New York City residents have the right to free admission to 17 cultural and arts institutions located on parklands in the city, but this information is not always made clear to visitors. One New York native, Pat Nicholson, has launched the “Free Admission” campaign to advocate for New Yorkers’ rights to free access to these institutions.
Free Admission Rights of New Yorkers
According to a mid-1800s law, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) was allotted free rent on parkland in exchange for free admission to New York residents as part of a “Park Education Campus.” The law was later amended throughout the following century to incorporate 16 additional publicly supported institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo.
The institutions, which are subsidized by taxpayers’ money, are required to provide free admission to New York residents. However, many visitors are not aware of this, as most of the institutions use confusing language to describe their ticket policies.
Advocating for Free Admission
Nicholson launched the Free Admission campaign in 2012 when she filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Museum of Art with regard to its admission policies. The judge threw out the case, but another lawsuit of the same nature resulted in a 2016 settlement whereby the museum changed the language of its signage from “recommended” to “suggested” to better communicate free admissions opportunities.
Nicholson’s Free Admissions campaign seeks support for her two bills to gain more traction through an online petition to raise awareness of New Yorkers’ rights to culture and education. She wants New Yorkers to know about and take advantage of their right to free admission.
Excluding the AMNH, The Met, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music due to their explicit compliance, Nicholson contacted the remaining institutions for clarification regarding free admission in accordance with state and city laws.
Advocating for free admission to publicly supported institutions can help ensure access to education and cultural opportunities for all New Yorkers.
