Which passes offer skip-the-line access in New York?

Save Time with New York Passes

• Planning to visit the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, or other New York attractions and museums? Buy a pass before you go. These packages bundle multiple entries at a fraction of what you’d pay at each venue separately. You always come out ahead.
• Many passes also include skip-the-line access at certain attractions. Since the end of the pandemic, several major sites require advance reservations—you cannot visit without booking ahead. This applies to the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Passes let you make these reservations online through dedicated platforms that guarantee available time slots. You’re assured entry and can skip past the regular lines. Here’s how it works for each pass.

Skip-the-Line Access and Reservations with the New York City Pass

The New York City Pass covers entry to 5 major New York attractions and museums at excellent value: Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, plus 3 attractions of your choice from the Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock, Guggenheim Museum, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum, and more.
Here’s what skip-the-line access is included:

• Statue of Liberty: The pass lets you reserve a time slot for your visit. You’ll receive detailed instructions in a special page we send by email after you purchase the pass.
• Empire State Building: The New York City Pass also includes a reservation for your visit. Details are in our private reservations page.
• Top of the Rock: Like the Empire State Building, the New York City Pass lets you reserve your time slot. This saves you from waiting in line with visitors who don’t have tickets—some wait hours.
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum: The New York City Pass includes a reserved time slot.
• Guggenheim Museum: Skip the regular ticket lines by presenting your pass at the information desk.
• Circle Line Cruises: Present your New York City Pass at the VIP window.

Skip-the-Line Access and Reservations with the New York Pass

Unlike the New York City Pass, which covers 6 attractions and is valid for 9 days, the New York Pass gives you access to 80 attractions and sites. You choose your pass duration: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.
Here’s what skip-the-line access is included:

• Statue of Liberty: The New York Pass lets you reserve your visit time slot. Advance reservation is required anyway. More details are in the special page we send after you purchase the pass.
• Top of the Rock: The New York Pass includes a reserved entry time. Details are in the special page we send after you purchase the pass.
• Guggenheim Museum: Skip the regular ticket lines by presenting your pass at the information desk.
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: Present your New York Pass at the VIP window.
• Madame Tussauds: Present your New York Pass at the Fast Track window.
• Circle Line Cruises: Present your New York Pass at the VIP window.

Skip-the-Line Access and Reservations with the Explorer Pass

The Explorer Pass works differently from other passes: you choose exactly which attractions you want to visit.
With the Explorer Pass, you select 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 visits from a list of about 50 New York attractions. You don’t decide right away what to see—just choose your total number of visits. Once in New York, visit whichever attractions you prefer, whenever you like. If you buy the 7-visit pass, you get 7 visits; if you buy the 10-visit pass, you get 10 visits. You decide the number.
The Explorer Pass includes the same skip-the-line access:

• Statue of Liberty: The Explorer Pass lets you reserve your time slot. All details are in the special page we send after you purchase the pass.
• Empire State Building: Same here—you can reserve your visit time. This saves you from waiting in line with visitors who don’t have tickets. Note: there is no skip-the-line access for the elevators and ascent itself.
• Top of the Rock: The Explorer Pass also saves you from waiting in line with visitors without tickets. Note: there is no skip-the-line access for the elevators and ascent itself.
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: Present your Explorer Pass at the VIP window.

Book Your New York Passes

• To book your passes, visit our New York tours and excursions section. You’ll find all available passes, tours, and excursions in New York.
• To choose the pass that saves you the most money, read our guide on how to pick the best New York pass.
• Have questions? Contact us via the New York Forum or our contact form.