Thanksgiving Things to Do in Houston, TX
Thanksgiving week in Houston, TX has plenty to do beyond dinner — Discovery Green (Free), Discovery Green (Free), Memorial Park Houston (Free), 14 Pews ($10 suggested donation), and Alley Theatre ($30-95) are all open or hosting special events. Check for turkey trot races and volunteer shifts at local food banks.
Real NASA mission control
1601 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058 · Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm · Ages 0+
Dinosaurs + butterflies + free Tuesday evenings
5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030 · Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, Fri-Sun 9am-6pm · Ages 0+
Free Thursday nights + three-story climbing structure
1500 Binz St, Houston, TX 77004 · Sun-Wed 9am-5pm, Thu 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-5pm, closed Mon · Ages 0–12
600+ free events a year
1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010 · Daily 6am-11pm (extended to midnight in summer) · 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+
Kids always free, everyone free Thursdays
1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 · Wed 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun 11am-6pm, closed Mon-Tue · 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+
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+
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
Three rooms, 1920s warehouse, Houston's indie anchor
2600 Travis St, Houston, TX 77006 · Show nights, check schedule
Best indie comedy in Houston, open mic nights too
2101 Polk St, Houston, TX 77003 · Show nights, check schedule
600+ free events per year in a 12-acre downtown park
1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010 · Daily 6am-11pm
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
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
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
National headliners in Memorial City Mall
7620 Katy Fwy #455, Houston, TX 77024 · Show nights Thu-Sun, check schedule
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
100-seat grassroots theater in the Heights
339 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008 · Show nights, check schedule
$10 improv, five nights a week, BYOB
1230 Houston Ave, Houston, TX 77007 · Wed-Sun, show times vary
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