ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN!
Returning Partners: Use the unique link sent to your email to complete enrollment. Deadline: November 20.
Cultural Access Program
Our programs reach over 70,000 families across
NYC’s 5 boroughs, and we collaborate with over 1,000 educators, parent coordinators, and administrators from over 450+ early childhood centers and Title I schools.
Cool Culture is building a movement. Learn how your early childhood program and school can be part of it today!
- Problem
50% of New Yorkers find cultural costs high.
Families with young children often hesitate to bring their kids to cultural institutions with cost being a significant barrier – this means thousands of NYC’s young learners are missing out on the benefits of arts engagement at an early age.
Cool Culture is on a mission to make the arts accessible to everyone. We believe that art is a fundamental human right that enables self-expression, celebrates identity, and fosters meaningful connections. Every day we work to ensure that NYC families, regardless of income or origin, have free access to arts and culture as tools for wellbeing, individual and collective healing.
We work with early childhood programs in underserved communities. Please review program eligibility for DOE schools here and for early child care centers here.
A Growing Cultural Movement
Expanded Access, Deeper Impact
As we celebrate 25 years of advocating for cultural equity, we’re proud to share the results of our expanded Cultural Access Program, which has reached more families and strengthened engagement across NYC.
Now Serving Families With Children Through 3rd Grade
We expanded eligibility to include families with children through 3rd grade in 2025-26, serving 20,000 more families last year alone! We heard your feedback, and are committed to ensuring even more families can benefit during these critical early learning years.
Studies show that exposure to the arts, building observation skills and exploring with trusted adults helps children in these new grades (Grade 1 thru 3) develop their social-emotional skills and literacy – just like it does for younger learners! As the latest research shows reading levels faltering across the U.S., our programs offer fun, free ways for families to give their children a stronger foundation.
Extended Family Pass Validity – More Time To Explore
Families now have 14 months to explore museums and cultural spaces (up from 12)—offering greater flexibility and more time to build lasting memories. This also means educators acting as their school’s Cultural Liaisons have more time to register more families!
You can be a key part of helping us deepen families’ engagement in their children’s education, expand arts and cultural access, and bring our shared vision of inclusive cultural participation to even more families! Learn more below.
The Family Pass Experience
Enrolling with Cool Culture will connect your school and its families to nearly 90 museums, zoos, and botanical gardens for FREE.
Free General Admission to Museums
The Cool Culture Family Pass provides free, general admission for up to 5 people at almost 90 partner museums, gardens, historical societies, science centers and zoos for one year. Educators at Cool Culture schools that serve children birth to Grade 3 are eligible for a Family Pass, too!
Exciting Museum Events
Families can enjoy museum pop-ups, family festivals and more events with interactive and educational experiences designed for all ages. Together, adults and children can enjoy hands-on art-making, family-friendly programs, and explorations of current exhibitions. All of these fun happenings foster connection, curiosity, and creativity!
Resources That Make Visiting Museums a Breeze
We’ve created Art Exploration cards with fun activities and other resources that help families of all backgrounds prepare for what might be an unfamiliar experience for their child. We also put together curated lists of exciting things to do all around NYC in our ArtVenture newsletter.
Family Guide and Online Museum Visitation Portal
Our multilingual Family Guide (available in Spanish and Chinese) will get you inspired and ready to visit museums.
Bring the Cool Family Festivals
Cool Culture family festivals are hosted around the city in partnership with museums, gardens and zoos.
Simple Steps to Partner with Us
Select a staff member to be your school/center's Cultural Liaison for your school/center.
Complete enrollment application and wait for enrollment decision to be communicated via email within 2 weeks.
After receiving enrollment confirmation, electronically sign the partnership agreement.
Being your school’s Cultural Liaison is fun and rewarding, but definitely takes time and effort. We can guide you the whole way through! Learn more about what a Cultural Liaison does here.
Cool Culture Prices and Plans
Schools | Public, private, or charter elementary schools serving students in grades 2K through 3rd grade. |
|---|---|
Enrollment Coverage
| 2026-2027 Fee
|
Accommodates grades 2K–3rd grade
| $3,950
|
Early Childhood Centers | Licensed early childhood education programs serving children prior to kindergarten entry, including daycare, preschool, and early learning centers. |
|---|---|
Enrollment Range
| 2026-2027 Fee
|
1-124 Children
| $950
|
125-300 Children
| $1,450
|
301-500 Children
| $3,650
|
501- 1000 Children
| $3,950
|
1001+ Children
| *Please Inquire with staff
|
District Pre-K Centers | NYC Pre-K Centers are standalone, NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) operated facilities that serve only early childhood students, typically ages 3 and 4. |
|---|---|
Enrollment Capacity
| 2026-2027 Fee
|
Accommodates up to 1,000 participants
| $3,950
|
Family Child Care Network Providers (FCCNPs) | Networks or organizations supporting multiple licensed family child care providers operating in home-based settings. |
|---|---|
Enrollment Capacity
| 2026-2027 Fee
|
Accommodates up to 1,000 participants
| $3,950
|
1001+ Children | *Please Inquire with staff
|
- Strengthening Families
Who We Are
Welcome to the Cool Culture community! The largest program of its kind in the country, we facilitate a network of 470 schools and centers, and 70,000+ member families who enjoy unlimited free access to nearly 90 museums, historical societies, science centers, botanic gardens, and zoos.
Cool Culture families make over 180,000 museum visits each year across the city. Enrollment for early childcare centers and Title I and public elementary schools is now open from June 24 to Nov. 20!
frequently asked questions
1. What is the Cool Culture Family Pass? How does it work?
The Cool Culture Family Pass is a card that offers eligible families free and unlimited general admission for up to 5 individuals (children and adults) to 90 partner cultural institutions. Families present their current Family Pass upon entry. The specific museum, botanical garden, or zoo may ask for a photo ID of the pass holder that matches the name on the Family Pass; the Passes are non-transferable.
The Family Pass covers general admission for regular exhibits. There may be extra fees for special exhibits and activities. Please call the museum if you’re unsure about any ticketing questions.
Families must sign up through their school or childcare programs who are enrolled with Cool Culture. We do not offer individual Family Pass signups.
2. We want Cool Culture! How can our program apply?
Cool Culture partners with early education programs for a one-year period. Enrollment is open from July to November. Find the enrollment form for DOE schools here and for child care centers here.
We work exclusively with early childhood programs in underserved communities: child care, Head Start, Universal Pre-K programs, and select Title I public schools. Please review program eligibility for DOE schools here and for early child care centers here.
3. Which museums and cultural spaces are part of the Family Pass network? How do you choose which ones to partner with?
See our Museum List and browse around 90 museums, botanical gardens, zoos and more by borough!
Museums and other cultural partners sign an agreement with Cool Culture to offer our families free and unlimited general admission to their regular exhibits. (Special events or exhibitions might have fees – always check with the specific cultural partner first!)
Not all cultural spaces in NYC agree to partner with Cool Culture. Families may want to try booking free admission through their library card’s Culture Pass to access places that are not in our network. Some museums and cultural spaces also offer free admission on certain days/times or may offer free admission for EBT card holders.
4. My school currently participates in Cool Culture. How do my families register for the Family Pass?
Your center or school’s appointed Cultural Liaison (often the parent coordinator in a school) will hold Family Pass registration periods from August through December with guidance from Cool Culture. Participating programs are provided registration materials for families. See the specific timelines for family pass registration for centers here and for schools here.
5. How can parents replace a lost Family Pass?
Replacement requests may be submitted from October through February. In the meantime, a Loaner Pass may be provided until a customized Family Pass can be printed.
6. What is the Curators for Educators program?
Year-round Seminars and Dialogues for and with educators whose schools and centers are enrolled in the Citywide Cultural Access Program help them to harness arts and culture to support the wellbeing of families. Art viewing, art-making, and discussions guide you in cultivating family engagement in the arts and at your school. We partner with colleagues from partner museums, art galleries, and arts education organizations in each session. Activity sheets and other resources are shared with all enrolled educators.
7. I couldn’t attend a Curators for Educators seminar or dialogue. Where can I find resources from the sessions?
Resources from our sessions are available to enrolled educators in an online folder. They include presentations, session recordings, and museum activity sheets. Please email family@coolculture.org for the link.
8. How is Cool Culture’s Family Pass different from NYC’s Culture Pass?
Cool Culture’s Family Pass is offered through our partner early childcare programs and public schools. It offers one year of free, unlimited general admission to participating cultural institutions. The Family Pass also allows up to five family members per visit.
The NYC Culture Pass is offered through the public library system for card holders age 13 and older. Card holders are limited to one admissions pass reservation per cultural institution per calendar year.
9. Do schools have to use Title I funding to pay for the program fee?
No, schools can pay for this program using other funds. Enrolled schools must digitally submit their payment through Bill.com. To stay true to the program’s intent, we ask that schools enrolling in Cool Culture DO NOT mandate donations from parents or other family members to cover the program fee.
Still got questions? Reach out to us at enrollment@coolculture.org