The vast Texan metropolis of Houston has long been on the map for its dynamic offerings in the realms of culture and entertainment – including plenty to see and do for kids.
A young visitor plays with an abacus at Children’s Museum Houston (Photo: Gideon Tsang via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The city’s compact downtown district is at the heart of the action, but the opportunities for fun, exploration and adventure extend out into the city’s suburbs and wider metropolitan areas, too. If you’re visiting Houston with little ones in tow and would like some inspiration for how to spend your time in the city, we’ve selected 10 of the best family-friendly attractions and activities on offer below.
Visit a popular children’s museum
Housed in an eye-catching building in the city’s museum district, the Children’s Museum Houston is jam-packed with interactive exhibits that invite kids to explore, learn and play. Among the museum’s permanent exhibits is FlowWorks, which dives into the forces and properties of water through currents, vortices and rapids, and Kidtropolis, a bustling child-run metropolis where little people can start businesses, hold jobs, and elect their peers into city government. On Thursdays, the museum hosts Free Family Nights, with free admission for visiting parents and their children from 5pm-8pm.
1500 Binz Street, Houston / Fri-Weds 9am-5pm Thurs 10am-8pm
Introduce your kids to historic artwork
Eye-catching sculptures at The Menil Collection (Photo: Hung Truong)
One of Houston’s most renowned cultural venues, The Menil Collection invites parents to introduce their kids to a remarkable assortment of varied artwork. The main building is entered via a lofty, light-filled atrium, with galleries filling the wings to the left and right. The curation here is exquisite, assembling an array of exhibitions – drawn from a collection of more than 20,000 pieces – whose very eclecticism is a commentary on the beauty and breadth of human expression. Highlights among the permanent collection include Surrealist Wunderkammer, an anthropological exploration of surrealism through the ages, and an assortment of Paleolithic carvings.
33 Sul Ross Street / Weds-Sun 11am-7pm
Let the kids loose in an urban park
Kids splash around in the fountains at Discovery Green (Photo: Adam Baker via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Situated in the heart of downtown Houston, Discovery Green offers respite from the hubbub of the city. The vast 12-acre public park is a grassy oasis brimming with kid-friendly attractions, activities and leisure opportunities, including art installations, interactive water features, a jogging trail, a playground, a skating rink, and a pond where you can rent and take out canoes. There’s also an amphitheatre where musicians and performing arts groups put on regular live shows in front of packed crowds.
1500 McKinney Street / Mon-Sun 6am-11pm
Watch a live ball game
There are few more quintessential American activities than watching a baseball game and visitors to Houston can do just that at Minute Maid Park, home to the much-loved Houston Astros. Situated in downtown Houston, the arena accommodates more than 40,000 spectators, with plenty of younger fans among them. While baseball games do tend to go on for a fair bit longer than other sports events, don’t worry as there are plenty of refreshments including classic fast food fare to keep little ones happy. Tickets are available on general sale for most matches, with prices starting at around $14.
501 Crawford Street
Jump aboard a scenic railroad
The Herman Park Railroad trundles along the track (Photo: A Yee via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Located within the picturesque green confines of Hermann Park at the southern end of the Museum District, the Hermann Park Railroad dates back to 1959 when it first began offering trips across the urban park. During the 18-minute journey along the 2-mile-long narrow-gauge railroad, you’ll pass notable city attractions including Houston Zoo and the Museum of Natural Science, as well as traversing a quirky tunnel adorned with cartoon depictions on the inside.
6104 Hermann Park Drive / Mon-Sun 10am-6pm
Marvel at the stars at a planetarium
Tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Science don’t come cheap, but you can also pay for separate access to the Burke Baker Planetarium, which is easier on the pocket. The planetarium allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the unimaginable vastness of space, experiencing the magic of soaring through the universe, roaming planetary surfaces, and navigating asteroid fields. During a 20-minute display, there are captivating projections of planets, stars, and galaxies delivered that will leave children and adults alike dumbstruck.
Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Drive / Mon-Sun 10am-5pm
Check out a fun-filled arts festival
A performer at the Bayou City Art Festival (Photo: Ed Schipul via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
One of the most eagerly awaited annual events on the city’s entertainment calendar, the Bayou City Art Festival sees hundreds of national and international artists descend on the Houston Design Center for three full days of top-class art, live music performances, food, drink and entertainment. Taking place in the green expanse of Memorial Park, the family-friendly open-air event also offers festival-goers the chance to meet attending artists, and purchase world-class art.
Houston Design Center / October each year
Attend a rodeo show
There’s no better way of getting under the skin of Texan culture than by attending a live rodeo show. In Houston each year, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo attracts over two-million spectators who come to watch the enthralling rodeo action, together with top musical acts, horse shows, and a giant carnival. Another highlight is the Calf Scramble, an amusing event which sees participants compete to catch a herd of runaway calves.
NRG Stadium, NRG Parkway / Feb-March each year
Connect with nature at an arboretum
A Great Egret poses side-on for a photo at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (Photo: Steve FUNG via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nestled on the fringes of Memorial Park, a short way from downtown, the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center provides visitors with a chance to experience the natural world in all its awe-inspiring wonder. The urban sanctuary delivers education about the natural environment and how it serves to play a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city, where urban development poses a perpetual threat to their survival. Visitors can traverse five miles of walking trails, and there’s also a variety of interactive exhibits and activities for nature lovers of all ages.
4501 Woodway Drive / Mon-Sun 7am-7.30pm
Catch some performing arts
Houston has a thriving theatre scene and at its beating heart is the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Throughout the year the centre puts on a packed programme of reasonably priced shows, performances and special events across its two theatres venues. Launched with the aim of growing the city’s reputation for culture and allowing increased access to the performing arts, the centre has also become a social meeting point down the years, with its eye-catching grand lobby and a contemporary American restaurant that draws diners in their droves for pre or post-show meals.
800 Bagby Street
By Paul Joseph