NEW YORK CITY CityPASS is a passkey to a world of savings, allowing the holder to not only save about 42 percent on admissions to select New York City attractions, but skip most ticket lines.

The New York City booklet includes admission to the Empire State Building Experience, American Museum of National History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a choice of each of the following: Top of the Rock Observation Deck or Guggenheim Museum, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island or Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and The National September 11 Memorial & Museum or Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.Each booklet contains six admission tickets, valid for nine consecutive days when activated from its first use.In May 2015, CityPASS added its 12th city, Dallas, to its program that includes, in addition to New York City: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California, Tampa Bay and Toronto.CityPASS was founded by Mike Gallagher and Mike Morey, now co-chairmen, and launched summer 1997 in San Francisco and Seattle."They came up with the idea of marketing a city like a theme park," said Deborah Wakefield, vice president of public relations and communications for CityPASS, of its founders.As for each city, the New York City CityPASS program vetted the top must-see attractions. CityPASS booklets may be purchased online or at any of the participating attractions.Top of the RockThere's one view you can see from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Plaza that you can't see from the Empire State Building.And that's the Empire State Building.You know you're in for a treat the moment you enter 30 Rockefeller Plaza and look up at the massive Swarovski Crystal chandelier of 6,500 hand-cut crystals.Mary Farrell, Director of Sales, Top of the Rock Observation Deck, is chock-full of facts and anecdotes, not only about the chandelier but Rockefeller Center past and present as she leads journalists on a tour.The CityPASS field trip April 16-17 included, in addition to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, the Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, with a stay at the Residence Inn by Marriott-New York Manhattan-World Trade Center."This is like a curated pass," says Farrell of CityPASS. "They only put things in (the booklet) that are great."The Top of the Rock Observation Deck is actually a three-level observation deck on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, one of 14 Art Deco buildings on the 22-acre tract. Bethlehem Steel was used to construct Rockefeller Plaza.Empire State Building ExperienceFollowing a classy dinner of seafood chowder, New York strip and cheesecake in the State Grill in the Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave., it was time for a night view from the Observation Deck atop the 102nd floor.The elevator rides to the top are great fun. The 360-degree views are breathtaking. The city lights glow below like a bed of diamonds. On a clear day, five states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, are visible.The building, for which construction began in 1930, underwent a $550 million renovation in 2010, which included energy efficiencies.Residence Inn MarriottWall Street, One World Trade and The National September 11 Memorial & Museum are within walking distance of The Residence Inn by Marriott-New York Manhattan-World Trade Center, 170 Broadway at Maiden Lane.The Residence Inn opened Jan. 1, 2015. A Marriott had been located at the World Trade Center.A clock dating to 1894 in the sidewalk at Broadway and Maiden, which was working until Hurricane Sandy hit, provided the "time and money theme" for the hotel's interior decor. The building is a historic preservation that was in the Jewelry District circa 1903.Metropolitan MuseumThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., Manhattan, dates to 1866, is the largest art museum in the United States, one of the 10 largest in the world and has more than 2 million works in its permanent collection.Recommended is "Reimagining Modernism: 1900-1950," with numerous recognizable works (Picasso's "Portrait Of Gertrude Stein") with many shown infrequently or for the first time.Approximately 14,500 square feet of gallery space was reimagined in summer 2014. New walls and reconfiguration of existing walls accommodate about 250 objects, including modernist paintings, sculpture, design, photography and works on paper organized by Sheena Wagstaff, Leonard A. Lauder Chairman of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art."Reimagining Modernism" is not to be missed. Also on view: "The Monuments Men at the Met: Treasures Saved During World War II," an itinerary of 11 works restituted to their owners, and, through Aug. 16: "Van Gogh: Irises And Roses" and "Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Photographs."While there, enjoy lunch in the Petrie Court Café, a big, bright, airy space with floor-to-ceiling window views of Central Park. The salmon salad is a wonderful choice.The CityPASS program is a great way for families and friends to take in the best of what New York and other cities have to offer.