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Culture Pass NYC Lets You Use Your Library Card to Get into NYC Museums and Gardens for Free
Thanks to your library card and the Culture Pass NYC program, New York's cultural treasures—from museums to gardens, performing arts institutions, and more—are all just a few keystrokes away. While New York is home to some of the world's greatest cultural institutions, visiting them all with your family regularly can seriously add up. So, while we're always on the hunt for free times to visit NYC museums, if you're a current cardholder at the New York, Brooklyn, or Queens Public Library, you're going to want to read on for the details on how to unlock the NYC Culture Pass benefit.
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What's NYC Culture Pass?
Initially launched in the summer of 2018, Culture Pass NYC has only grown in the years since. New Yorkers age 13 and up who are current cardholders at the city's public libraries can reserve free admission passes to several city institutions, from museums to gardens and historical sites.
Where Can You Get Free Admission with Culture Pass NYC?
The list of participating institutions has exploded and now includes more than 80 cultural institutions, including big-name museums like the American Museum of Natural History and The Met, and several of our favorite kid-friendly spots like the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling, and the Museum of the Moving Image. And it's not just museums: The New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill are on the list, too.
How Does Culture Pass Work NYC?
Nabbing your free pass does require a little planning. You'll have to log on to the Culture Pass NYC website to reserve your free pass. Passes must be reserved and used on a particular day, and reservations open in two-month windows, with a new block released on the first of each month. For example, passes for February open on January 1; passes for March open on February 1, and so on. Some passes grant admission only for two adults, while others allow a family of four to visit for free.
A few key restrictions to note: To allow as many people as possible to access Culture Passes, each library cardholder can visit a participating institution only once per calendar year and each card can be used to hold four reservations at a time. If you change your plans, be sure to cancel your pass. Failure to use a NYC Culture Pass means you're locked out of visiting that institution with a Culture Pass NYC until the next calendar year.
You'll have to present a photo ID matching the name on your NYC Culture Pass when you hit the museum, but parents of teens, take note: Culture Passes can be reserved by those as young as 13, so they can soak up culture, too.
So, if your 2024 resolutions include making more of the great city of NYC with kids, start browsing. Reservations can be searched by institution name or available date.
This post was updated for 2024.
