Circlepass to offer discounted admission to four University Circle venues

 
Last Thursday during their spring meeting, University Circle Inc. (UCI) representatives announced a forthcoming Circlepass, which will bring a popular tourist concept to the city's cultural focal point.

CirclePass will be one combined ticket for the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA), the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Western Reserve Historical Society's Cleveland History Center. Circlepass will be discounted by 25 percent off regular admissions.

Each pass will remain valid for ten days and is valid for one entry at each museum. Hence users may visit all the venues on one day or over several days. Circlepass will be available for purchase online and users will receive it via text or email. Those who prefer a paper experience will be able to print out their pass. Smart phone users will be able to display the pass therein. UCI expects to officially launch the much-anticipated program by the end of the month.

Lisa Sands, UCI's director of marketing and communications noted that similar types of event passes are available at cities such as Toronto and Seattle among others, but University Circle's unique layout sets Circlepass apart.

"What makes Circlepass unique and especially appealing is the proximity of each participating institution," said Sands at the meeting. "Unlike most passes in Boston and Chicago, the Circlepass experience is entirely walkable."

Sands said she hopes Circlepass attracts visitors of all walks, be they conventioneers, groups or those who might make a one-tank trip from Pittsburgh, Columbus or Erie. She mentioned the PNC Bank's support of the program several times.

While still in the pilot stage, Sands said UCI hopes to eventually add other area venues, hotels and restaurants, but the organization felt launching ahead of the RNC was critical.

"The time is right to launch it this year with all the excitement and visitorship destined for our city," said Sands, noting the affordability and convenience of the pass concept. "They're very popular with tourists."

Erin O'Brien
Erin O'Brien

About the Author: Erin O'Brien

Erin O'Brien's eclectic features and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and others. The sixth generation northeast Ohioan is also author of The Irish Hungarian Guide to the Domestic Arts. Visit erinobrien.us for complete profile information.