Celebrate America’s 250th in Prospect Park

To honor America’s 250th Anniversary, join Prospect Park Alliance for commemorations of the Battle of Brooklyn, the first and largest battle of the American War for Independence. This includes a recreation of Battle Pass fortifications in the park, free tours, and the exhibit, Black People and the Battle of Brooklyn at Lefferts Historic House.  In partnership with the Old Stone House of Brooklyn and the Brigade of the American Revolution, the Alliance will host a Battle of Brooklyn Reenactment on August 22.

Explore our full slate of events:

Exhibit: Battle Pass in Prospect Park
Daily, July 1–November 15
Battle Pass, Free

Join Prospect Park Alliance to learn more about the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Brooklyn, the first and largest battle of the American War for Independence, on its 250th anniversary with this replica of the famous Battle Pass. In August 1776, American troops stationed two cannons on this site, in the hills separating Flatbush from the rest of Brooklyn, to defend against the British. However, on August 27, British troops evaded these defenses, forcing the Americans to withdraw across the Gowanus Creek to temporary safety. Nearly a century later, Prospect Park landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux named this area Battle Hill to commemorate the soldiers who fought there. This replica military installation, replete with two historic replica cannons, serves as a place for visitors to learn more about this formative battle.

Exhibit: Black People and the Battle of Brooklyn
Daily, July 1–November 15
Lefferts Historic House, Free

Join Prospect Park Alliance to learn about the important and varied roles Black people played in the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Brooklyn in August 1776, the first and largest battle of the American War for Independence. They served as soldiers and spies on both sides, built American forts, maintained the British ships, and seized the conflict to better their lives. This pop-up exhibit in the yard of Lefferts Historic House explores this complex history by illustrating the different ways Black people related to the conflict, but also their shared struggles and goals. Come learn how the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family and their neighbors and counterparts navigated the American War for Independence, including fighting at Battle Pass in what is now Prospect Park.

Tour: Battle of Brooklyn’s Battle Pass
Wednesdays–Sundays + Holidays, July 1–September 6, 2–3 pm
Lefferts Historic House, Free, RSVP

Join Prospect Park Alliance for a free tour to learn about the Battle of Brooklyn, the first and largest battle of the American War for Independence, on its 250th Anniversary. This one-hour tour begins and ends at Lefferts Historic House, and takes visitors to the park’s Battle Pass to see the replica fortifications where on August 27, 1776, thousands of Pennsylvania and New England soldiers fought their British and Hessian counterparts. Along the way, attendees will learn about the battle and its aftermath from the perspective of the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family, soldiers who fought in what is now Prospect Park and the overall impact of the conflict on Flatbush and Brooklyn. Please note this tour leaves promptly at 2 pm.

Battle of Brooklyn 250th Anniversary Reenactment
Sat, Aug 22, 10 am–12 pm
Prospect Park, Free, RSVP

Join the Prospect Park Alliance, the Old Stone House of Brooklyn and the Brigade of the American Revolution to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the American War for Independence. Enjoy a re-enactment of the historic Battle of Brooklyn following the footsteps of the soldiers who fought in this historic military event, from the Long Meadow in Prospect Park down 3rd Street to the Old Stone House.

Prospect Park Alliance’s America 250 events are made possible in part through “Brooklyn250” funding from the State of New York, through the support of Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Robert Carroll, and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. Brooklyn250 is a borough-wide commemoration of the historic Battle of Brooklyn during the Semiquincentennial of the United States.