Curious about how meals were cooked in pre-Colonial times? Interested in candle making or quilting? If so, a visit to the family-oriented Lefferts Historic House may be for you.

The house was once home to New York City’s earliest settlers. Now, as a public museum within Prospect Park, it hosts interactive exhibits, events, and seasonal educational programs.
Lefferts Historic House Location

• Children’s Corner of Prospect Park, inside the Willink Entrance, at the intersection of Flatbush and Ocean Ave and Empire Blvd

• Subway & Bus Directions
• Map

Lefferts Historic House Basics

• Admission: Free
• Phone: (718) 287-6215
• Open 12pm - 5pm, Thursday - Sunday & holidays, April - November
• Open 12pm - 4pm, Weekends & school holidays, December - March
• Open until 6pm in July and August
• Website

Lefferts Historic House Events
Lefferts offers educational programs for children of all ages. Seasonal weekend events include the Flax & Fleece Fest in the spring, Summer Songs & Stories, Harvest Days in the fall, and the Winter Festival.

It is also possible to hold a child's birthday party at the house, where a "birthday package" allows up to 15 children to enjoy a one-hour program of educational activities led by museum staff. Call in advance to make reservations.
Lefferts Historic House Timeline

• 1687: Members of the Lefferts family are some of the earliest European settlers in Brooklyn. Leffert Pietersen builds the original Homestead on the 58 acres of land that is now Prospect Lefferts Gardens.

• 1776: British soldiers invade Brooklyn, and the Lefferts Homestead on Flatbush is burned down.

• 1777 - 1783: Leffert Pietersen’s great-grandson, Peter Lefferts, rebuilds the Homestead. Lefferts is one of Kings County’s richest men and serves in public offices throughout New York City.

• 1783 - 1917: The Lefferts family continues to live in the Homestead.

• 1918: The house is donated to the city by the Lefferts family. Lefferts Homestead is moved from its location near Flatbush Ave and Maple St to its current location.

• 1991: The Lefferts House receives a new roof.

• 1998: More restoration occurs with an $85,000 effort to replace the house's windows.

• 2002 - 2003: The foundation of the house is repaired, and exterior renovatations are completed.

• Now: With a working garden, period rooms and exhibits, and a changing schedule of fun events, the Lefferts Historic House educates visitors about Brooklyn's history from pre-Colonial times to the present.