Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Pioneer Works

    4.2 (27 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

    Pioneer Works Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Pioneer Works

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos - Pioneer Works

    Back stage from People Music Festival
    Brian L.

    Background on Pioneer Works: Located in Red Hook, the building was originally constructed in 1866 to house Pioneer Iron Works, a factory for constructing large scale machines required by industry, including railroad tracks and machinery for sugar plantations. In 2012 the space opened to the public as a non-profit cultural center. The center builds community through the arts and sciences to create an open and inspired world, i.e. collaborative concerns, Art exhibits ect... I came here for People Music Festival and it is an amazing venue for a concert. A ton of time and energy must have been put into renovating this building from a factory to a venue. The main space downstairs where concerts are held is big enough to house two separate stages as well as a merch booth, customer service booth, a couple food vendors, and a bar. Although deliberately renovated, the building still has a very cool industrial aspect to it and you can still feel and see the history of the building. One of my favorite aspects of this place is probably the garden. Initially, the half-acre garden was a junkyard filled with debris, boulders, and years of accumulated trash. Now the space hosts a massive Keith Haring mural, tons tons of benches, fire pits, and beautifully landscaped garden. There's also a massive three level bar with picturesque views of Red Hook and city scape from the third story. The staff was friendly, the place was very clean, and all systems from venue entry to ordering food and drinks was quite efficient. Bathrooms located inside and depending on the event a ton of portable toilets are set up against a back wall in the garden. Important to note the portable toilets were probably the cleanest I've ever used. Lastly, Red Hook in Brooklyn is just a really cool area. Tons of artists, good restaurants, there is a pier with a museum on the water. My experience at Pioneer Works was absolutely one of the best I've had at a venue. Hoping to come back soon.

    My view of the stage from so-called "ADA section"
    Sal H.

    Failed to designate a clear ADA section at general admission concert. No accommodations information was apparent upon check-in to the event at the front of the space. The two desk staff women I asked for a chair to accommodate my broken bones told me that the "left-hand area in front of the stage is the ADA area," but then offered NO chair (I asked), and did not follow through with event staff near the actual stage. I ended up squatting against a wall with a heavily pregnant woman waiting for help. Heavily pregnant, differently-abled, and injured patrons (self included) had to have companions ask multiple members of staff for assistance simply to find a chair. Our "area" was not roped off, taped off, or protected in any way, so it was quickly crowded with ostensibly able-to-stand individuals, obscuring even a hint of a view. Will post photo of my terrible view of the stage. Update: Eventually an event staffer (brunette woman) loudly asked some people to move, for which we were grateful, but we had to keep fighting for space. All of this could have been avoided with preparation and communication.

    Kenny C.

    Pioneer Works is more than just a gallery space. They have a ton going on, as evidenced by the tour they gave us as part of Red Hook Immersion. The director Gabe was kind enough to take time out of his day to show us all three floors of the building, which took about an hour. The first floor was their exhibit space, and there was lots to see. When we went, the exhibit was Derrick Adams' "ON", which had performance parts as well as set pieces. And a yoga room. Upstairs, we also saw the cool work/display spaces of other artists in residence. Lots of cool people doing cool stuff. There was also a virtual reality studio as well as a 3D printer, and Gabe said they encourage artists to work with mediums they're not familiar with, to see how they can make new connections. Really great way to foster creativity. Of course, we also went to the garden for some beers afterwards. They have this tin shack with a recording studio on the second floor (don't worry, there's double paned glass) and a roof deck with a bar. They also host classes, have their own zine, play live music, and even have dinner parties. Go check these guys out!

    $6 Tecate? $11 Pils/IPA? Ouch.
    Doug F.

    Great place to see art, with a rotating lineup of shows, lectures and performances. Overall rating is lower because the prices are very steep ($6 for a Tecate, $11 for a good beer) which is surprising since Pioneer Works is very comfortably funded compared to most arts organizations in the city.

    Main exhibition space view, from the 2nd floor balcony. Art on view by Molly Lowe.
    Martina C.

    Wonderful exhibition and event space in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The center has a main tall gallery space, two additional smaller side rooms, two floors for artists in residence cool artsy classes, and a wonderful garden make this art space a chimera. I love to come here every other month to check what they are up to with exhibits and artists in residence. I also like to come here in the summer for outdoor music events. I dream to organize my wedding in their garden!

    See all

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C D.
    558
    378
    997

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kenny C.
    1051
    4499
    19744

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tom A.
    0
    18
    3

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carl E.
    197
    28
    62

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ben G.
    7
    15
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of L K.
    5
    83
    5

    10 years ago

    ONE VISIT and I'm a fan. What a great space. Not too sure about the acoustics, so be wary for music events. I'll be back

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E X.
    0
    4
    0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Pioneer Works

    Review Highlights - Pioneer Works

    Wonderful exhibition and event space in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Art Galleries 60,714 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Court Tree Collective - Dinner party set up

    Court Tree Collective

    5.0(2 reviews)
    1.6 miSunset Park
    $$$

    I came here for an American Psycho lunch since I am a big fan of both the novel and the film. Both…read morethe lunch and the venue were fantastic. I figured I would just go that once and never again, but I had such a good time that I will be looking for upcoming events at this venue. The venue itself is very small and intimate, better for small groups and events than large ones. The menu created by the literary supper club was fantastic and the food itself was something you'd expect from a high end restaurant. The location of Court Tree itself was nice, the atmosphere was great and the type of thing that I can only imagine existing in Brooklyn. I plan on coming back whenever there is an event that piques my interest.

    If you've ever wondered if anyone reads all those flyers posted to street lights and traffic signal…read morepoles, I do. And you should too. Otherwise, I would have never learned about this place, despite the fact that's it's really close to where I live and I've unknowingly walked past it countless times. See, advertising works! I happened to see a flyer posted for a supper club dinner at Court Tree. Intrigued, I ended up attending and had a wonderful time. The supper club is literary themed, which warms this bookworm's heart. The space is small, pretty much a single floor in a brownstone, but just cozy enough for small events. They have a diverse lineup of food, art, music, and theatre events. I'm definitely planning to check out more events now that I've discovered this place.

    Photos
    Court Tree Collective
    Court Tree Collective
    Court Tree Collective

    See all

    Taro's Origami Studio

    Taro's Origami Studio

    4.6(10 reviews)
    1.6 miSunset Park

    Super cute store, but the woman working there was horrible. She refused to answer questions saying…read morethat we can look online. Then she got mad at my 9 year old daughter for asking a question about one of the pieces of origami. All this because we wanted to book a class and buy stuff. She said she has to answer the same questions every day as if that's our problem. If you hate people, don't work in retail.

    With all the media devices today and kids ( and adults) staring for hours into a screen, I believe…read moreits even more important to get back to the simple art of paper folding. Don't take my word for it..Psychology Today published an article about how origami can promote mindfulness. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201609/5-ways-origami-boosts-mindfulness Step into this sweet little studio on the second floor of a building on 7th Avenue and you will instantly feel a sense of serenity. Tiny paper cranes and miniature folded creatures, buses etc are scattered in the studio. For $10 you get 30mins of origami folding time. Simple to intermediate to advanced projects with complete step by step tutorials are available on a couple of iPads in the studio. You also get to choose from a bookshelf of rainbow colored papers including some patterned ones for your origami masterpieces. And if you need extra help, there is always a very patient and kind person at the front who is able to help you decipher the tutorial instructions. Taro Origami is a true gem in the neighborhood and I recommend everyone from age 5-105 go there now!

    Photos
    Taro's Origami Studio
    Taro's Origami Studio
    Taro's Origami Studio

    See all

    Pioneer Works - galleries - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...