Brooklyn Bridge

engineering marvel · New York City · bridges · history

Record-breaking span. When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883, it held the title of world's longest suspension bridge with a main span of 1,595.5 feet. No bridge like it had ever been built before.

Cable-stayed design. The bridge uses special cables and towers to hold up its weight, a smart engineering trick that lets it span 486.3 meters across the East River without needing posts in the water.

Connects two boroughs. The Brooklyn Bridge was the first permanent crossing between Manhattan and Brooklyn, making it possible for people and goods to travel between the two neighborhoods without using a ferry.

High above the water. The bridge's deck sits 127 feet above the river at high tide, tall enough to let ships with tall masts sail underneath without any trouble.

Name change. The bridge started as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915, the name we still use today.