City PASS is a popular money saving ticket that offers up to a 50% discount on the must see attractions in major cities. In addition to the money savings, you will also save time by skipping the ticket lines and experience the convenience of purchasing all the tickets at once. Sounds great, but is it worth it?
We broke down the cost of the CityPASS Houston to determine when we would reach our return on investment. The Houston CityPASS offers tickets to five attractions and promises a savings if you visit at least three of those attractions.
One Adult Ticket costs $39 and includes:
- Space Center Houston (Admission $22.95)
- Discovery Aquarium (Admission $9.95)
- Houston Museum of Natural History (Admission $13.00)
- Houston Zoo or the Health Museum (Admission $13.00 and $8.00)
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston or The Children’s Museum Houston (Admission $7 and $9)
Most first time visitors to Houston will want to visit the Space Center and that ticket price can be quite expensive. An adult ticket is regularly $22.95, which is more than half the price of the CityPASS, but the Space Center often runs half price specials. Check about specials at the Space Center to determine if you can get a half price ticket. If you can get a half price ticket, you will have to visit four of the attractions to get your best value. If you are not going to visit the Space Center, you will still save a bit of money if you visit the other four attractions, but not a giant savings.
Some other important notes to make the most of your CityPASS
- Two tickets have optional choices, but if you want to choose both options, use your CityPASS for the more expensive ticket.
- Tickets are good for nine days from the first use.
- Tickets are null and void if they are torn from the booklet.
- Some locations offer a special line for City Pass holders. The lineup at the Space Center is the most unclear. City Pass holders can skip the lines outside at the Space Center and go directly inside to the turnstiles.
- City Pass tickets offer only base ticket admission. Many attractions have extras that are available for an additional fee, but some are discounted with the City Pass.
~Our City Passes were provided complimentarily by the CVB of Houston. They did not require that I express a particular viewpoint and all opinions are my own.~