A family trip to the movies is expensive, and concert tickets are increasingly cost-prohibitive. Where can central Ohioans find live entertainment at a deep discount?
Go to the library.
Through the Culture Pass program at Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), patrons can check out – literally, with just a library card – passes to a wealth of local events. The one-time pass gives cardholders limited free admission to events that otherwise charge a fee.
The Culture Pass program was launched in 2018, with Franklin Park Conservatory and Wexner Center for the Arts as its first partners. Twenty organizations are now participating.
The most recent addition, The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, has partnered with CML to loan a select number of passes ahead
of each show in its 2026-27 season. Each pass will admit two people of any age to a preview night performance.
The Contemporary’s next production will be “Eureka Day,” a 2025 Tony Award-winning satire running Nov. 5-22. Visit thecontemporaryohio.org for more details.
Program partners select which of CML’s 23 locations will offer their passes based on the neighborhoods and communities aligned with their diversity, inclusion and outreach goals. As such, the passes are only available for in-person checkout at specific locations.
Unlike traditional library items, Culture Passes cannot be reserved, but patrons can check their availability at columbuslibrary.org/culture-pass.
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Free Columbus events with a library card. How the Culture Pass works
