Things to Do in Williamsburg

40,000 sq ft: ziplines, laser tag, climbing walls, skating. 3 hours unlimited.

40,000 square feet of ziplines, ropes courses, climbing walls, laser tag, paintball, obstacle courses, roller skating, and slides. Three hours of unlimited everything with admission. Ages 3+. The kind of place where you drop kids off and they come back exhausted.

616 Scholes St, Brooklyn, NY 11237 · Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-9pm · (347) 305-7448 · indoor · Ages 3+

Waterfront playground with Manhattan views. Taco stand. Free.

A modern playground on the Williamsburg waterfront with climbing structures, slides, swings, and a sandbox -- all with the Manhattan skyline right across the river. The park also has a taco stand, open lawn, and artifact walk from the old Domino Sugar factory. Free. Stroller-friendly throughout.

300 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Daily 6am-1am · outdoor · Ages 0+

Bowling + live music + Blue Ribbon fried chicken. Family Bowl on weekends is free entry.

16 lanes, a concert stage, Blue Ribbon fried chicken, and spiked milkshakes. National touring acts play here. Family Bowl on weekends (Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 11am-6pm) is all-ages with free entry. Evenings are 21+. Bowling from $30 per half hour.

61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Daily, hours vary by event · indoor

Brooklyn's Bowery Ballroom. 650 capacity. Good sound, two bars, balcony.

650-capacity venue booking indie rock, electronic, and underground acts most nights. Run by The Bowery Presents -- same people as Bowery Ballroom. Standing room with a balcony, solid sound, two bars. Tickets $15-50 depending on the act.

66 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Show nights, doors typically 7-8pm · indoor

The original dine-in cinema. Cocktails and food at your seat. Williamsburg location.

The place that started dine-in cinema in NYC. Craft cocktails and a full food menu delivered to your seat during the film. New releases, indie films, repertory screenings. This is the original Williamsburg location -- intimate, neighborhood feel. Second spot near Prospect Park.

136 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Daily, showtimes vary · indoor

100+ vendors on the Williamsburg waterfront. Free entry. Manhattan skyline as backdrop.

Every Saturday on the Williamsburg waterfront, April through October. 100+ vendors -- ramen burgers, artisanal ice cream, and whatever food trend is peaking that month. Free to enter, pay for what you eat. Manhattan skyline right across the water.

90 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Saturdays 11am-6pm, Apr-Oct · outdoor

1,800 capacity. No bad sightline. The Bowery Presents books it. Williamsburg.

1,800-capacity venue in Williamsburg run by The Bowery Presents. Great sound, good sightlines from everywhere, and a bar in the back that actually moves. Indie rock, electronic, hip-hop, and national touring acts. This is where mid-level acts play before they fill arenas.

319 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY 11222 · Show nights, doors typically 7-8pm · indoor

Improv classes and shows in Williamsburg. The comedy school Brooklyn was missing.

Improv and sketch comedy theater and school in Williamsburg offering shows, classes, and jams. Multiple shows per week across improv, sketch, and stand-up formats. Classes at all levels -- beginner to performance team. The vibe is supportive and the ticket prices are reasonable.

338 Maujer St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 · Show nights, check schedule · indoor

Record store with a 250-capacity venue in the back. Free in-store performances.

A vinyl record store with a 250-capacity live music venue attached. Free in-store performances and signings alongside ticketed evening shows. The record selection is deep, especially for indie and electronic. The kind of place you walk in to browse and leave three hours later.

64 N 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-8pm, show times vary · indoor

DIY comedy in Williamsburg. $5-10. The kind of room where future headliners get reps.

A scrappy, DIY comedy club in Williamsburg hosting stand-up, improv, and open mic nights. The lineups mix seasoned local comics with newer acts working out material. $5-10 cover, no drink minimum. The kind of room where you catch someone two years before they blow up.

246 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 · Show nights, check schedule · indoor

170-seat new music venue. Classical, electronic, experimental. Acoustically perfect.

A 170-seat venue in Williamsburg purpose-built for new music -- classical, electronic, experimental, and everything in between. The acoustics are exceptional for the size. Programming is adventurous and the production quality punches above its weight. Tickets from $15. One of the most important small music venues in New York.

80 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Show nights, check schedule · indoor

Williamsburg's honky tonk. Live country and roots music 7 nights a week. No cover most nights.

New York City's premier honky tonk bar since 2013. Live country, bluegrass, and roots music every single night, usually starting around 9pm. No cover most nights. The backyard is great in warm weather but the stage is inside year-round. This is not a theme bar -- these are real working musicians with weekly residencies. Open daily 12pm-4am.

152 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 · Daily 12pm-4am

Free nightly live music since 1999. Norah Jones and Vampire Weekend played early sets here.

Williamsburg's original nightly live music venue, open since December 1999. Free shows (suggested $10 donation) in a tiny back room with a vaudeville-style stage. No cover, no drink minimum. Indie, folk, singer-songwriter, and experimental acts. Early performances here by Norah Jones, Vampire Weekend, Sharon Van Etten, and Sufjan Stevens. The biggest little venue in NYC.

709 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 · Daily, show times vary · indoor

Candlelit jazz supper club with a speakeasy cellar and garden. Oysters, cocktails, nightly live music.

Vintage supper club with nightly live jazz in a candlelit setting. Flamenco, gypsy jazz, vinyl DJ sets rotate through the week. Oyster bar upstairs, a speakeasy called St. Charles Cellar below, and a garden with an overgrown grapevine out back. One of the few places in Brooklyn where you eat a real dinner while live jazz plays three feet away. Open 7 days.

345 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 · Open 7 days, evening hours · (718) 384-4808

11th-floor rooftop with a heated greenhouse lounge open year-round. Skyline views. Mexican food and cocktails.

Rooftop bar and Mexican restaurant on the 11th floor of the Penny Hotel in Williamsburg. Two terraces plus a glass-walled greenhouse lounge that stays open year-round with heat -- the winter move. Panoramic views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Tacos, cocktails, cacti everywhere. The covered terrace means you get skyline views without freezing from October through March.

288 N 8th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 · Daily, check hours · (929) 594-2028

Synthetic turf field on the Williamsburg waterfront. Soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, ultimate frisbee. Free for casual play; organized games need an NYC Parks permit. Lighted until 10:15pm.

86 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249 · Daily 9am-10:15pm · outdoor