If you live in the Bronx or in another borough and are visiting the borough to enjoy its character, you may very well be planning a visit to one of its great institutions – notably the Botanical Garden, the Bronx Zoo or Wave Hill.
It is equally important as you visit them to know what their admissions policies are in terms of free admission – our focus here at this website, which is the very core of the Free Admission Initiative, the focus of which is to educate all New Yorkers on their rights to free admission to the Metropolitan Museum as well as 12 other institutions on park land.
While The Metropolitan Museum Of Art [Met Museum or the Museum] exists rent-free on city park land and in City-owned buildings, so might 12 other important museums or organizations, each with a stated admissions policy. Find a “card” to carry with you to always know where New Yorkers are entitled to free admission at “action card” on this website!.
Here is what we know and are sharing with you now.
New York Botanical Garden [“Botanical Garden”]… borough of The Bronx
Chapter 285 of the Laws of 1891, an Act to establish the botanical garden, states:
The said grounds shall be open and free to the public daily, including Sundays … [emphasis added]
The current admissions policy of the Botanical Garden is that tickets are needed [need to be purchased] for all visitors. There is a grounds-only pass available to NYC residents only for a fee of $15 for adults. Admission is free to everyone regardless of residency all day on Wednesdays and from 9-10 am on Saturdays.
New York Zoological Society [the Bronx Zoo] … borough of The Bronx
Chapter 435 of the Laws of 1895, an Act to incorporate the Zoological Society and to provide for the establishment of a zoological garden states in Section 8:
Admission to the said garden shall be free to the public for at least four days, one of which shall be Sunday, in each week … [emphasis added]
Then, at a March 24, 1897 meeting, a Resolution was reported to have been passed to Ch. 435 allotting South Bronx Park for use of the New York Zoological Society upon conditions entirely satisfactory to the Society and that states as follows:
The said Zoological Garden and its collections shall be free to the public without the payment of any admission fee or gratuity whatsoever for not less than seven hours a day on at least five days of the week, one of which shall be Sunday and also on all legal holidays and half holidays … [emphasis added]
In addition, it stated that
… the portion of the ground situate each of the Boston Road and all the Bronx River below the Boston Road bridge shall be open to the public at all times as pleasure grounds …”
The current admissions policy of the Bronx Zoo as stated on their website is that there is Winter Total Experience admission fee of $28.95 for adults..
Wave Hill … borough of The Bronx
It appears that Wave Hill is a non-profit, using philanthropic dollars to fund its operations and programs. On its website, there appears to be no admission fee. A description of Wave Hill is as follows:
In 1960, the Perkins-Freeman family deeded Wave Hill to the City of New York; Wave Hill, Inc., was formed in 1965 as a non-profit corporation. Today, as one of 33 City-owned cultural institutions, Wave Hill provides an oasis of serenity and offers programs in Horticulture, Environmental Education, Woodland Management and the Visual and Performing Arts. Through the arts and sciences, Wave Hill seeks to foster connections between people and nature.
So what do you do when you visit? One is what you can do right now! Check out the petition that FA (Free Admission) launched recently! [FA’s petition can be found on this link:
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/288/649/848/]
Many New Yorkers are commenting and supporting our rights across this great city of ours! Please sign as it urges NY AG Letitia James to enforce Ch. 476 of the Laws right of 1893, which required the Met Museum to be free of all charge to New Yorkers.
Sometime ago, FA corresponded with AG James’ office to urge her to enforce the NYS law. She did not respond.
FA looks to all New Yorkers to insist that “the people’s lawyer” act on our behalf and require the Met Museum, and many of 12 other City-funded park institutions, to abide by the provisions of contracts or NYS laws requiring free admission to New Yorkers [and especially our schools] in reciprocity for some form of economic forgiveness.
FA’s petition can be
found on this link:
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/288/649/848/
We thank you who live and visit the Bronx!