What Is Included In The San Antonio Pass: 10 Essential Facts

The 8 Attractions in the San Antonio CityPASS

You choose any 4 of these 8 options. All 8 are legitimate top-tier San Antonio sites — none are filler. Here is what each includes and the 2026 gate price you would pay without the pass.

1. San Antonio Zoo — 56 acres, 3,500+ animals. Gate price: $27 adult / $22 child. One of the highest-value picks. Requires 3–4 hours minimum.
2. DoSeum — Interactive children's museum, STEM focus. Gate price: $21 adult / $21 child. Best for families with kids under 10. Book a timed entry in advance during summer.
3. San Antonio Botanical Garden — 38-acre garden with glass conservatories. Gate price: $18.50 adult / $13 child. Allow 2 hours. Bring water in summer.
4. Witte Museum — Texas heritage, natural history, science. Gate price: $17 adult / $12 child. Best for history and science buffs; budget 2.5 hours.
5. San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) — Ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian collections in a historic brewery. Gate price: $14 adult / $5 child. Lowest adult gate price on the list — lowest-value CityPASS pick for adults.
6. Tower of the Americas — 750-foot observation deck + 4D theater. Gate price: $16 adult / $12 child. Go at sunset. The 4D theater is included in the CityPASS admission.
7. Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises — 35-minute narrated River Walk boat tour. Gate price: $13 adult / $8 child. Lowest adult gate value on the list. Avoid the 2pm peak; morning cruises board faster.
8. Alamo Exhibit (Ralston Family Collections Center) — The paid exhibit adjoining the free Alamo church. Gate price: $15 adult / $10 child. The Alamo grounds and church remain free to everyone — the pass only adds the exhibit. Worth picking if you want the full 1836 battle history experience.

Note: the Alamo grounds and church are free to all visitors with no ticket needed. Only the exhibit requires a paid admission. CityPASS covers that paid exhibit.

Worth-It Math: À-la-Carte vs. CityPASS (2026, Adult)

We priced all 8 attractions at their published 2026 gate rates in June 2026. Here is the arithmetic for adults across three scenarios.

Best-value combo (Zoo + DoSeum + Botanical Garden + Witte Museum)

• San Antonio Zoo: $27
• DoSeum: $21
• San Antonio Botanical Garden: $18.50
• Witte Museum: $17
• À-la-carte total: $83.50
• CityPASS adult: $59
• Savings: $24.50 per adult (29%)

Maximum-value combo (Zoo + DoSeum + Botanical Garden + Tower of Americas)

• San Antonio Zoo: $27
• DoSeum: $21
• San Antonio Botanical Garden: $18.50
• Tower of the Americas: $16
• À-la-carte total: $82.50
• CityPASS adult: $59
• Savings: $23.50 per adult (28%)

Lowest-value combo (SAMA + River Cruise + Alamo Exhibit + Tower)

• SAMA: $14
• Go Rio Cruise: $13
• Alamo Exhibit: $15
• Tower of the Americas: $16
• À-la-carte total: $58
• CityPASS adult: $59
• Net: you LOSE $1 — skip the pass for this combo.

Family of 4 (2 adults + 2 children, best-value combo)

• À-la-carte: (2 × $83.50) + (2 × $70) = $307
• CityPASS: (2 × $59) + (2 × $49) = $216
• Family savings: $91 (30%)

Verdict: The pass pays off clearly when you pick the Zoo, DoSeum, and Botanical Garden as three of your four slots. It breaks even or loses money on the lower-priced attractions (SAMA, River Cruise). The pass does not make sense if you are only visiting one or two sites.

Buy It If / Skip It If

For a full scenario-by-scenario breakdown with child pricing, see our detailed San Antonio CityPASS worth it guide, or check the San Antonio city pass price page for the latest 2026 adult and child rates.

How the Pick 4 System Works

The San Antonio CityPASS is a fixed bundle with a choice mechanic: you get 4 visits from a locked menu of 8. You do not pick your four at purchase — you activate each attraction at the gate. The pass clock starts on the first day you scan into your first attraction.

Validity: 9 consecutive days from first use. If you scan in on a Monday, the pass expires the following Tuesday. For most visitors, this is more than enough — the 3-day San Antonio itinerary covers everything comfortably.

Delivery: Instant mobile delivery after purchase. Scan from your phone at each gate. Print backup is available. No physical card to wait for.

Advance reservations: The DoSeum requires timed-entry booking during peak season (summer and spring break) — confirm your slot before you arrive. Other attractions are walk-up friendly but can have queues from 11am onward on weekends.

Gotcha: The pass does NOT include skip-the-line as a separate queue at the Zoo or Witte — it replaces the ticket desk entirely (you scan and walk in), which is effectively the same benefit during crowded periods.

What to Expect at Each Attraction

San Antonio Zoo ($27 gate)

56 acres, 3,500+ animals, consistently ranked top-10 in the US. Budget 4 hours minimum. Arrive before 10am on summer weekends — parking fills fast. The Africa Live and Kronkosky's Tiny Tot Nature Spot sections are the highlights for families. This is the single highest-value slot in the CityPASS.

DoSeum ($21 gate)

The city's premier children's museum, aimed at ages 1–10. Indoor and outdoor STEM exhibits plus a dedicated toddler wing. Summer timed-entry is enforced — book your slot at doseum.org before the day of your visit. Located near the Zoo (same Brackenridge Park cluster), so pair them for a kid-focused day. See how it compares when using the San Antonio city pass for families.

San Antonio Botanical Garden ($18.50 gate)

38 acres with themed gardens and glass conservatories. Best in spring (March–April) when most gardens are in bloom. Bring water and sunscreen in summer — a large portion of the route is exposed. The Lucile Halsell Conservatory (enclosed tropical and desert biomes) is a year-round highlight. Allow 2 hours.

Witte Museum ($17 gate)

Texas heritage and natural history, including a large dinosaur exhibit and a South Texas heritage section. Located on the Museum Reach of the River Walk — you can walk here from downtown via the river trail. Allow 2.5–3 hours. Closes at 5pm most days.

San Antonio Museum of Art / SAMA ($14 gate)

Housed in a restored 19th-century brewery on the Museum Reach. The permanent collection spans ancient Mediterranean art, Asian art, and Latin American art. At $14 gate price, SAMA is the lowest-value CityPASS pick for adults — but if you have cultural interests and are already visiting the Witte, it is an easy half-day addition. Best visited in the afternoon.

Tower of the Americas ($16 gate)

750-foot observation deck plus a 4D theater. Located downtown near the Convention Center. Skip-the-line scanning at the base — the CityPASS removes the ticket queue. Go at sunset (typically 7:30–8:30pm in summer) for the best view. The chart restaurant at the top requires a separate reservation and is not included.

Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises ($13 gate)

35-minute narrated boat tour of the River Walk. Scenic and relaxing, but at $13 it is the lowest-value adult pick on the list. The 2pm slot is always the most crowded; we recommend a 10am or 5:30pm boarding. All boats are open-air — wear sunscreen or bring a hat in summer.

Alamo Exhibit — Ralston Family Collections Center ($15 gate)

The Alamo grounds and church are free to all visitors — no ticket or pass required. What the CityPASS adds is admission to the paid Exhibit at the Ralston Family Collections Center, which opened in 2024. This is a well-produced deep dive into the 1836 Battle of the Alamo with original artifacts and immersive displays. If you are already planning to visit the Alamo (most San Antonio visitors are), adding the exhibit via your CityPASS slot is good value at $15 gate price.

Where to Buy + Logistics

Buy the San Antonio CityPASS directly from CityPASS.com — the official source. Tickets are cheaper there than through hotel concierges or third-party kiosks near the Alamo. There is no verified discount code that consistently works in 2026; sites advertising "20% off" CityPASS codes are generally inaccurate or expired.

Cancellation: Unused passes can be cancelled within 24 hours of purchase for a full refund. Once you activate at your first attraction, no refund is available.

Best time to visit San Antonio: April–May and October–November. June–August is brutally hot (average 97°F / 36°C highs) with the longest lines at outdoor attractions. If you visit in summer, hit the Zoo and Botanical Garden early (gates open at 9am) and fill afternoons with the climate-controlled museums.

For more on how San Antonio compares to other US city passes in terms of value, our national comparison covers every major market.