The Oldest Building In New York Was Built Around 1652 And Is Now A Museum

For a true New York history lesson, it's worth visiting the Wyckoff House. The original part of the building—which is also known as the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House—was built around 1652 and is known as the oldest structure in all of New York State. It was also the state’s first officially designated landmark! Located in the Carnsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, the Wyckoff House is now a museum. Opened in 1982, the museum has been professionally-restored to help to preserve and educate the public about the history of the building, which, let us remind you, is in fact the oldest building in New York. To learn more about this historic structure, keep reading below!

The Wyckoff House was created in the farmhouse architecture style that was standard for Dutch-American farms in Brooklyn and Queens. The house was enlarged and altered by the Wyckoff family—the owners of the property—where they kept farming until the year of 1901.

Descendants of Wyckoff re-bought the house from its final private owners in 1961. In 1965, it became a New York City Landmark. In 1969, it was donated to the city of New York.

The house has been opened on a regular basis as a public museum since the year of 2001.

The museum has a variety of public programs, including educational initiatives, events, celebrations and community farmers markets.

The museum itself is a great window into life in New York City, as it once was.

Currently, the museum wishes to educate visitors about the diversity that existed on Brooklyn’s early colonial farms.

To get a taste of how it felt to live in New York City long ago, a visit to the Wyckoff House Museum is a must. If you want even more New York City history, why not check out what remains of Little Germany in Manhattan? And, if you start to get a little hungry, we recommend taking the trip all the way out to the Bronx to check out this cafeteria-style restaurant that serves some of the best seafood in all of the city. Trust us, it’s worth the trip. And if you need a place to stay in Brooklyn, we recommend Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown. It's only 2641 feet from Barclays Center and comes complete with an indoor heated pool.