Outdoor Activities in Houston, TX
Houston, TX's best outdoor activities include Alley Theatre ($30-95), Avant Garden Houston (Free-$15), Axelrad Beer Garden (Free), Beer Can House ($5), and Buddy Carruth Playground for All Children (Free).
Real NASA mission control
1601 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058 · Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm · Ages 0+
Flex Pricing — cheaper on slow days
6200 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Daily 9am-5pm, last entry 4pm · Ages 0+
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+
Shark tunnel + white tigers + Ferris wheel in one building
410 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002 · Mon-Thu 10am-8:30pm, Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-8:30pm · 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+
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
Three glass pyramids: aquarium, rainforest, STEM
1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554 · Daily 10am-5pm (extended summer hours) · Ages 0+
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
Free Thursdays, kids always free
1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 · Wed 11am-5pm, Thu-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12:30-6pm, closed Mon-Tue
Tram tour into the real NASA space center
1601 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058 · Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
Biggest free outdoor theater in the country
6000 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Seasonal, typically Mar-Nov, show times vary
Sunday Gospel Brunch is the move
1204 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002 · Show nights, check schedule
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 Tuesday evenings 5-8pm
5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri-Sun 9am-6pm
Outdoor lawn shows under open sky, three stages
2915 N Main St, Houston, TX 77009 · Show nights, check schedule
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
Since 1947, pay-what-you-can nights available
615 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002 · Box office Tue-Fri 12-6pm, show times vary
Hammocks, free live music, free Monday comedy
1517 Alabama St, Houston, TX 77004 · Mon-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat-Sun 11am-2am
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
50,000 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