Culture Pass & # 39; transforms city maps into admission for 33 cultural institutions

If you do not have a library card, there are now 33 other reasons to get one.

As of Monday, cardholders of the three systems of the city will be able to register for free at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Intrepid. Museum of the Sea, Air and Space, Museum of Modern Art and 30 other cultural institutions in the five districts.

The "Culture Pass" program aims to give access to museums and other sites. .

"I think it's one of the best things to happen," said Dennis Walcott, CEO of the Queens Library. "It really shows that libraries are the connective tissue of the general public."

Walcott noted that many New Yorkers, especially new immigrants, may not be aware of the city's different cultural institutions.

The program is open to people who have cards for the New York Public Library – serving Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island – the Queens Library or the Brooklyn Public Library.

The website of each library system will have its own page for the Culture Pass. Cardholders can log in using their library ID card, make a reservation and print or download a pass.

Officials said they expect the program to provide 58,000 passes each year. Cultural institutions provide laissez-passer while foundation donations cover most administrative costs.

Cardholders can only make two reservations at a time, but can use the pass as many times as they wish. Councilor Jimmy Van Bramer chairs the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, and says the program helps break down the barriers some people face when visiting museums.

"I grew up in a very popular Queens family and sometimes you get intimidated because you do not feel familiar enough with the art and some institutions charge fees," Van said. Bramer. "I like that library cards serve as passes to gain access to some of our cultural treasures."

The program is funded for three years, but public servants expect it to be Continuing program beyond this period

Culture Pass is different from the benefits offered to New Yorkers who register for IDNYC cards and get free memberships to cultural institutions across the city. The Cultural Pass provides single-visit passes, not memberships, at locations ranging from the Queens Museum to Wave Hill in the Bronx and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

"IDNYC was a great success a lot cultural experiences for so many immigrant families, "said Van Bramer." I think sometimes memberships pose challenges to cultural institutions. I think the beauty of the Culture Pass is that it gives everyone some flexibility. "