New York City is home to some of the most renowned cultural institutions in the world, and starting today, 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.  Click here for information about how to get a library card from The New York Public Library.

NYC library cardholders can borrow passes for two or four people at cultural institutions throughout the city. Cultural institutions currently participating in Culture Pass include the following, but more will be added on an ongoing basis: 

List updated 01/10/2019:

• American Museum of Natural History
• Asia Society Museum
• Bard Graduate Center Gallery
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Brooklyn Children's Museum
• Brooklyn Historical Society
• Brooklyn Museum
• Children's Museum of Manhattan
• Children's Museum of the Arts
• China Institute
• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
• Fraunces Tavern Museum
• Historic Richmond Town
• International Center of Photography
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
• Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
• Japan Society
• Lewis H. Latimer House Museum
• Louis Armstrong House
• MoMA PS1
• Museum of Arts and Design
• Museum of Chinese in America
• Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
• Museum of Modern Art
• Museum of the City of New York
• New Museum
• New York Botanical Garden
• New York Transit Museum
• Noguchi Museum
• Queens Historical Society
• Queens Museum
• Rubin Museum of Art
• SculptureCenter
• Second Stage Theater
• Skyscraper Museum
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
• Society of Illustrators
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
• Sugar Hill Children's Museum
• Swiss Institute
• The Drawing Center
• The Frick Collection
• The Jewish Museum
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• The Morgan Library & Museum
• The Noble Maritime Collection
• 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. Please note: Due to significant interest, the Culture Pass website is experiencing issues. Please check back later if you receive an error message. 

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.