Culture Pass

Culture Pass allows free access to participating NYC cultural institutions to residents aged 13 and older and who possess a Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, or Queens Public Library card. Passes must be reserved in advance to receive the free admission and shown along with a form of identification belonging to the pass holder. Depending on the institution, each pass will allow admission for either two adults or a family of four. The program allows one to reserve one pass per cultural institution per calendar year and you can have up to four active reservations at one time. 

To reserve a pass, go to the Culture Pass website. You will need your library card number and your library account PIN number to continue; so if you don’t have an account with your library system, you will have to create one. Passes are limited and released on the first of every month for the following month. I’m sure some institutions are more popular than others. I was able to reserve a pass for the Museum of the City of New York on December 18 for a visit the following day.