Dallas Teen Summer Pass Program Returns – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The City of Dallas' annual Teen All Access Pass program is back, giving teens free access to some of the city's top attractions for the summer.

City leaders say the program engages children and helps combat crime during the summer months.

At the Jaycee Zaragoza Recreation Center in Dallas, the waves are already rolling in: teens and their parents are showing up to get an all-access summer pass.

For the fourth consecutive summer, these passes will give teens free admission to some of the city's most popular attractions, including Bahama Beach Waterpark, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

“It gives them something to do, instead of being cooped up at home,” said Taylor Zuazua, recreation coordinator for the city of Dallas. “They have something fun and free to do all summer long.”

The city of Dallas will distribute up to 10,000 of these all-access passes to teens ages 13 to 17 who register with their parents at city recreation centers.

The program began in 2021, with city leaders hoping to provide teens with positive activities over the summer and keep them off the streets with too much free time.

“And that's when the bad decisions start happening when they're out on the street with other kids,” said Jaime Castro, president of the Dallas Police Association.

The Dallas Police Association told NBC 5 that data showed teens who used the passes and other city programs were much less likely to engage in criminal activity.

“So the success is there,” Castro said. “We have to understand that and do everything we can to encourage parents to enroll their children, because the success rate is incredible.”

Passes expire at the end of summer, and city parks officials say families are already lining up to get their kids in.

Equity issues have been raised: In recent years, community advocates have told NBC 5 they are concerned that teens in some of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods may not have the resources to sign up for the passes and visit attractions.

In response, Dallas Parks officials said those families could use public transportation like DART to take advantage of the program.

“It’s nice to give back to them,” Zuazua said. “They have something fun to do, other than being stuck at home.”

The Teen Full Access Program is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can find the full list of attractions and recreation centers offering the passes at DallasParks.Org