McKinley Park Library
🏢 Brooklyn Public Library — Brooklyn, New York
McKinley Park Library
McKinley Park Library has anchored the Dyker Heights community for over a century, tracing its roots to a deposit station that opened on Fort Hamilton Parkway in 1911. Two decades of persistent lobbying by local parents and schoolchildren ultimately produced the current 7,425-square-foot branch, which opened in 1959 and serves one of the highest circulation branches in the Brooklyn Public Library system.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Tuesday | 1 PM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM – 6 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 6802 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: 7187488001
Website: bklynlibrary.org
📖 About McKinley Park Library
<p>McKinley Park Library entered the Brooklyn Public Library system on May 1, 1911 as a small deposit station at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 68th Street in Dyker Heights. For decades the community made do with cramped, makeshift quarters: a 1956 newspaper account described children from eight nearby schools crowding daily into a 20-by-75-foot storefront. Sustained advocacy by the Mother's Teacher's Club of JHS 259 and other community groups finally resulted in a new 7,425-square-foot building, approved in 1957 and opened in January 1959. A full renovation in 1995, funded by New York City and Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden, gave the branch a new roof, walls, floors, and lighting, and made it fully wheelchair accessible. A more recent 2022 makeover, supported by $200,000 in state funds from Assemblymember Peter Abbate — who received his first library card at this very branch in the mid-1950s — tripled public computer capacity and added a dedicated teen area.</p>
⭐ What makes this branch special
- One of Brooklyn Public Library's highest-circulation branches
- Continuous community library service on Fort Hamilton Parkway since 1911
- 1995 renovation funded by New York City and Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden made the branch fully accessible
- 2022 renovation tripled public computer capacity and added a dedicated teen area
- Library Lab STEM programs, literacy initiatives, and teen games funded by state grant
📱 Free with a Brooklyn Public Library Card
Any New York State resident can get a BPL card free and unlock:
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How long has McKinley Park Library served Dyker Heights?
The branch has provided library service at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 68th Street since May 1, 1911, when it opened as a deposit station. The current building dates to January 1959 and was most recently renovated in 2022.
What prompted the construction of a permanent McKinley Park branch building?
Decades of grassroots advocacy, led by groups like the Mother's Teacher's Club of JHS 259, pushed for a proper building after years of overcrowded storefront quarters. Plans for the new branch were approved in 1957 and it opened in January 1959.
Does McKinley Park Library have technology resources?
Yes. A 2022 renovation funded in part by a state grant tripled the number of public computers and added abundant electrical outlets throughout. The branch also offers Kids Tech Time programs and Library Lab STEM activities.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in October 2026.