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Things to do in Houston, TX

Things to Do in Houston, TX Featured Image

Cover photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Houston, TX is one of the most famous cities in the Lone Star State and is a great city to visit for a weekend trip. Situated near the Gulf of Mexico, with a history dating back centuries, and a plethora of amazing attractions and food places – Houston is definitely a must-visit destination.

Whether you’re traveling with family, friends, your significant other, or planning to go on a solo trip, Houston offers tons of places worth visiting, from ethnic stores and ancient buildings to museums and restaurants.

Read on to know all the fun things that await you in Houston, Texas!

Top 15 Things to Do in Houston, Texas

We weren’t exaggerating when we said that there’s a plethora of attractions in Houston! We begin by enumerating the top 15 things to do in Houston, TX but it doesn’t end there. We go on to list even more amazing places for you to visit!

Downtown Aquarium

Photo by Twiggy Jia

This marvelous 6-acre dining and entertainment complex houses a 500,000-gallon aquatic wonderland with 200 species of exotic global residents. The Downtown Aquarium is a great attraction for the family, especially the little ones.

Visit the Cockrell Butterfly Center and be mesmerized by the various species of butterflies and bugs featured in this living butterfly habitat. You’ll also find here specimens of some of the world’s strangest arthropods.

Discovery Green, an 11.78-acre public city park, is among the best places to choose if you’re looking for free things to do in Houston, TX. This urban oasis is no ordinary park. Here, you can enjoy various activities for free, including yoga classes, toddler story times, as well as movie nights and concerts. This is one of the top free things to do in Houston, TX this weekend!

Discovery Green

Photo by Katya Wolf

The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park features a 64-foot fountain and 186 oak trees. It is the perfect spot to relax, enjoy a Frisbee game, have a picnic, take a stroll, and take photos.

Speedy’s is such a fun family entertainment center, offering both indoor and outdoor entertainment. Kids and kids at heart come here to enjoy arcade games, miniature golf, laser tag, and Formula 1 style go-karts.

Minute Maid Park is a super attraction for the entire family. Home to Houston’s Major League Baseball team, the Astros, this venue is also popular for seeing a major league team playing on natural grass outdoors.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) offers a vast collection of mineral specimens, space station models, 60 large skeleton mounts, a planetarium, and so much more to keep the family entertained for the whole day.

One of Houston’s topmost attractions, the Space Center is home to more than 400 artifacts. In addition to permanent and traveling exhibits and displays about America’s space flight programs, the museum also features an impressive collection of movies and interactive consoles.

Highly recommended for science buffs, The Health Museum provides excellent interactive health and science educational experiences, such as a hands-on walkthrough of the human body, actual organ dissections, and plenty of ever-changing new and exciting exhibits.

This world-class museum features a stunning collection of approximately 64,000 works from six continents spanning over 6,000 years of history. Some of the treasures to look forward to are Gleizes’s La Femme, Memling’s portrait, Monet’s Water Lilies, and a vast array of Roman period sculptures and paintings.

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Photo by Caleb Oquendo

The Hobby Center is another family-friendly destination that offers breathtaking views of the city’s skyscrapers. Located on the edge of the theater district, the center is popular for its laudable shows and plays.

This performing arts theater is known for its original sketch comedies. This is the perfect place for fans of live musical reviews. The shows are humorous and whimsical, performed by very talented actors.

This amazing indoor skydiving experience can be enjoyed by everyone in the family 3 years and older. Experience the adrenaline rush as you undergo a simulation of real freefall conditions inside a vertical wind tunnel.

With over 14,000 square feet of climbable surface, 5 Auto Belays, 42 Top Ropes, a lead arch, and a separate bouldering area, the Texas Rock Gym offers a fantastic experience to rock climbing and gym addicts of all ages. The gym also offers Yoga, Tai-Chi, and Kung Fu classes.

What’s a trip without some mementos to remember it by? Drop by Pinto Ranch and take home some fine western gear, such as handmade cowboy boots, leather coats, and genuine Stetson hats.

What Are the Best Attractions in Houston for Tourists?

Want to know the best things to do in Houston, TX this weekend? Aside from the ones we just mentioned, there are so many other places we recommend you visit. Here they are:

What Are the Best Attractions in Houston for Tourists

Photo by Brett Sayles

Set on 55 acres in Hermann Park, the Houston Zoo is home to over 6,000 exotic and indigenous animals. Some of the highlights include feeding the giraffes, viewing marine life up close in the aquarium, and watching sea lions and otters frolicking about.

Houston’s street art, also known as graffiti, is simply amazing! Check out the installations by some of the popular street artists from various states throughout the country and around the world.

The Art Car Museum, also known locally as the Garage Mahal, is a popular Houston attraction that features unique and interesting artworks created from cars of every type. The artists do an incredible job in transforming something you normally see in the streets into a unique statement or message.

Any Tips on What to Do in Houston During the Summer?

Houston never runs out of amazing things to do and places to go to! Here are more attractions you should add in your list if you’re visiting Houston in the summer.

Situated on the Rice University campus, the James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace is equipped with an LED light sequence that projects onto the ceiling and throughout the venue – forming a magnificent backdrop as you watch the beautiful sunset.

One of the most fun family things to do in Houston, TX, the zoo features over 6,000 animals, exhibits and top-notch programs to keep everyone entertained. Check out the African forest and view gorillas, zebras, and giraffes; experience underwater creatures and seals; and watch the elephants as they are given their daily bath.

Sign Up for a Free Summer Program at the Houston Public Library

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

The Houston Public Library system offers a wide selection of free programs during the summer months. These programs allow people of all ages to sign up. Choose from reading programs, STEM-focused classes, language and craft classes, and more!
Things to Do in Houston, TX

Wrap Up

Houston, TX is the ultimate destination and you can very well look forward to so much fun while you’re here! In fact, some tourists have had such a wonderful time that they’ve decided to stay here for good. In case you would like to move here as well, don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll show you all the best housing options in the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re an outdoors enthusiast, you will enjoy Buffalo Bayou. The Houston Zoo and Children’s Museum are excellent spots for those traveling with kids. And if you’re an art lover, you might want to check out the Art Car Museum.

There are lots of free things to do in Houston. One of the best spots for free things to do in Houston TX at night would be Discovery Green, an 11.78-acre public city park that’s popular for its movie nights and concerts.

The Miller Outdoor Theatre offers free daytime children’s programming, plays, concerts, dances and shows. The theater, located on 7.5 acres of land in Hermann Park, runs from mid-March through mid-November.

Yes, a lot actually! Some of these are:

  • Willow Waterhole Greenway: 290 acres of ponds, walking trails, and lush coastal prairie.
  • Jerry Matheson Park: a 10-acre park with an interactive playground made of wood and dozens of tires, as well other fun attractions like a swimming pool, a pee-wee baseball field, and four fenced-in tennis courts.
  • Lucky Land Houston: a 2-acre park that showcases Chinese culture and history.
  • Moorehead’s Blueberry Farm: this hidden berry paradise in Houston is the oldest pick-your-own blueberry farm in the whole of Texas.

One of the favorite couple things to do in Houston, TX is experience the city’s food scene. Some of the restaurants we recommend you check out are TRIS, Squable, Truth BBQ, POST Market (Food Hall), and Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana.

Houston is a drinker’s paradise, and some of the bars you should check out are Monkey’s Tail, Johnny’s Gold Brick, Lei Low, Permission, and The Lounge at March.