Cheap Things to Do in Houston, TX
Houston, TX's cheapest activities include 14 Pews ($10 suggested donation), Art Car Museum (Free), Asia Society Texas Center ($8), Avant Garden Houston (Free-$15), and Axelrad Beer Garden (Free).
600+ free events a year
1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010 · Daily 6am-11pm (extended to midnight in summer) · Ages 0+
Zoo + train + boats + carousel in one park
6001 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030 · Park: daily 6am-11pm; Train: daily 10am-6pm (8pm weekends) · Ages 0+
Free entry, pay-per-ride boardwalk at sunset
215 Kipp Ave, Kemah, TX 77565 · Mon-Thu noon-9pm, Fri noon-10pm, Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-9pm · Ages 0+
Walk through a giant eyeball
1515 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77004 · Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm · Ages 0+
250,000 bats at sunset, free
105 Sabine St, Houston, TX 77007 · Daily 6am-11pm · Ages 0+
Picasso and Warhol, always free
1533 Sul Ross St, Houston, TX 77006 · Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, closed Mon-Tue · Ages 0+
Climb a real fire truck in an 1899 station
2403 Milam St, Houston, TX 77006 · Tue-Sat 10am-4pm, closed Sun-Mon · Ages 0+
40,000 sq ft free playground with daily programming
3801 Eastside St, Houston, TX 77098 · Daily 6am-10pm · Ages 0+
Free live animal encounters on Wednesdays
7112 Newcastle St, Bellaire, TX 77401 · Tue-Sat noon-5:30pm, closed Sun-Mon · Ages 0+
Shaded trails that work in Houston heat
4501 Woodway Dr, Houston, TX 77024 · Trails: daily 7am-dusk; Nature Center: daily 9am-5pm · Ages 0+
Butterflies land on you in a glass rainforest
5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri-Sun 9am-6pm · Ages 0+
Accessible playground for all abilities + splash pad
6001 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030 · Daily 6am-11pm · Ages 0+
19 museums in 1.5 miles, many free Thursdays
1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 · Most museums 10am-5pm, closed Mon; free Thu evenings · Ages 0+
No-surf bay water, toddler-safe
14901 FM 3005, Galveston, TX 77554 · Daily 7am-10pm · Ages 0+
64-foot waterfall mist on a hot day
2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056 · Daily 24/7 (waterfall runs 8am-9pm) · Ages 0+
Treehouse + herb-picking veggie garden
1 Botanic Ln, Houston, TX 77017 · Daily 9am-5pm (extended summer hours Thu-Sat until 8pm) · Ages 0+
Free indoor playground — lifesaver in Houston heat
7112 Main St, Houston, TX 77030 · Mon-Sat 9am-5pm · Ages 1–10
1,500 acres with restored wetland boardwalks
6501 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77007 · Daily 6am-11pm · Ages 0+
Free mosaic park — kids hunt for hidden objects in the art
2402 Munger St, Houston, TX 77023 · Daily dawn to dusk · Ages 0+
Always free, every day, no exceptions
1533 Sul Ross St, Houston, TX 77006 · Wed-Sun 11am-7pm, closed Mon-Tue
Biggest free outdoor theater in the country
6000 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Seasonal, typically Mar-Nov, show times vary
600+ free events per year in a 12-acre downtown park
1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010 · Daily 6am-11pm
250,000 bats at dusk from the Waugh Drive bridge
1800 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019 · Lighted areas 6am-11pm daily, other areas dawn to dusk
Free Thursdays, Taniguchi building, $8 otherwise
1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston, TX 77004 · Wed 10am-5pm, Thu 12-7pm, Fri-Sun 10am-5pm, closed Mon-Tue
Always free, stainless steel parallelogram building
5216 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006 · Wed 11am-7pm, Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12-6pm, closed Mon-Tue
14 Rothko paintings, total silence, free
3900 Yupon St, Houston, TX 77006 · Daily 10am-6pm
Free Thursday evenings 5-8pm, 90K sq ft
1500 Binz St, Houston, TX 77004 · Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Thu until 8pm, Sun 12-6pm, closed Mon
Hammocks, free live music, free Monday comedy
1517 Alabama St, Houston, TX 77004 · Mon-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat-Sun 11am-2am
Free admission, fourth-largest in the US
5401 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77004 · Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm
Free photo gallery with darkroom access
1441 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77006 · Wed-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm, closed Mon-Tue
Free/cheap and unpredictable every night in Montrose
411 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 · Daily 4pm-2am, show times vary
$3.75 train ride, pedal boats, free Japanese Garden
6001 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030 · Train: Tue-Sun 10am-5:30pm (seasonal), Pedal boats: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
50-seat church microcinema, $10 suggested, BYOB
800 Aurora St, Houston, TX 77009 · Screening nights, check schedule
Free museum of cars covered in bottle caps and toys
140 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007 · Wed-Sun 11am-6pm, closed Mon-Tue
50,000 beer cans on one house — 20-minute detour you won't forget
222 Malone St, Houston, TX 77007 · Sat-Sun 12-5pm (seasonal, check website)
26 years of one man's obsession with oranges, built from junk
2402 Munger St, Houston, TX 77023 · Sat-Sun 12-5pm (seasonal, check website)
Free mosaic park — new art added every Saturday
2402 Munger St, Houston, TX 77023 · Daily dawn to dusk