New York museum memberships up since IDNYC launch

Over 45,000 people have signed up for free museum memberships through IDNYC since it launched eight months ago.

IDNYC cardholders have the option of signing up for a free one-year membership at any of the 33 participating institutions throughout the city.

“New members are coming through their doors every day and these institutions have welcomed new audiences from neighborhoods across the city,” said Bitta Mostofi, director of external affairs for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

IDNYC started in January; since then over 400,000 New Yorkers have received the card.

Queens is the top borough with over 140,000 cardholders, followed by Brooklyn with 124,575. Manhattan comes in third with 73,947.

The institutions with the largest number of memberships are The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Museum, Mostofi said.

IDNYC card holders have redeemed 1,648 new memberships at The Museum of the City of New York since the launch, with 600 of those in the month of July.

Each person that signs up for the ID card receives a brochure listing all the benefits offered, including cultural institutions memberships. Cardholders can also access the information online.

Individuals who have been members in the past three years are ineligible to receive free membership through IDNYC.

In addition, cardholders still have four months left to redeem membership at any of the participating institutions. Their membership is valid from the date it is redeemed and will not expire on Dec. 31, 2015

“Culture is central to life in New York City and we are committed to continuing to provide increased cultural access for IDNYC card holders,” Mostofi said. “We will announce benefits for the second year of the program later this year.”

For more information on IDNYC benefits go tohttp://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/index.page