Discover how the Houston CityPass saved our family over $180 while exploring top attractions like the Houston Zoo, Children’s Museum, and more. An honest review from a traveling parent with tips on what’s worth it and what to skip!
Reasoning
Usually in a city, I attempt to go visit a wide variety of places that are unique to that area. Sometimes that is parks and playgrounds, and sometimes that is museums or national park areas. I like to try and experience as much as possible. We had six days in Houston with two retired military veterans, my toddler, and myself. So there was a need for a wide variety of options to visit and I wanted to be budget friendly. I stumbled onto the CityPass. Several years back, I had gotten scammed into doing a multiple place pass, and so I am always wary of deals like this. I was going to pass it up, but I noticed on all the legitimate museum websites they mentioned the CityPass. I decided to take a chance on the pass, and I am grateful I did as it saved me over $180 dollars.
How CityPass Works – https://www.citypass.com/
City Pass combines the price of seven museums and allows you to go to the Space Museum and then pick four other Museums for a much smaller price than you would pay to go to all five individually. Your options after the Space Museum are Houston Zoo, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Downtown Aquarium, Houston’s Children Museum, Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and Kemah Boardwalk. The pass does not help out with parking or any extras as I quickly found out, but it still worked as an overall deal for me, even with parking and extras being added in later. I had two retired military/seniors with me, and it still saved more money than buying their individual discounted tickets. I also had a toddler who didn’t need any ticket with the exception of the children’s museum.
Ease of the Pass
With the exception of the Downtown Aquarium and Natural Science Museum, I didn’t have to go to the purchase line for any of the museums. I could walk right in and scan my tickets. With the Natural Science Museum, I just went to the ticket booth and they printed off my tickets. I found the use of the tickets really easy. My biggest problem was making sure to keep the email safe in my inbox! I have a habit of deleting important emails!
The Museums
I did not visit the Fine Art Museum (although I really wish we had) because of my toddler. I thought she would enjoy the Downtown Aquarium more, and so I passed up the opportunity to go. I also did not go to the Kemah Boardwalk. I could see this being fun if my child was a teenager, but I figured the zoo was the better option for her.
Johnson Space Center
I really wanted to like the Space Center, but Kennedy Space Center has it beat hands down. The trams feel dated, and the exhibits are not cohesive. There are five little exhibits in the main museum and then four possible tram rides. Each of the exhibits tries to show off something new that the space program is trying. They have one historical type section which was focused on the Space Lab and the Apollo missions. Nothing seems to match up, and there was little to no explanation on items in the exhibit. This museum relies on the tram tours to be interesting (they are not) and people wanting to look at space equipment. I am fine looking at space equipment, but can you please provide better explanations for the items (or any explanation for some of the items). My dad loves space, so this was his day. The only exhibit he thought had much value was the Space Lab exhibit. He had to explain the lab to the group he was with since there was so little writing about it.
Honestly, someone needs to work with the Space Center on a redesign. If you are looking to take your space crazy kid or parent to this Museum, they might leave disappointed. We did, but it was not the worst museum in Houston. It was just dated and lacking real thought into the exhibits.
Houston Zoo
This is an incredible zoo! I was awestruck on how this much zoo could fit into a park in the middle of the city, but they made every square inch work for them! It was odd to hear ambulances and helicopters while at the zoo, but most of the time it was fairly quiet. The new Galapagos section is impressive, and we loved the elephant pens. The children’s zoo is spectacular in the fact that it has playgrounds and petting zoos. For me, the children’s area was so well designed that I wish we had started there rather than done it at the end. We spend two and a half hours at the zoo and only did half of the zoo! We were all beat by the time we got to the car. My toddler was so ready for her nap, but if she didn’t need that nap, we would have stayed all day. This zoo is worth the visit.
Houston Museum of Natural Science
While not entirely toddler friendly, our family really enjoyed the Museum of Natural Science in Houston. The exhibits were well done and thought out. The dino exhibit was my daughter’s favorite, but I loved the seashell area. They had seashells that were as big as a medium sized dog. I was amazed. We got to go up to the Egypt section which was so beautifully detailed. I could have spent days in this museum, and I loved all the permanent exhibits.
However, I disliked the nickel and dimed feel of the special exhibits. I really hate how museums have gone to this idea of you can get into our museum, but you can’t see half the museum unless you pay extra. There were five special exhibits that I couldn’t enjoy because they cost an additional amount. It kinda soured my outlook on this museum. The additional amounts were also astronomical. So while I think this museum should be on your list to visit, please realize that they only allow you to see some of the exhibits with your general admissions or city pass.
Downtown Aquarium
Worst Aquarium Ever! Please do not waste your time, money, or effort going to this farce of an aquarium. I have been to plenty of aquariums, and this is a couple of tanks with amusement rides. It doesn’t deserve the title aquarium, and should be demolished. Honestly, between the rude staff, terrible tiger cages (yes, they have tigers), and sad fish tanks, there is no appeal to this museum. Also, everything is an add on additional fee. It may start as a low price, but they keep making you spend money, and nickel and dime you. It was also my highest parking fee by far in this city. I wish I had taken my daughter to see the Fine Art Museum. This was not worth the time.
Children’s Museum Houston
By now, I feel like I am a connoisseur of children’s museums as I go to them all over the United States. I have been to at least a dozen in the past two and a half years. Some are in small towns, and others in large cities. Houston has them all beat. I mean that. Houston has done an outstanding job, and they are looking at expanding even more. They have the coolest Kid City where children play pretend, and a science section on movement and motion. The staff was incredible and they have these fun art projects in each room. My kid was getting overloaded, and a staff member told me about the toddler play area. I decided to head that way but got lost, and another staff member escorted me right to the entrance. I was seriously impressed by their staff. The toddler area was incredible, but while my daughter is still a toddler, she has outgrown most of the toddler toys developmentally. She isn’t ready though for the major pay areas at a children’s museum yet. However, the staff informed me that they are doubling the size of their toddler area, and making it more developmentally appropriate for infant through five, which would be a better fit for my daughter. The children’s museum did story time, had an outdoor garden, and a spectacular water exploration space. This is a children’s museum that I want to live next to. This should be on everyone’s go to list in Houston.
Overall Impression
I like the concept of the CityPass and it did save us a great deal of money, and time standing in lines. While I could have saved money with senior discounts, I would not have saved as much. I wound up with $182 dollars of savings than buying the passes individually. You do need to calculate as a family how much it would cost and if the cost would make you break even. In my case, it worked out well, but if I had only gone to three museums, I could have paid less individually. Below is a chart of my breakdown in cost. Since I went to all five museums, I did exceptionally well on the savings.
| Museum | Adult | Military/Senior | Child | Total w/tax and fees |
| Johnson Space | 34.95 | 32.95 X2 | N/A | 105.85 |
| Zoo | 41.90 | 35.65 X2 | N/A | 113.20 |
| Natural Science | 25 | 16 X2 | N/A | 57 |
| Aquarium | 26.99 X3 | 90.87 | ||
| Childrens | 19.95 | 17.95 | 19.95 | 75.80 |
| CityPass | $240 | N/A | $240 | |
| Total Individual | $442.72 | |||
| Total CityPass | 260 – additional child ticket needed for children’s museum | |||
