Park Slope

Understanding Park Slope

The Old Stone House marks the place of the culminating engagement of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. The Lesbian Herstory Archives occupies a 1908 row house that has been its headquarters since 1991. The armory opened in 1895; its later recreation conversion gave the former drill floor a new community purpose.

Places to explore

• Old Stone House and Washington Park

  Park Slope–Gowanus border

  The museum interprets Lenape life, Dutch colonization, the battle and the occupation. The building is a reconstruction, not an unchanged colonial farmhouse. Gardens and JJ Byrne Playground provide different outdoor uses around it.

• Lesbian Herstory Archives

  484 14th Street

  The row house contains a collection devoted to lesbian history. Casual browsing requires advance appointment; there are no drop-ins, and each visitor needs a separate registration. Check available appointments before planning the visit.

• Park Slope Armory YMCA

  Former 14th Regiment Armory

  The drill floor has been adapted for courts and a running track. The building’s history can be explored from outside; participation inside follows the YMCA’s own rules, and this page does not promise a free tourist tour.

Planning a visit

Check the Old Stone House’s current museum schedule and the YMCA’s entry arrangements separately. Archives registration does not provide access to either of those institutions.