Over 200,000 Museum Free Passes Distributed to 80+ Museums, Gardens, Performance Venues and Historic Sites in All Five Boroughs
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), The New York Public Library (NYPL, serving Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island), and Queens Public Library are celebrating five years of Culture Pass. The library-led initiative, which provides patrons with free access to cultural institutions, launched in July 2018 with just 30 partners. Today over 80 museums, historic sites, gardens and performance venues participate in the program, generously providing free passes to library card holders. 230,000 passes have been distributed since the program began five years ago.
“Library cards open portals to worlds near and far through the pages of a book or through the doors of the finest museums and performances venues in the world,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library. “We are grateful to the arts organizations who every day grant New Yorkers free access via the Culture Pass program, an initiative that furthers the Library’s aim to provide access to information to all.”
Beginning with just 30 sites in 2018, Culture Pass is an extension of the core mission of the city’s public libraries to provide free access to a wide variety of resources for learning for all New Yorkers, including the city’s world class art and performance venues.
"Five years ago, New York City’s libraries launched Culture Pass, a remarkable project that introduced our patrons to some of the world’s most extraordinary museums, parks, and cultural institutions. For many New Yorkers, visiting these amazing spaces felt out of reach or too expensive, but Culture Pass has opened the door to new experiences that can only be found in the City. It is a quintessential Library program, elevating the search for knowledge and fostering creativity and growth. The New York Public Library is thrilled to celebrate its continued success," said Anthony W. Marx, President of The New York Public Library.
In all, since the launch of the program, library patrons have reserved over 230,000 passes worth over $10 million dollars. Approximately 60 percent of the reservations have been made my New Yorkers living in low or mixed-income neighborhoods across all five boroughs. And according to a survey, 75% percent of Culture Pass users report using a pass to go to a cultural site they had not visited before.
“We are thrilled to celebrate five years of Culture Pass, which has been tremendously popular among Queens communities amid the post-pandemic recovery, giving customers of all backgrounds and circumstances a chance to connect for free with our city’s world-class cultural institutions,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “This remarkable initiative has truly amplified our mission to transform people’s lives and has opened another avenue for our libraries to offer the public access to knowledge and discovery beyond the physical walls of our branches.”
Originally launched with museums, gardens and historic sites, library card holders can now also access 20 performance sites. Overall, more than 80 cultural organizations generously participate in the program. Even after a pause for pandemic-related closures, demand for passes has bounced back and remains strong—in April 2023, 7200 New Yorkers reserved a pass, the most in a single month since the program launched.
“The Met and our city’s dynamic public library system share a mission of providing access to all New Yorkers to these public institutions,” says Ken Weine, Senior Vice President of External Affairs of The Met. “The only thing better than a visit to a library is a visit to a library and a museum.”
"The Museum of Modern Art is thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Culture Pass, as it allows us to connect with even more New Yorkers to share the art of our time. Creating a welcoming, accessible space and serving as a gathering place for all is vital to our mission at MoMA, and we are excited to have this opportunity to enrich our community here at the Museum,” said Sonya Shrier, Director of Visitor Engagement, The Museum of Modern Art.
“Poster House is a happy beneficiary of the Culture Pass program as we see a growing and important number of our visitors booking tickets through the platform. Partnering with Culture Pass has improved our outreach throughout the city, especially to disadvantaged communities. The system is easy to use and our whole visitor services team is trained to welcome Culture Pass visitors, and it has been an absolute pleasure working with the team behind the scenes," said Julia Knight, Executive Director, Poster House.
The libraries have also partnered with Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, that features expert-curated content and guides to hundreds of cultural organizations around the world—including dozens of Culture Pass partner organizations. Created by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the app features trip-planning tools, interactive maps, and a wide range of curated video, audio, and text content that can help Culture Pass users enhance their next cultural outing.
Support for Culture Pass is provided by the Charles H. Revson Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.
“Culture Pass has brought NYC’s world-renowned cultural treasures back home to any New Yorker with a library card, no matter where they live or their financial circumstances. It has been a huge success, and clearly demonstrates how equitable access to arts and culture is a win-win for everyone. As a founding donor, the Revson Foundation is proud to celebrate five years of Culture Pass, and its essential place in New York City’s cultural landscape,” said Julie Sandorf, President of the Charles H. Revson Foundation.
“New York is home to so many great cultural offerings and the Culture Pass program ensures that everyone can experience the historic sites, gardens, art collections and performance venues of the city,” said Kate. D. Levin, Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Program Lead. “Our free arts and culture app Bloomberg Connects can help users enjoy even more from engaging with participating sites around the city. We are so proud to partner with Culture Pass in expanding access to the arts.”
Our foundation is committed to access and opportunity for all New Yorkers,” said Laurie M. Tisch, President of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. “Culture Pass is an important effort to use the network of the City’s libraries to increase opportunities to access a rich array of cultural institutions in every borough.”
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. As a leader in developing modern 21st century libraries, we provide resources to support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.
About The New York Public Library
For 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center located in the nation’s largest public housing complex, two teen centers, two bookmobiles, and two book bicycles.