Culture Pass: NYC Library Cardholders Get Free Admission To 33 Cultural Institutions

Pamela Wong -

Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Library cardholders have a new perk—free access to a number of museums, public gardens, and cultural institutions across the city.

Via www.culturepass.nyc

Culture Pass is a new program that allows cardholders aged 13 and over to reserve a pass and receive free admission to more than 30 institutions including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, New York Transit Museum, Queens Museum, Wave Hill, and many more.

Library cardholders can go to www.culturepass.nyc then:

  • Select “Reserve a Pass”
  • Select their library system (Brooklyn, New York, Queens)
  • Enter their library card credentials (number on the back of their library card and PIN. To create/reset a PIN for a Brooklyn Public Library account, click here.)
  • Search for available passes by date, venue, or location. Each pass provides free entry for either two or four visitors (read the details carefully)
  • And reserve

Print out or download your pass before your visit, but remember after you’ve printed/downloaded, you cannot cancel your reservation. Don’t forget to bring a valid ID.

Cardholders can reserve one pass per institution per year and can have two active reservations per library card at a time. If a cardholder has two active reservations and tries to book another, his/her account will be blocked from making additional bookings. If a cardholder reserves a pass but does not use it, he/she will not be able to book for that specific institution again until the following calendar year.

Don’t have a Brooklyn Library Card? Click here to apply online.

The full list of participating organizations can be found at the Culture Pass website, however several of the more popular (and pricier) attractions state, “No offers at this time,” including:

  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  • Cooper Hewitt
  • The Frick Collection
  • International Center of Photography
  • Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • The Morgan Library & Museum
  • MoMA
  • New York Transit Museum
  • The Guggenheim
  • The Whitney

“There is a lot of excitement about this new program and many library patrons are reserving passes for the summer dates,” a statement from the Brooklyn Public Library reads. “If tickets are already booked at your desired institution, we encourage you to check the availability of other locations or try to book a pass at a later date.”

According to the Culture Pass FAQ page, passes will be released two months prior on the first day of every month (i. e., passes for December will be made available starting October 1) so check back on the first of the month to see if passes become available for the venues that currently do not have offers.