The Top 10 Things To Do In Houston, TX 2023
Houston is a nice city with many attractions, such as Hermann Park where you can find the zoo, museums, gardens, and outdoor concert venues. Eat some great food Downtown or make your way to a sports event or Nasa Space Center. Have fun!
#10 - Downtown Aquarium
This is a 500,000-gallon Aquarium complex that is home to over 300 species of aquatic life and some other life, such as a white tiger too! The aquarium boasts a bar and restaurant with an underwater feel that we really enjoyed. The outdoor area also has a Ferris wheel, carousel, and other amusement rides and snacks. Read MoreSome of the exhibits include a Louisiana Swamp with alligators and bullfrogs, the Rainforest with piranhas and stingrays, and The Sunken Temple, home to tarantulas and lionfish. It is also included on the City Pass, so make your way through the Gulf of Mexico or the stingray encounter at a discounted rate. Fun for the entire family!
#9 - Minute Maid Park
Home to the Houston Astros, and built as a replacement for the famous Astrodome, this stadium has been hosting games since 2000. The retractable roof and classic architecture offer a nice retreat from the humid Houston weather and a chance to catch a ball hit over the shallow right field wall. It can Read Moreseat over 40,000 fans with the Honda Club Level and luxury suites as well, but it also has many standing-room options too. The ballpark design includes its team store that is housed in the once Union Station building and a train that chugs along the tracks in the outfield every time the home team whacks a homer! The park also has a Homerun Alley, commemorating great moments in the team’s history, and a kids’ play area, making it fun for the whole family to enjoy! Catch a stadium tour while visiting to learn more about Astros history-including how they got their name and how their jerseys changed over time.
#8 - Kemah Boardwalk
This is a fun and “beachy” experience outside of the downtown area near Clear Lake off of Galveston Bay. We took a ride share here after visiting the Nasa Johnson Space Center to make the best of the trip down there. Make sure you come hungry to have lunch or dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants, such Read Moreas Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Landry’s Seafood House, or Saltgrass Steakhouse. The Boardwalk also has cute little shops, fair food, an arcade, and many fair rides! Admission for the rides is part of the City Pass, so make sure to grab one of those for discounted rates on your trip. And don’t forget dessert at Sweet Scoops or Candy Box. This a nice stop, especially for the kiddos. You might even spot some dolphins or catch a live show!
#7 - Downtown Houston
As the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston has a bustling downtown area. We opted to book a hotel on Main Street because of its close proximity to many activities and to take advantage of the Metrorail. There are a ton of restaurants and bars to enjoy on Main Street, such as Moonshiners and Read MoreHigh & Dry. You can enjoy the greenery at parks like Discovery Park Green and Sam Houston Park. Sports fan? You can catch a baseball game at Minute Maid Park or watch the Rockets play at the Toyota Center. The downtown area is home to a theatre district that hosts countless shows a year and has an aquarium nearby. All in all, there’s a ton to do in this area and it will probably be where you spend the most amount of time during your trip!
#6 - Houston Zoo
Located within Hermann Park, this 55-acre zoo opens its gates to over two million visitors a year. Also included on the City Pass, this is a nice place to explore a vast variety of animals and their habitats. There are over 6,000 animals from around the world that are taken care of at the zoo, including Read Moreelephants, giraffes, lions, monkeys, birds, snakes, and more! We got to see a baby elephant that was only one week old! Make sure to stop at the Bug House and SeaLion exhibits, or take the kids to the Children’s Zoo area and Water Play Park. Both fun and educational, the zoo serves to connect people with animals and strives to save wildlife. With over 900 species to behold, we highly recommend a visit here to complete your trip. Bring that umbrella if visiting in the spring or you might find yourself under a tree in the primate area as we did!
#5 - Museum District
A spectacular tree-lined neighborhood that boasts over 19 museums, galleries, cultural centers, and more! Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to peruse the museums you would like to explore since there are so many to choose from! Many of the museums are even free and they attract over 8.7 million visitors a Read Moreyear! Choose from a list that includes the Science Museum, Museum of Fine Arts (Huge expanse of amazing art!), Houston Zoo, Children’s Museum, Holocaust Museum, and so much more! You can walk, ride a bike, drive, or take the metro to this beautiful section of Houston near and including Hermann Park. There are also restaurants nearby to make a complete day of it. So visit the Jung Center, take in the African American Museum, or the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, all within walking distance of one another. And yes! Look into a City Pass or check which days and times the museums are free!
#4 - Houston Museum of Natural Science
Take a journey through prehistoric times and galaxies far away at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Located in the aforementioned Hermann Park, within the Museum District, this is an outstanding attraction with four floors of fun and exploration. Grab a City Pass to get a discounted ticket price, but also Read Morediscounts on special exhibits. These include the Burke Baker Planetarium, Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, and many revolving exhibits too. Be sure to visit all of their dinosaur collections as you go back in time through the evolution of life on Earth or dazzle yourself at the glistening gem exhibit. Learn about Texas wildlife and watch the pendulum swing at this place of wonderment and excitement! Can’t beat the beautiful park setting nearby and a place to escape the Houston weather. Enjoy!
#3 - Hermann Park
A short drive or metro ride from Main Street in Downtown Houston, this park is a must-visit! You can easily spend an entire day, or two, visiting all of the attractions this park has to offer. The park encompasses 445 acres of a beautiful landscape that includes a relaxing Japanese Garden and Bayou Parkland that Read Moreserves as an oasis for native plants and wildlife. In the heart of the park lies McGovern Lake where you might fish, pedal boat, or jog along the bordering trails. You can also take a ride on the Hermann Park Railroad or stroll through the Celebration Garden. The park is also home to the Houston Zoo and Natural Science Museum, two places we definitely recommend and are included on the Houston City Pass. Be sure to also visit the many museums located in or right next to the park in the neighboring Museum District. Visit the General Sam Houston statue and climb atop the spiraling hill at the Centennial Gardens for a fantastic view! Whether you are coming to see a show at the park’s outdoor theater (Miller Outdoor Theatre), or just visiting for some rejuvenation, Hermann Park is the place to be. Just make sure to check the weather!
#2 - Discovery Green Park
A beautiful retreat in the downtown city, Discovery Green covers 12 acres of land, with playgrounds, concert space, art displays, and a man-made lake. It also has two restaurants, dog runs, and is a relaxing space for locals and visitors alike. Come for the free WiFi or join in one of the yoga classes, movie nights, Read Morereading rooms, or other special events hosted at the park throughout the year. Known as “downtown’s new backyard” the park is conveniently located near many hotels, the Convention Center, Toyota Center, and Minute Maid Park. Plenty of restaurants, such as Biggios (named after MLB Hall of Famer and Astro Legend Craig Biggio), are nearby too.
#1 - Nasa Johnson Space Center
A must-do while visiting Houston, this Space Center is home to NASA mission control, ISS mission control, the Orion program, and astronaut training. It is a bit of a drive outside of the downtown area, but well worth it! The 250,000 sq. ft. center boasts over 400 things to see and do, including touching moon rocks Read Moreor seeing a full-size shuttle! They have fascinating displays of spacesuits, a moon replica, and several interactive exhibits that give you a look into the past and future of space exploration. It includes a theater and games/rides for children too! Make sure to reserve your time to take the tram tour (included with the ticket price) that will wheel you around the complex and show you the work being done behind the scenes. It is no wonder that over 1 million people visit the center each year to partake in this compelling experience and to learn more about the exciting space exploration that is taking place in our world today. Grab a City Pass to get discounted ticket prices.
Check out the top 10 things to do in Dallas!
Houston Travel Tips Frequently Asked Questions
Is Houston a good place to travel? Houston is a fun and entertaining city full of activities for people of all ages. So, yes, Houston is a great place to travel! Between sports games, wonderful parks, museums, and restaurants, travelers will have a good time vacationing in Houston.Read More
Is Houston a walkable city? Yes! Downtown Houston is very walkable. If your hotel is in the downtown area, you’ll be able to walk to activities like Minute Maid Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Discovery Green Park. Activities like the Nasa Johnson Space Center, Kemah Boardwalk, and Hermann Park would require a ride-share, public transportation, or a rental car to get to.
Is it easy to get around Houston without a car? Getting around Houston without a car is definitely possible. Utilizing the Metro rail system or ride-shares would most likely be more cost-efficient than getting a rental car and paying for parking.
What are the best months to visit Houston TX? The best month to visit Houston is April. The mid-spring weather is some of the best weather the city gets all year and visitors would be able to see an Astros or Rockets game or take part in many citywide events.
What are the cheapest months to go to Houston? January is the cheapest month to travel to Houston. January is typically a slow travel month because it’s right after the holidays when people have traveled and spent a lot of money. This provides a nice opportunity to get a discounted price on your airfare and hotel.