New York CityPASS®: Save up to 41% at 5 Top Attractions

New York CityPASS is at its best when you want to see the city’s headline sights without buying a separate ticket every time. For $154 per person, you get five attractions over nine days, with the Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History included, then choose three more.

I like the simple app, which keeps your tickets and reservations in one place. I also like the flexibility: several people were able to shift dates or times when weather or plans changed. The catch is that two attractions are fixed, so the pass is less useful if you have already visited the Empire State Building or do not plan to see the Natural History Museum.

Key points to know before you buy

• Two attractions are fixed: The Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History are included for everyone.
• Choose three more sights: Pick from Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Statue City Cruises, Circle Line, the Intrepid Museum, or the Guggenheim.
• The pass lasts nine consecutive days: The clock starts with your first attraction, not necessarily the date of purchase.
• The Empire State Building includes a bonus return: Visit once during the day and return the same night for general admission.
• The CityPASS app matters: Your initial booking voucher is not always the final attraction ticket. Download the My CityPASS app to access tickets and reservations.
• The best savings come from using five admissions: If you only use three or four attractions, compare individual prices first.

How the New York CityPASS works

You buy one pass, download your mobile tickets, and use them at five attractions. The pass is valid for nine consecutive days from the first time you activate it, giving you far more breathing room than a packed one-day sightseeing plan.

That nine-day window is useful in New York. You can place museums on rainy afternoons, observation decks on clear days, and boat trips when the weather looks pleasant. You do not need to visit everything back to back, which makes the pass a better fit for a normal holiday than for a frantic checklist.

The My CityPASS app is the practical center of the trip. Use it to see attraction details, display QR-code tickets, and book time slots where required. I recommend downloading it before you leave home and opening every attraction page before your first visit.

The voucher supplied at purchase may not be the ticket you scan at the entrance. You generally need the actual CityPASS app to access the attraction ticket. Saving screenshots of your QR codes is sensible in case your mobile connection is weak.

The pass does not include transport, food, or drinks. You will arrange your own subway rides, taxis, meals, and snacks. Bring comfortable shoes, water, comfortable clothes, a daypack, and a packed lunch if you plan a full day around several sights.

Empire State Building: two visits for one admission

The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the pass’s fixed attractions, and it includes entry to the 86th Floor Observatory and the second-floor museum. You also receive a bonus same-night general admission, provided you make one visit during the day and the second that evening.

That day-and-night option is a real strength. The first visit gives you a broad view of New York in daylight. The second lets you see the city lit up, without buying another general admission ticket. You should plan this carefully, since the bonus visit is for the same day rather than any time during the nine-day validity period.

The second-floor museum adds context before or after the observation deck. It helps turn a quick skyline stop into a fuller visit, though the main draw remains the view from above.

The limitation is simple: the Empire State Building is not optional. If you have visited before, or if you prefer the Top of the Rock, you still need to count this fixed admission when working out the pass value.

American Museum of Natural History: allow extra time

The pass includes the permanent museum halls, covering more than 40 galleries, plus one ticketed option based on availability. That option may be the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, a giant-screen film, or the Hayden Planetarium Space Show.

This is a large museum, so do not treat it as a quick stop between two observation decks. You will get more from it if you choose a few galleries in advance and leave enough time to explore without racing from room to room.

There is one practical wrinkle. The museum may require CityPASS holders to wait in a line to exchange or collect the museum admission ticket, even when the pass is already on your phone. Several visits went smoothly at other attractions but took longer here because of that extra step.

Check the current exhibition and availability details in the app before you arrive. A ticketed film, planetarium show, or butterfly visit can make this admission more valuable, but it is not guaranteed that every option will be available at every visit.

You should also compare the museum’s current admission rules with the pass price, especially if you qualify for a free or reduced admission option. One person found that regular museum entry could be free under certain conditions, which reduced the apparent savings. The pass can still save money, but this is the attraction most likely to change the calculation.

Choosing your three optional attractions

After the Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History, you choose three attractions from six. This is where you shape the pass around your interests.

Top of the Rock Observation Deck

Top of the Rock gives you another high view of New York, with the Empire State Building itself becoming part of the scene. Many people like this pairing because the two observation decks offer different ways to see the city.

Book early when possible, especially for a clear-weather time slot. The ability to move a reservation can help if clouds spoil the view, but not every booking is equally flexible. One booking was changed because poor weather meant there was little visibility from Rockefeller Center.

If you have already done the Empire State Building, choosing Top of the Rock may feel repetitive. For a first visit, though, having both viewpoints can be worthwhile, especially if you use the Empire State Building’s daytime and nighttime benefit.

9/11 Memorial and Museum

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is the most reflective stop in the pass. It is not a quick photo stop or a light sightseeing break. Give it enough time and expect the visit to feel serious.

The memorial and museum add an important historical dimension to a pass otherwise filled with skyline views, boats, and major museums. Many people consider this one of the most meaningful selections, but it may not suit anyone looking for a purely upbeat day of sightseeing.

Plan it with care. Pairing it with another major attraction in the same narrow time slot could make the day feel rushed.

Statue City Cruises to Liberty and Ellis Islands

The pass includes one Statue City Cruises ferry ride to and from Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It also includes audio guides and admission to the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.

This is the Statue of Liberty option included in the pass, but it does not include Crown Tickets or Pedestal Access. If reaching the crown or pedestal is essential to your plan, you will need to arrange that separately.

The ferry option is valuable because it combines transport on the water with two major island stops. It also gives you a different view of New York than the observation decks. Allow plenty of time, since this is not simply a short harbor ride.

Weather matters. One person skipped a boat trip in cold conditions, while another found a sunset cruise to be the best part of the trip. Pack layers and check the forecast before committing your day to the waterfront.

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

The pass includes one regularly scheduled Circle Line cruise. Eligible options include the Landmarks Cruise, Liberty Midtown Cruise, Liberty Super Express Cruise, or Statue at Sunset Cruise, subject to the current schedule.

This option is handy if you want city views from the water without spending a full day visiting Liberty and Ellis Islands. A sunset departure can be especially appealing, but schedules change, so check the Circle Line website before setting your plans.

The cruise is also a good choice for a tired day. You can sit back, see several parts of the city from the water, and reduce the amount of walking in your itinerary.

Intrepid Museum

The Intrepid Museum includes general admission to the Space Shuttle Pavilion, submarine Growler, immersive Kamikaze experience, and temporary exhibitions.

It is a strong pick if you like aircraft, ships, engineering, or military history. The variety also makes it useful for families with mixed interests, since the visit is more than a standard indoor museum tour.

Temporary exhibitions can change, so use the app to check what is included during your dates. As with the other options, you receive one admission unless the attraction specifically states otherwise.

Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim includes general admission to its collection and special exhibitions. You also receive access to a free daily architecture tour and a digital guide with content in several languages on your own mobile device.

This is the best optional choice for visitors who want modern art and an architecturally distinctive museum visit. The building itself is part of the reason to go, while the digital guide can help you make sense of the galleries at your own pace.

The Guggenheim may be less appealing if your priority is classic New York sightseeing, or if you would rather use the pass on a boat or observation deck. Its inclusion does give the pass some variety beyond the most famous viewpoints.

The real value of $154

The advertised saving is up to 41 percent, but the exact result depends on how you use the pass. To reach the strongest value, you need to visit all five included attractions and choose optional admissions that you would have bought anyway.

At $154, the pass is easy to justify for a first New York visit built around major sights. The fixed Empire State Building admission, the Natural History Museum, an observation deck, and a cruise or museum can quickly add up as separate purchases.

The value is weaker if you only have a short stop in the city, skip one of the fixed attractions, or choose activities with lower individual admission costs. It is also worth checking current prices and admission rules before buying, particularly for the Natural History Museum.

The pass can save more than money. It gives you a ready-made framework for the trip, reduces the need to stand at multiple ticket counters, and puts reservations in one place. That planning help is useful when you have only two or three days in New York and want to fit in several major stops.

Do not mistake it for an all-access ticket. Each attraction is generally a one-time entry, except for the Empire State Building’s same-night bonus. The pass also does not cover every famous New York museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA are not among the listed choices, a limitation if either is central to your plans.

Reservations, queues, and changing plans

Some attractions require reservations, and you should make them through the app as soon as your dates are clear. Time slots help you build a sensible day, but they also reduce spontaneity if you want to wander without a plan.

The useful middle ground is to reserve the major sights, then leave open space around them. Several bookings could be moved when plans changed, and some people adjusted times on the day. Still, flexibility is not guaranteed for every attraction or every time slot.

The American Museum of Natural History deserves special attention because you may need to queue to convert the CityPASS admission into a museum ticket. Do not schedule a tight appointment immediately afterward.

Present the mobile ticket at each attraction for scanning. Wheelchair access is available, but you should confirm any attraction-specific arrangements in the app or with CityPASS if you need detailed accessibility information.

Who should buy it

I would recommend CityPASS most strongly to a first-time visitor who wants several headline attractions. It suits couples, families, and short-break visitors who appreciate having a plan but still want some room to adjust it.

It is also a good fit if you expect to visit the Empire State Building, the Natural History Museum, and at least three of the optional attractions. The pass works especially well for a nine-day stay, since you can spread out the visits instead of exhausting yourself in a single weekend.

You may want individual tickets instead if you have already seen the Empire State Building, prefer MoMA or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, want the Statue of Liberty crown or pedestal, or plan to spend most of your time exploring neighborhoods rather than paid sights.

FAQ

How long is the New York CityPASS valid?

The pass is valid for nine consecutive days, including the first day you use it. The period begins when you activate the pass at your first attraction.

How many attractions are included?

You receive entry to five attractions. The Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History are fixed, and you choose three more from the listed options.

Which attractions can I choose?

You can choose Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Statue City Cruises, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, the Intrepid Museum, or the Guggenheim Museum.

Does the pass include the Statue of Liberty crown?

No. Statue City Cruises admission includes ferry service, audio guides, the Statue of Liberty Museum, and the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Crown Tickets and Pedestal Access are not included.

Does the Empire State Building admission include a return visit?

Yes. You can visit once during the day and return for bonus same-night general admission on that same day.

Do I need the CityPASS app?

You should download the My CityPASS app or use my.citypass.com. The app provides access to your attraction tickets, reservations, and attraction information.

Can I change my attraction reservations?

Some reservations can be changed, but flexibility depends on the attraction and booking conditions. The app is used to manage available date and time changes.

Are transportation and food included?

No. You pay separately for transportation, food, and drinks. Bring water, comfortable shoes, and a daypack for long sightseeing days.

Should you book New York CityPASS?

Book it if you want five major New York attractions and can use both fixed admissions. The strongest plan is to pair the Empire State Building, Natural History Museum, Top of the Rock, and one water-based option with either the 9/11 Museum, Intrepid, or Guggenheim.

Before buying, check the current Natural History Museum admission rules and decide if the Statue of Liberty crown or pedestal matters to you. If the choices match your plans, $154 is a practical buy that can save money, reduce ticket-line hassle, and give your trip a useful structure. If they do not, individual tickets will leave you freer and may cost less.