parks lists a wheelchair-accessible restroom, accessible swings for under-5s and sensory-friendly spaces. No water play is listed on the playground page, so this is more of a swings and slides stop.
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 3 to Kingston Av (not accessible), about 0.3 mi; also 3 to Nostrand Av (not accessible), about 0.4 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Crown Hts-Utica Av (3/4), 0.6 mile, about a 13-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Imagination Playground at Betsy Head
Betsy Head Memorial Playground has been part of Brownsville for almost 100 years, per Parks, and this part of it is an Imagination Playground. Parks lists ground-level and water-based play, accessible swings for under-5s, sensory-friendly spaces and a wheelchair-accessible restroom. Off most visitors' maps, which in my book is a recommendation.
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 3 to Rockaway Av (not accessible), about 0.2 mi; also 3 to Saratoga Av (not accessible), about 0.3 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Livonia Av (L), 0.6 mile, about a 12-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Coffey Park Playground
A Red Hook neighborhood park named for Michael J. Coffey, a state senator who represented the area, according to the Parks sign text. The playground has a spray shower and a wheelchair-accessible restroom listed. Red Hook is a long way from the subway, so do the walk or bus sums before you promise anyone a quick trip.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- F/G to Smith-9 Sts (not accessible), about 0.7 mi; also F/G to Carroll St (not accessible), about 0.8 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Borough Hall (4/5), 1.4 miles, about a 29-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
WNYC Transmitter Park Playground
A Greenpoint waterfront park opened in 2012 on the site of the old WNYC radio transmission towers, with an overlook, seating and a waterfront esplanade next to the play area. Parks lists ground-level and water-based play and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible). Parks also lists fishing at the park.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- G to Greenpoint Av (accessible), about 0.3 mi; also G to Nassau Av (not accessible), about 0.6 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Greenpoint Av (G), 0.3 mile, about a 6-minute walk
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Owls Head Park Playground
Owl's Head Park has rolling hills and, per Parks, views of the Manhattan skyline and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, with sledding mentioned for winter. The playground has water-based play and a wheelchair-accessible restroom listed. A proper local park, and a useful one to know if you are doing Bay Ridge.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- R to Bay Ridge Av (not accessible), about 0.5 mi; also N/R to 59 St (accessible), about 0.7 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 59 St (N/R), 0.7 mile, about a 13-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Asser Levy Playground
Part of the Coney Island complex, in the Coney Island area, handy for a child who has run out of patience for the beach. Parks lists ground-level and water-based play, accessible swings for under-5s and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible).
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- Q to Ocean Pkwy (not accessible), about 0.2 mi; also F/Q to W 8 St-NY Aquarium (not accessible), about 0.2 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Coney Island-Stillwell Av (D/F/N/Q), 0.5 mile, about a 10-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Sunset Park Playground
Sunset Park is the one with the view: Parks says it looks out over the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the park's highest point. The playground has a wheelchair-accessible restroom and accessible swings for under-5s listed, with sensory-friendly spaces. No water play is listed here.
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- R to 45 St (not accessible), about 0.3 mi; also D/N/R to 36 St (not accessible), about 0.5 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 59 St (N/R), 0.8 mile, about a 17-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
All 288 Brooklyn playgrounds on the map Things to do in Brooklyn
The best playgrounds in the other boroughs: Manhattan · Queens · The Bronx · Staten Island
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Questions people ask
What is the best playground in Brooklyn?
Our pick is Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground in Brooklyn Heights. The big waterfront playground at the south end of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Which Brooklyn playgrounds have sprinklers?
On our list: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground, Third Street Playground, Fort Greene Park Playground, Brower Park Playground, Imagination Playground at Betsy Head, Coffey Park Playground, WNYC Transmitter Park Playground, Owls Head Park Playground, Asser Levy Playground and Sunset Park Playground. NYC Parks lists 256 playgrounds with spray showers in Brooklyn, usually on from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Which of these Brooklyn playgrounds are near an accessible subway station?
Third Street Playground, Fort Greene Park Playground and WNYC Transmitter Park Playground are within a 10-minute walk of a station the MTA lists as accessible. Check the MTA's elevator status before you go.
How many playgrounds are there in Brooklyn?
NYC Parks lists 288 playgrounds with children's areas in Brooklyn. They're all on our map.
Sources
- Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6 playground: brooklynbridgepark.org
- Third Street Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Fort Greene Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Brower Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Imagination Playground at Betsy Head: nycgovparks.org
- Coffey Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- WNYC Transmitter Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Owls Head Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Asser Levy Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Sunset Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- MTA: Subway Stations (data.ny.gov)