Brooklyn Bridge Facts for Kids

A Picture of the Brooklyn Bridge
  • Name: Brooklyn Bridge
  • Location: New York City, New York, USA
  • GPS Cordinates: 40.7057°N 73.9964°W
  • Built: Between 1869 and 1883
  • Opened: May 24th, 1883
  • Daily Traffic: 105,000+ (2016 average)
  • Significance: Connects NYC boroughs over the East River

26 Brooklyn Bridge Facts for Kids

  1. The Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension/cable-stay bridge that spans across the East River in New York, USA.
  2. The Brooklyn Bridge is also known as the East River Bridge or the New York and Brooklyn Bridge.
  3. The Brooklyn Bridge connects two boroughs over the East River in New York City, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
  4. The GPS Coordinates for the Brooklyn Bridge are 40.7057°N 73.9964°W.
  5. The Brooklyn Bridge is managed and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation.
  6. The Brooklyn Bridge was designed by German-born American civil engineer John A. Roebling.
  7. Roebling died before construction started on the Brooklyn Bridge. His foot was crushed by a ferry while taking measurements for the bridge in 1869. His foot wound developed tetanus and he died.
  8. Roebling’s son Washington Roebling took over as the Brooklyn Bridge’s chief engineer after his death.
  9. The architectural style used for the Brooklyn Bridge was neo-Gothic.
  10. It took over 13 years to build the Brooklyn Bridge.
  11. Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge started on Sunday, January 2nd, 1870.
  12. Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in early 1883.
  13. Between 20 and 30 construction workers lost their lives while building the Brooklyn Bridge.
  14. The Brooklyn Bridge was officially opened on Thursday, May 24th, 1883.
  15. The first human to cross the Brooklyn Bridge was Emily Roebling.
  16. Oddly, the first animal to cross the Brooklyn Bridge was a rooster. It sat on Emily Roebling’s lap while she crossed.
  17. The Brooklyn Bridge’s longest span is 1,595.5 feet.
  18. The entire length of the Brooklyn Bridge is 6,016 feet.
  19. Between 1883 and 1903, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
  20. The height of the Brooklyn Bridge is 272 feet.
  21. The width of the Brooklyn Bridge is 85 feet.
  22. In 1911, all toll fees to cross the Brooklyn Bridge were removed.
  23. In 1919, Austro-Hungary pilot Giorgio Pessi flew heavy bomber under the Brooklyn Bridge.
  24. In 1966, the Brooklyn Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
  25. In 1964, the Brooklyn Bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark.
  26. In 1967, the Brooklyn Bridge was designated a New York City Landmark.

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