Culture Pass: Get Free Access to NYC Museums with a Library Card

By NYPL Staff
July 16, 2018
Culture Pass

Updated 04/22/22

New York City is home to some of the most renowned cultural institutions in the world, and The New York Public Library is making it even easier for New Yorkers to enjoy these remarkable destinations with Culture Pass, a service that allows library cardholders to visit cultural institutions throughout the city for free.

To get started, you'll need a library card from The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, or Queens Library. NYC library cardholders can borrow passes for two or four people at cultural institutions throughout the city.

Below is just a sampling of participating cultural institutions. You can find the full list on the Culture Pass website:

  • American Museum of Natural History
  • Asia Society Museum
  • Bronx Museum of the Arts
  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  • Brooklyn Children's Museum
  • Brooklyn Museum
  • Children's Museum of Manhattan
  • Children's Museum of the Arts
  • China Institute
  • Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  • Fraunces Tavern Museum
  • The Frick Collection
  • Historic Richmond Town
  • Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
  • Japan Society
  • The Jewish Museum 
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • MoMA PS1
  • The Morgan Library & Museum
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Museum of the City of New York
  • New Museum
  • New York Botanical Garden
  • Noguchi Museum
  • Queens Museum
  • Rubin Museum of Art
  • Second Stage Theater
  • Society of Illustrators
  • Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
  • Staten Island Museum
  • Ukrainian Museum
  • Wave Hill
  • Whitney Museum of American Art

How to Make a Culture Pass Reservation

To get started, cardholders can visit the Culture Pass website and follow these steps:

  1. Under 'Reserve a Pass,' select your library system (The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, or Queens Library).
  2. Log in to the Culture Pass reservation system using your library card barcode/username and pin.
  3. Browse available passes by date, venue or location. Each pass will offer free entry for either two or four people; please read the details carefully.
  4. Make a reservation.
  5. Retrieve your pass shortly before your visit. (Once you print or download your pass, you cannot cancel your reservation.) You must show ID when redeeming Culture Pass.
  6. Check out the Culture Pass FAQ for more information. 

Explore the Culture Pass website for more information. 

Note: Only cardholders over 13 who have a valid library card are eligible for Culture Pass. If you apply for your library card online or through SimplyE, please visit one of our locations with a valid form of ID to receive your card. 

How to Get a Library Card from The New York Public Library

A free library card is your key to everything The New York Public Library has to offer. Anyone who lives, works, or studies in the state of New York can get a free library card at The New York Public Library. In addition to using Culture Pass, you can use your library card to borrow books and e-books, download digital media, access online databases, and much more. You can visit any of our 92 locations to get a library card or apply for a library card online. If you apply for your library card online, you will need to visit one of our locations with a valid form of ID to receive your physical card prior to using Culture Pass. Learn more about eligibility for NYPL cards here. 

Need Help?

Contact Ask NYPL for assistance. 

 

The role of public libraries for over 100 years is to make information, knowledge, and opportunity accessible to all. Culture Pass is certainly an extension of that mission and we hope you enjoy this new resource.