New York CityPASS®

CityPASS is a sightseeing pass, not a guided tour. For $154, you get admission to the Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History, then pick three more attractions from a list of six. The pass gives you nine consecutive days to use your tickets, so you can spread out big museums, skyline views, and boat trips instead of cramming them into one exhausting day.

I like two things in particular: one mobile ticket keeps your plans together, and the nine-day window gives you room to build a sensible schedule. The catch is that the pass only saves money if you choose attractions you genuinely want to visit, and some venues still require advance reservations or a ticket exchange at the door.

At a glance

• Five attractions, not all eight: The Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History are included, plus three of six choices.
• Nine consecutive days: The clock starts with your first visit. Unused tickets expire one year after purchase.
• Two special inclusions: The Empire State Building ticket includes same-night general admission, and the museum ticket includes one available extra experience.
• Reservations matter: Some attractions require a time slot, and popular dates can fill up. Plan ahead rather than leaving all five choices to chance.
• Mobile or printed tickets: Present your pass on your phone or bring a printout.
• Best for active sightseers: You’ll get the clearest value if you already expect to visit several of the included sights.

What the $154 pass actually covers

The pass includes admission to the Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History, then lets you choose three of these six: Top of the Rock Observation Deck, ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a Circle Line sightseeing cruise, the Intrepid Museum, or the Guggenheim Museum.

That distinction is important. The attraction list is a menu, not a checklist. You cannot use one pass to visit all eight included options, and adding an attraction outside your three choices means paying separately. Before buying, pick your likely five and compare their individual admission prices with $154. The pass is designed to save money, but it does not make an expensive attraction worthwhile if you would rather spend your time elsewhere.

The attractions also sit in different parts of the city. You will need to arrange your own transportation, and a day that combines a museum with an observation deck or ferry trip needs some thought. The nine-day validity helps: you can group nearby sights, give the big museums proper time, and avoid turning each day into a race against a ticket clock.

Start at the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building admission includes the 86th Floor Observatory and the second-floor museum. The observatory gives you an elevated view of the city, while the museum provides context before or after the skyline stop. Most notably, the ticket also includes a bonus same-night general admission visit, so you can return later that evening without using another attraction choice.

That evening return can make the ticket more useful than a single timed visit. It gives you a chance to see the building at two different times of day, if your schedule and energy allow. Still, do not assume the pass eliminates every wait. It includes admission, but the ticket’s value is not a promise that every entrance will be instant.

Allow time rather than treating this as a quick photo stop. The stated visit duration is about three hours, which gives you room for the museum and observatory. If you plan to use the same-night admission, leave space in your day rather than stacking another long attraction right up against it.

Give the American Museum of Natural History room to breathe

The American Museum of Natural History ticket covers the permanent halls, with more than 40 galleries. It also includes one ticketed experience, chosen from an exhibition, the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, a giant-screen film, or a Hayden Planetarium Space Show, subject to availability.

That extra is a useful part of the pass, but it is not an open-ended choice of every special exhibit. Check what is available and what needs to be reserved before building your museum day around a particular show or display. The museum is large enough that four hours is a sensible allowance, and even then you will need to choose what matters most to you.

One practical wrinkle: you may still have to wait in line at the museum to show the CityPASS and exchange it for the venue’s ticket. That can feel like a letdown if you expected to walk straight in. Keep the pass handy, follow the current entry instructions, and allow a little buffer rather than scheduling your next activity immediately afterward.

Choose a skyline view: Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock is one of the three optional picks and includes general admission to its observation deck. If your New York plans are built around big views, it gives you a second high-up experience alongside the Empire State Building.

The choice is less about whether an observation deck is worthwhile and more about how much time and money you want to spend on skyline stops. With both the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock in the pass, you can compare the two views for yourself, but you might prefer to use one of your three choices on a museum, ferry, or cruise instead. The stated visit time is about three hours, so it is not a tiny add-on.

Make a reservation if the attraction requires one, and check available times before you commit to a tightly packed day. Advance planning is especially useful for popular buildings and busy dates.

Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The Statue City Cruises option includes one ferry ride to and from Liberty Island and Ellis Island, audio guides, and admission to the Statue of Liberty Museum and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. It is a substantial outing, not just a boat transfer: the ferry connects two separate island visits, and each has its own museum experience.

There are clear limits to the ticket. Pedestal and crown access are not included, so do not assume the pass gets you into those areas. If either is important to you, the pass details say upgrades may be available directly from the attraction. Confirm what access you want before you book.

The listed visit duration is about three hours. Treat that as a planning guide, not a reason to rush through both islands. Ferry access makes this one of the more logistically involved choices, so check the reservation and departure details before you set off. It is a strong pick if the islands are a priority, less so if you are trying to keep your schedule loose.

Pick a Circle Line cruise for a break from walking

The Circle Line choice covers one regularly scheduled cruise: the Landmarks Cruise, Liberty Midtown Cruise, Liberty Super Express Cruise, or Statue at Sunset Cruise. Schedules can change, so check the current options before planning your day around a particular route or time.

A boat tour can also serve a practical purpose in a busy sightseeing plan: it puts you on the water and gives your feet a rest. One family group found it useful to fit a boat trip between other activities for exactly that reason. That is a sensible way to use the cruise, especially if your days already include long museum visits and plenty of walking.

The pass includes one cruise, not every Circle Line route. Check the available schedule and choose the sailing that fits your plans. The listed duration is about three hours, so include travel time to the departure point when you arrange the rest of the day.

Consider the 9/11 Memorial and Museum carefully

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum admission is general admission. This is a significant and emotionally demanding visit, so give it more than a quick slot between two unrelated attractions. The stated visit duration is about three hours, a useful minimum planning block for a place where you may want time to pause and take in what you are seeing.

The memorial and the museum are not interchangeable experiences. The pass includes both, and it is worth planning for the museum’s full visit rather than assuming the outdoor memorial is the whole stop. If you are deciding among the optional attractions, consider whether you have the time and emotional space for this visit during your trip.

Reservations may be required, and popular entry times can be hard to secure at the last minute. Book ahead and leave breathing room before or after your visit. Several people have found it easy to adjust booked times in the app, but flexibility should not replace checking current availability.

Board the Intrepid or visit the Guggenheim

The Intrepid Museum’s general admission includes the Space Shuttle Pavilion, the submarine Growler, the immersive Kamikaze experience, and temporary exhibitions. Its collection of very different spaces makes it a good choice if you want an outing beyond conventional galleries. The stated visit time is about three hours, so plan for a substantial stop.

The Guggenheim offers general admission to its collection and special exhibits, plus access to a free daily architecture tour and a digital guide in multiple languages on your own mobile device. That makes it a useful pick if architecture and art are high on your list. Bring your phone if you want to use the digital guide, and check the current tour details before you go.

You have room for only three optional attractions, so choosing between these museums comes down to your interests and schedule. It is easy to be tempted by the full list. A better plan is to select the places you are most likely to enjoy and leave the rest for another trip.

Make reservations before the city makes the choice for you

The pass is valid for nine consecutive days starting with first use. You do not have to use it on nine separate days, but the period gives you useful flexibility if you are staying longer than a weekend. A ticket that has not been activated expires one year after purchase.

Plan your choices before you arrive, then make reservations for attractions that require them. Popular buildings and the 9/11 Museum can be busy, so securing times a few days ahead is a safer approach than waiting until you are already in the city. You can access tickets and attraction details through CityPASS, and the pass can be shown on a mobile device or printed.

The app’s main advantage is practical: it keeps selections, tickets, and reservations in one place, and many scheduled times can be changed if plans shift. But do not treat that as a guarantee that any time will be available. Check the options as soon as your travel dates are firm, especially if your schedule depends on a specific attraction.

Your own transportation is not included. That matters because the choices are spread across the city, and some visits take several hours. Build your days around neighborhoods and realistic travel time rather than trying to visit the Empire State Building, a major museum, and an island in one breathless stretch.

When the price makes sense

At $154 per person, CityPASS is most appealing if you plan to visit all five attractions and would otherwise pay full admission for them. It also has convenience value: one pass gathers your tickets in one place, and reservations can be managed through the app. The reported overall rating is 4.3 out of 5 from 2,123 ratings, but your own value calculation should come first.

The strongest fit is a trip with a clear sightseeing plan. If you want the Empire State Building and the Natural History Museum, then already have three likely choices from the remaining list, the pass is easy to compare against separate admission. Families and small groups may find the shared planning especially useful, though each person still needs a pass.

The weaker fit is a short visit with only one or two attractions in mind, or a trip where you expect to skip several of the included sights. The selection is focused on major attractions, but it may not match every visitor’s interests. One sensible approach is to price your intended five admissions individually before buying, then decide whether the savings are enough to justify the pass.

The pass is nonrefundable and cannot be changed after purchase, so make that comparison before paying. Also check that your booking details reach CityPASS correctly, since access to the app and reservations depends on being able to retrieve your pass. If something goes wrong, customer service may be able to help, but it is wiser to confirm access early.

Should you book New York CityPASS?

Book it if you expect to visit the two included attractions and can name three optional sights you genuinely want to see. The nine-day window, mobile access, and ability to manage many reservations in one place make it a practical tool for a planned sightseeing trip.

Skip it if you are likely to use only a couple of admissions, prefer a loose schedule, or are buying it mainly because the full attraction list looks impressive. Choose your five first, check reservation availability, and compare the individual prices. If those choices already fit your trip, CityPASS can save money and simplify the ticket juggling. If they do not, buy only the admissions you need.

FAQ

How many attractions are included?

The pass includes admission to the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, plus your choice of three attractions from six options.

How long is the pass valid?

It is valid for nine consecutive days, including the first day of use.

When does the nine-day period begin?

The validity period starts on the date you first use the pass.

How long is an unused pass valid?

A nonactivated ticket expires one year after the purchase date.

Can I show the ticket on my phone?

Yes. You can present the ticket on a mobile device or print it for entry.

Which attractions can I choose?

The optional attractions are Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, a Circle Line cruise, the Intrepid Museum, or the Guggenheim Museum.

Does the Statue of Liberty ticket include crown access?

No. Crown and pedestal access are not included. Additional ticket upgrades may be available directly from the attraction.

Is transportation between attractions included?

No. Transportation to and from the attractions is not included.

Can I cancel or change the pass after purchase?

No. The experience is nonrefundable and cannot be changed after purchase.