What Is Included In The Houston Pass: 11 Things to Know

Houston CityPASS: Full Attraction List for 2026

The Houston CityPASS is a choose-5-from-9 fixed bundle. Space Center Houston is the only mandatory pick; your remaining four slots come from this menu. We verified 2026 gate prices from each venue's official site:

• Space Center Houston — $39.95 adult / $34.95 child (3–11). NASA tram tour into Mission Control and the Saturn V hall is included. Book your tram time slot in advance; slots fill by 10 AM on busy days.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science — $25 adult / $15 child (permanent galleries). The Butterfly Center and special exhibits cost extra and are not covered.
• Houston Zoo — $24 adult / $18 child (2026 gate). Skip-the-line entry with CityPASS; one of the most popular picks.
• Children's Museum Houston — $16 per person. Best on weekday mornings; the water playground and kid-sized city are the highlights.
• Downtown Aquarium Houston — $14.99 adult / $9.99 child (base exhibit). Rides are not covered by the CityPASS.
• Houston Museum of Fine Arts — $19 adult / $9 youth. Closed Mondays.
• Health Museum Houston — $14 adult / $10 child.
• Holocaust Museum Houston — General admission is free; CityPASS covers ticketed special exhibits.
• Kemah Boardwalk Rides — CityPASS includes a $28 unlimited-ride credit. The full unlimited wristband is ~$35, so you top up roughly $7 at the gate.

Best first-timer combo: Space Center + Natural Science + Houston Zoo + Children's Museum + Kemah Boardwalk. That five-pack unlocks the most savings — see the math below. If you don't have kids, swap Children's Museum for the Museum of Fine Arts or Downtown Aquarium.

Worked Worth-It Math: Does the Houston CityPASS Save Money in 2026?

We priced these in 2026 using gate prices from each venue's official site. Here is the honest arithmetic for the most popular 5-attraction combo:

Verdict: the CityPASS saves roughly $51 per adult and $40 per child on this combo — a real saving, not a marketing number. A family of two adults and two children saves approximately $182 versus buying tickets separately.

When the pass loses money: if you only do Space Center and one smaller museum, the CityPASS ($82) barely breaks even against two gate tickets (~$55–65). You need at least three of the higher-priced picks — Space Center plus Natural Science plus Zoo or Kemah — for the math to work clearly in your favor. For a deeper per-scenario breakdown, see our Houston CityPASS worth-it analysis.

Go City Houston Explorer Pass: What's Included and When It Wins

Go City runs a count-based Explorer Pass in Houston — you pick 3, 4, or 5 attractions from a pool of about 25 options and have 60 days from first use to complete them. There are no consecutive-day restrictions, which suits visitors spreading sightseeing across a longer stay.

The Explorer pool covers all the CityPASS anchors (Space Center, Zoo, Natural Science, Children's Museum, Aquarium) plus additional options like the Houston Arboretum and various boat and activity experiences. A 3-Choice Explorer runs around $79 for adults — price-competitive with the CityPASS for a 3-attraction visit. For 5 attractions the CityPASS ($82) is usually cheaper than the Go City 5-Choice (~$109).

Go City wins when you want to mix big museums with smaller activity experiences, or you have 2–4 weeks in the Houston area and want flexibility without a countdown clock. For a straight 4-to-5-day museum-focused visit, the CityPASS price is the better deal.

Buy It If / Skip It If

Buy the Houston CityPASS if:

• You are visiting for 3–9 days and plan to hit 4–5 major attractions.
• Space Center Houston is non-negotiable — at $40 gate, it covers nearly half the CityPASS cost on its own.
• You want mobile skip-the-line entry at most venues without juggling separate bookings.
• You are travelling with children — see our Houston CityPASS for families guide for child pricing and the best kid-specific picks.

Skip the CityPASS if:

• You only have one day in Houston — you won't get through 5 venues, so pay gate price at Space Center only ($39.95).
• You've already visited Space Center before and want 1–2 other museums — the math does not work below 3 higher-priced picks.
• You are a Houston resident — the GetOutPass ($79.95/year, 50+ local entertainment venues) is designed for you, not a 3–5 day tourist visit.

For a full 3-day itinerary that sequences the pass correctly, see Houston in 3 days with a city pass.

Space Center Houston: What to Know Before You Go

Space Center Houston is the dominant reason visitors buy any Houston pass. The NASA tram tour into Johnson Space Center — covering Mission Control and the Saturn V rocket hall — is included with your pass, but tram slots book out by 10 AM on weekends. Arrive by 9 AM or book your slot online the day before.

Independence Plaza, where a real Boeing 747 shuttle carrier is parked with a Space Shuttle replica on top, is the highlight for most visitors. Budget a full day: 5–7 hours is typical. It sits in Clear Lake, roughly 45 minutes south of downtown — a car or rideshare is required; parking is free on-site.

Kemah Boardwalk is 30 minutes further south. Combine both on the same day to avoid two separate drives from downtown, and plan for late afternoon arrival at Kemah for the sunset.

GetOutPass Houston: For Locals, Not Tourists

The GetOutPass ($79.95/year) covers over 50 venues including escape rooms, axe throwing, trampoline parks, bowling alleys, and mini-golf. It does not include Space Center Houston, the Houston Zoo, or any major museum. If you're a tourist with 3–5 days in the city, this pass will not serve you. If you are a Houston resident who wants varied weekend entertainment over 12 months, it is solid value — most venues allow one visit per year per membership, so it rewards variety rather than repeat visits to the same spot.