Dallas In 3 Days With A City Pass: The Ultimate Itinerary

Is the Dallas CityPASS Worth It? The 2026 Math

We priced every included attraction individually in June 2026. Here is the honest per-adult breakdown:

• Perot Museum of Nature and Science: $33
• Reunion Tower GeO-Deck: $21
• George W. Bush Presidential Library (most popular choice 1): $21
• Dallas Zoo (alternative choice 1): $17
• Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum (alternative choice 2): $16

Best-case à-la-carte total — Perot + Tower + Bush Library + Zoo: $92
Dallas CityPASS price: $54 adult
Savings: $38 (41%)

CityPASS's own "save 47%" figure uses a different attraction mix that totals slightly higher. Either way, if you visit all four sites, you save meaningfully.

When the pass loses money: If you only visit two attractions — say Perot ($33) and Reunion Tower ($21) — you pay $54 for $54 of value. Zero savings. The pass breaks even at two attractions and only genuinely pays off when you use all four included slots. If your itinerary is tight and you might skip one attraction, see our full Dallas CityPASS worth-it analysis before buying.

For families: A family of two adults and two children visiting all four sites pays $180 with CityPASS versus roughly $270–290 à la carte — a saving of around $90–110. See our Dallas CityPASS for families guide for child-specific tips and the exact child price breakdown.

Buy It If / Skip It If

Buy the Dallas CityPASS if:

• You plan to visit all four included attractions over your three days
• You want a single mobile ticket instead of juggling four separate bookings
• You are travelling with children — the child price of $36 makes the savings steeper
• You want the convenience of the 9-day validity window, so you are not rushing

Skip the Dallas CityPASS if:

• You only plan to visit one or two of the included sites
• You already hold a museum membership that gives discounted or free entry
• Your main interest is the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza — it is not included in the CityPASS

The 3-Day Dallas CityPASS Itinerary

This schedule sequences the four CityPASS sites efficiently across three days, grouping them by neighborhood to cut drive time. It is built around the two fixed inclusions (Perot Museum, Reunion Tower) plus our recommended choice picks (George W. Bush Library + Dallas Holocaust Museum).

Day 1 — Downtown History (Holocaust Museum + Reunion Tower)

Start in the historic West End, which puts two CityPASS sites within a 15-minute walk of each other.

• 10:00 AM — Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum ($16 à la carte; covered by your CityPASS choice slot). Plan 2–2.5 hours. Book a timed entry slot in advance — weekends sell out. The museum asks visitors to register at dhhrm.org.
• 12:30 PM — Lunch near Dealey Plaza. The West End Marketplace food stalls are a short walk. For a proper Texas BBQ experience, Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum is worth the 10-minute Uber ride.
• 2:30 PM — Dealey Plaza self-guided walk. Free. The Sixth Floor Museum at the former Texas School Book Depository is next door ($22 adult, not covered by the CityPASS) — add it if American history is your priority. Allow 90 minutes.
• 6:30 PM — Reunion Tower GeO-Deck ($21 à la carte; fixed CityPASS inclusion). Reserve the sunset window — this is the most booked slot. The 360° observation deck is best 30–45 minutes before dark. The 5ive60 restaurant at the top is an option for dinner, but book well in advance and expect to spend $80–120 per head.

Day 2 — Science + Arts District (Perot Museum)

The Perot Museum anchors the Victory Park corridor. The free M-Line Trolley runs along McKinney Avenue and connects Uptown to the museum area.

• 10:00 AM — Perot Museum of Nature and Science ($33 à la carte; fixed CityPASS inclusion). Book your timed entry slot online using your CityPASS confirmation number before you arrive. Allow 3 hours minimum — the five-story building covers energy, engineering, space, and natural history. The 11:00 AM wave is typically the busiest; opening time is quieter.
• 1:30 PM — Klyde Warren Park. Free. This elevated deck park sits on a covered freeway section between the Arts District and Uptown. Food trucks are stationed weekdays; full programming on weekends including yoga and movie nights.
• 3:00 PM — Dallas Museum of Art. General admission is free (special exhibitions extra). The Arts District walking loop also passes the Nasher Sculpture Center if you want to add a paid stop ($10 adult).
• Evening — Uptown or Knox-Henderson dinner. Dense restaurant options at every price point along McKinney Avenue and Henderson Avenue.

Day 3 — Presidential Library + Deep Ellum Evening

The George W. Bush Presidential Library sits on the SMU campus in University Park — about 20 minutes north of downtown. DART does not serve this campus directly; plan for Uber or a rental car.

• 10:00 AM — George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum ($21 à la carte; your second CityPASS choice slot). Arrive before school groups, which typically arrive mid-morning. Allow 2–3 hours. Security screening is standard — leave bags in the car where possible and arrive 15 minutes early.
• 1:00 PM — Lunch in University Park or East Dallas. Highland Park Village has upscale cafe options. For something more local, head toward Lower Greenville.
• Afternoon — Optional: Dallas Zoo or Dallas Arboretum. If you swapped the Holocaust Museum for the Zoo as your first CityPASS choice, you have already used that slot — use this afternoon for the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden ($22 adult, not on the CityPASS) on White Rock Lake, especially beautiful March–May.
• Evening — Deep Ellum. Live music, street art, and independent restaurants. A 15-minute Uber from SMU campus. This is Dallas's most characterful evening neighborhood.

Booking Logistics and Gotchas

A few practical details the official CityPASS pages do not clearly spell out:

• Book Perot Museum timed entry before you arrive in Dallas. Weekend slots for popular floors (Energy Hall, T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall) sell out days in advance during summer and school holidays. Your CityPASS confirmation gives access but does not guarantee a slot on a specific time or date.
• Reunion Tower sunset hour sells out. Reserve the 6:30–8:30 PM window as soon as you know your travel dates.
• The Holocaust Museum recommends advance reservations but is generally less capacity-constrained than the Perot. Aim to book 3–5 days ahead on weekends.
• The CityPASS 9-day clock starts on first scan, not at purchase. Buy online before your trip and activate it at your first attraction.
• Dallas is not a walkable city end-to-end. DART light rail and the free M-Line Trolley cover the downtown/Arts District corridor well. Day 3 (SMU campus) requires Uber or a rental car — budget $15–20 per Uber trip from downtown.

For a full breakdown of 2026 pass prices and where to buy, see our Dallas CityPASS price guide.

What the Dallas CityPASS Does Not Cover

The CityPASS is a good deal on its four included sites, but Dallas has several top attractions it does not touch. Budget separately for these if they interest you:

• Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza — $22 adult; often the first stop visitors want to make in Dallas
• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden — $22 adult; exceptional March–May
• AT&T Stadium Tour (Arlington) — $35–75 depending on tour type; 30 minutes west, requires a car
• Fort Worth Stockyards — free to enter; 45 minutes west, requires a car; twice-daily cattle drive at 11:30 AM and 4:00 PM

See our full guide to what is and is not included in the Dallas CityPASS for the complete inclusions breakdown.