The Brooklyn Bridge is more than just a way to cross the East River; it is a monument to modern engineering and human perseverance. Building it changed New York City forever.
This quiz looks at the construction details, dangerous conditions, and key figures behind the project. You will see questions about the Roling family, decompression sickness, and even some unusual animals that walked the span.
Once you finish, you can explore other achievements in bridges and engineering, check out more famous landmarks, or learn about influential architects who shaped our world.
The Brooklyn Bridge connects Brooklyn with which other New York City borough?
The Bronx
The Bronx
Queens
Queens
Staten Island
Staten Island
Manhattan
Manhattan
What is the primary material used for the bridge’s iconic Gothic-style towers?
Wrought Iron
Wrought Iron
Steel
Steel
Reinforced Concrete
Reinforced Concrete
Granite and Limestone
Granite and Limestone
Who was the original designer and chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge?
John Augustus Roebling
John Augustus Roebling
Ferdinand Roebling
Ferdinand Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Washington Roebling
Washington Roebling
In which year was the Brooklyn Bridge officially opened to public traffic?
1883
1883
1887
1887
1881
1881
1885
1885
What tragic event led to the death of the Brooklyn Bridge’s original designer, John Augustus Roebling, before construction began?
A ferry slip accident that resulted in tetanus
A ferry slip accident that resulted in tetanus
Decompression sickness contracted in a caisson
Decompression sickness contracted in a caisson
A fatal fall from an unfinished masonry tower
A fatal fall from an unfinished masonry tower
A boiler explosion on a construction barge
A boiler explosion on a construction barge
Which family member took on the day-to-day supervision of the bridge project after Washington Roebling became ill?
Ferdinand Roebling
Ferdinand Roebling
John A. Roebling
John A. Roebling
Charles Roebling
Charles Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Washington Roebling fell ill during construction due to spending long periods working in pressurized caissons; what was the common name for his affliction?
The Caisson Disease
The Caisson Disease
Typhoid Fever
Typhoid Fever
Yellow Fever
Yellow Fever
Cholera
Cholera
In what year was the Brooklyn Bridge designated a National Historic Landmark?
1958
1958
1976
1976
1964
1964
1970
1970
What is the structural classification of the Brooklyn Bridge?
Cantilever
Cantilever
Truss
Truss
Arch
Arch
Suspension
Suspension
The Brooklyn Bridge was the first in the world to utilize what material for its main suspension cables?
Iron chains
Iron chains
Hemp ropes
Hemp ropes
Steel wire cables
Steel wire cables
Carbon fiber strands
Carbon fiber strands
What is the central span length of the Brooklyn Bridge?
1,395 feet
1,395 feet
1,595 feet
1,595 feet
1,495 feet
1,495 feet
1,695 feet
1,695 feet
Which animals did P.T. Barnum parade across the Brooklyn Bridge in 1884 to demonstrate its safety to the public?
Elephants
Elephants
Horses
Horses
Lions
Lions
Giraffes
Giraffes
Which phase of the construction proved to be the most dangerous, causing decompression sickness among workers?
Building the masonry towers
Building the masonry towers
Excavating inside the pneumatic caissons
Excavating inside the pneumatic caissons
Constructing the land approaches
Constructing the land approaches
Spinning the suspension cables
Spinning the suspension cables
Approximately how many years did the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge take?
10 years
10 years
16 years
16 years
12 years
12 years
14 years
14 years
What innovative method did John Roebling patent and employ to create the bridge’s massive suspension cables?
A pressurized caisson technique
A pressurized caisson technique
Floating bridge piers
Floating bridge piers
Steel wire spinning machinery
Steel wire spinning machinery
Underwater welding techniques
Underwater welding techniques
Which of the following occurred during the official opening ceremony on May 24, 1883?
A new subway line was inaugurated on the same day
A new subway line was inaugurated on the same day
President Chester A. Arthur attended the event
President Chester A. Arthur attended the event
The structure was painted entirely gold for the occasion
The structure was painted entirely gold for the occasion
A grand gala dance was held at the base of the towers
A grand gala dance was held at the base of the towers
The two massive granite towers are distinctively recognized by what type of structural openings?
Romanesque pillars
Romanesque pillars
Gothic arches
Gothic arches
Art Deco carvings
Art Deco carvings
Neoclassical pediments
Neoclassical pediments
Which American poet wrote a famous verse collection titled ‘The Bridge’?
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
Hart Crane
Hart Crane
Which of these stories about the Brooklyn Bridge’s history is factually true?
A man named Robert Odlum died in 1885 after leaping from the structure during a diving stunt
A man named Robert Odlum died in 1885 after leaping from the structure during a diving stunt
The structure is haunted by the ghost of a stone mason who fell during construction
The structure is haunted by the ghost of a stone mason who fell during construction
During construction, there was a secret plan to store city gold inside the towers
During construction, there was a secret plan to store city gold inside the towers
The towers were built on land that was once a Native American burial ground
The towers were built on land that was once a Native American burial ground
What peculiar discovery was made by inspectors inside a hidden chamber in the Brooklyn Bridge’s Manhattan-side anchorage in 2006?
A stash of Prohibition-era liquor barrels
A stash of Prohibition-era liquor barrels
A hidden printing press for counterfeit currency
A hidden printing press for counterfeit currency
A stockpile of Cold War survival supplies
A stockpile of Cold War survival supplies
A collection of stolen 19th-century paintings
A collection of stolen 19th-century paintings
In which year did the New York and Brooklyn Bridge officially receive its current name?
1935
1935
1905
1905
1915
1915
1925
1925
Who was the first person to officially ride across the completed Brooklyn Bridge in a carriage?
John Augustus Roebling
John Augustus Roebling
Washington Roebling
Washington Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Emily Warren Roebling
Ferdinand Roebling
Ferdinand Roebling
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