A CityPASS is a set of tourist attraction tickets that promises to save you money by costing less than the combined price of all of the individual attractions you gain access to. City Pass, Inc. offers these tickets in various popular cities around the globe, including Seattle.
Today, let’s see if the Seattle CityPASS is worth it by seeing how much each of the individual attraction tickets cost compared with the CityPASS price.
There was a $10 price increase on March 1, 2019, brining the Seattle CityPass cost to $99 for an adult (age 13+) or $79 for a child (age 5-12). However, there is also a "processing fee" of $1 per ticket, so really the cost is $100 and $80, respectively.
The CityPASS grants access to 7 different attractions, but you can only visit 5 of them. 3 are fixed, while the last 2 offers a choice. The attractions and their regular prices for children, adults, and seniors are:
| Attraction | Child (to 12) | Adult (13-64) | Senior (65+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Space Needle Day/Night admission (2 visits in 24 hours) | $43 | $57 | $54 |
| 2. Seattle Aquarium | $19.95 | $29.95 | $29.95 |
| 3. Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour | $17 | $31 | $26 |
| 4. Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) or | $19 | $28 | $25 |
| 4. Woodland Park Zoo | $10.50 | $15.50 | $13.50 |
| 5. Chihuly Garden and Glass or | $17 | $26 | $22 |
| 5. Pacific Science Center | $17.95 | $23.95 | $21.95 |
Notes
- Child (to 12): The minimum age to quality as a Child for each attraction can vary from 3-5 years old. Some allow children younger than the minimum free admission.
- Space Needle: The CityPass gives Day/Night admission for 2 entries in a single day. However, regular admission allowing a single entrance is probably good enough for most, and is considerately cheaper at $20-$25 less cost, depending on the time of day.
- Seattle Aquarium: Buying tickets online gives a $2 discount per ticket.
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): buying tickets online gives a $2 discount per ticket.
- Chihuly Garden and Glass: If you live in King County, Adult price is also $22.
Looking at the table, you can quickly calculate by summing the prices how much it will cost to visit the attractions you want. As a general rule, if you plan to visit only 1 or 2 attractions, there is no point in getting a CityPASS. However, it may be a good value if you plan to visit 4 or 5 attractions. 3 is also unlikely to be worth it, and there may be a better alternative.
If you plan to visit 2 or 3 attractions, you will want to check out smaller package admissions tickets as well that provide access to only 2 or 3 of the attractions, such as the Space Needle + Chihuly package for $49 (adult). A 3-pack version also adds in the Woodland Zoo for $69 (adult). See if such ticket combinations exist for the attractions you want, and you could save money with a more moderate travel plan.
