Did you know Bushwick is hiding a literal zoo in a basement? 👀🦎
Tucked deep in the belly of the famous McKibbin Lofts, The Gecko Gallery NYC is a cozy studio apartment-turned-sanctuary that quietly operates as the largest public display of reptiles in the Northeast.
Getting inside feels like entering a speakeasy: you have to locate a dial pad under the gallery’s street sign, buzz in, head downstairs to a glass door, buzz a second dial pad, and finally make your way to Studio 0019.
But once you’re in, you’re greeted by an intimate, highly curated jungle housing about 250 individual reptiles across 70 different species—including some that have been so recently discovered they remain brand new to science.
Shifting focus to microfauna
The gallery was founded by Brooklyn natives and biology buffs Richie Laleh and Joseph S. Migirov.
Their primary mission? Conservation education, specifically drawing attention to smaller, heavily threatened species known as microfauna.
While mainstream conservation campaigns usually focus on large mammals like rhinos or tigers, numerous microfauna species disappear entirely every year without public notice.
As Migirov has noted, “Unfortunately, in many cases there’s just no wild for these animals to go back to.”
To illustrate this environmental pressure, the gallery displays electric blue day geckos native to Tanzania. Staff explain that the last remaining natural habitat for this specific African reptile has been reduced to an area roughly the size of Central Park.
Polycules, triceratops, and master of disguise
The facility highlights a wildly diverse array of reptilian behaviors, ecosystems, and social structures.
Visitors can observe species that are strictly monogamous alongside those that live in what staff jokingly describe as reptilian “polycules.”
Beyond the brilliant blue geckos, the gallery features highly specialized microfauna like the Madagascan leaf-tailed gecko (including the aptly named “Satanic leaf-tailed gecko”).
As one of the smallest species in its family, it relies on complex camouflage, naturally manifesting the exact coloration, physical veining, and even the “bug-bite” holes of a dead, dried leaf to avoid detection.
You’ll also find Jackson’s chameleons (often called “living triceratops” for their multi-horned foreheads) and massive Monkey-tailed skinks that spend their lives in the trees munching on toxic pothos plants.
Ultraviolet tours and ambassador animals
In addition to standard daytime viewing, the gallery maintains several “ambassador animals” that are accustomed to being handled. V
isitors can actually get hands-on and pet reptiles, like a resident crested gecko named Cupcake.
For a completely different perspective, the facility also hosts blacklight night tours.
These after-hours walks are designed to showcase the nocturnal animals that stay hidden during normal operating hours, revealing how several of the gecko species naturally glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light.
According to the gallery’s founders, taking the time to learn about these frequently overlooked reptiles is a direct and simple way for New Yorkers to support global microfauna conservation.
And since geckos are a major indicator of a healthy ecosystem, understanding them is key to understanding the environment at large!
📍 Location: 255 McKibbin St, Studio 0019, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (about a 5-minute walk from the Morgan L train)
🕒 Hours: Wednesday – Sunday from 12 pm to 7 pm
🎟️ Tickets: $20 per person (Kids under 4 are free!). Available at the door or via their online booking system.
