CITYWIDE — THE THREE CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM’S JOINT CULTURE PASS program has surpassed 500,000 reservations. Culture Pass provides Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), Queens Public Library (QPL) and New York Public Library (NYPL) cardholders with free admission to over 100 museums and cultural attractions in all five boroughs.
Established in summer 2018, Culture Pass was designed to eliminate barriers to entry to museums and other cultural institutions, including the cost of admission. The program also helped familiarize people with museums and counteracted the perception that museums were overly formal. Approximately 75% of Culture Pass users report visiting a site for the first time, with more than half of the reservations made by New Yorkers living in low or mixed-income neighborhoods. Launched with only 30 participating institutions, the program now offers access to 100 museums, gardens, historic homes and performance venues. In 2025, BPL, QPL and NYPL cardholders made nearly 120,000 Culture Pass reservations — the highest yearly total thus far.
Participating organizations generously donate passes to the program on a monthly basis. The total estimated value of all passes reserved since the program launched is $25,647,435.
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