New York City library cards do more than let you borrow books. Through the city’s Culture Pass program, cardholders receive free tickets to more than 100 cultural institutions, from museums to botanical gardens.
How the program works
Alfredo Gutierrez, manager of outreach services for the New York Public Library, explains that the Culture Pass website (culturepass.nyc) lists participating destinations and provides complimentary admission. “You can get free tickets to different cultural institutions like the botanical gardens, museums, and more with your library card,” he said.
Participating sites include the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, the Bronx Children’s Museum, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and many others across the five boroughs.
Benefits for families
Gutierrez notes that the program helps residents enjoy activities that might otherwise be hard to afford. “Everything is getting more expensive, and sometimes it feels like you go outside and you’re spending $50 by default. So it’s helpful to have this kind of level for everyone,” he said. The service is open to anyone who lives, works, studies or pays taxes in New York State.
More than just tickets
Library cards also give access to the Brooklyn Public Library’s Library of Things, where patrons can borrow items such as vinyl records, crafting tools, musical instruments and board games. One visitor said, “Just to expand your horizons. See something you haven’t seen before. In New York, it’s already expensive enough.”
Between the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library and the New York Public Library, which serves Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, the free resources provide a wide range of entertainment, learning and exploration for New Yorkers of all ages.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
