Things to do in Houston
Allow plenty of time as Houston is packed with fun things to do, many of them in Downtown and the Museum District such as the ultra-modern Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the thought-provoking Holocaust Museum Houston. Away from the centre is the must-see Space Center Houston and for a bit of nostalgia The 1940 Air Terminal Museum. Many visitor attractions are open every day but if they close it will be on a Monday.
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Modern art
The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in the Museum District has no permanent
collection, but focuses on temporary exhibits of Americana and international
artists using various media. It is located in a funky, ribbed, stainless
steel parallelogram building, designed by Gunnar Birkerts in the 1970s.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 10am-5pm (until 9pm Thu); Sun 12pm-5pm
Address
5216, Montrose Boulevard, Houston 77006-6598
Telephone
+1 713 284 8250
Art Car Museum
Outrageous cars
The Art Car Museum in Central Houston, known as Garage Mahal, exhibits
contemporary art with an emphasis on elaborately decorated cars. Exhibitions
explore the cultural, political and economic dimensions of art. The museum
has a distinctive scrap-metal and chrome exterior.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Wed-Sun 11am-6pm
Address
140, Heights Boulevard, Houston 77007
Telephone
+1 713 861 5526
National Museum of Funeral History
Coffins and funerary memorabilia
The funeral memorabilia in the National Museum of Funeral History on Barren
Springs Drive covers the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes
fantasy coffins in the shape of animals and cars, a funeral sleigh, a solid
glass coffin and John F Kennedy's Eternal Flame.
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Cost
US$10; concessions US$9; 3-12yrs US$7
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat & Sun 12pm-4pm
Address
415, Barren Springs Drive, Houston 77090
Telephone
+1 281 876 3063
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum
Aviation nostalgia
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum near Hobby Airport is a rare example of the
classic Art-Deco airport architecture that served Houston during the golden
age of flight. Exhibitions feature uniforms, memorabilia, radios, weather
charts and maps from the period.
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Cost
US$5; children US$2
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 1pm-5pm
Address
8325, Travelair Road, Houston 77061
Telephone
+1 713 454 1940
Holocaust Museum Houston
Holocaust memorial
The Holocaust Museum Houston in the Museum District houses a moving
collection of memorabilia and oral memories of holocaust survivors who have
lived in the Houston area. There are also changing exhibitions featuring art
work and experiences of survivors.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat & Sun 12pm-5pm
Address
5401, Caroline Street, Houston 77004
Telephone
+1 713 942 8000
Houston Zoo
Animal kingdom
Popular Houston Zoo in the Museum District travels through the natural
habitats of hundreds of species. Visitors can observe primates from tree
houses and boardwalks, get up close to animals and see big cats from the
safety of viewing platforms.
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Cost
US$10; concessions & 2-11s US$6
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-6pm (until 7pm during Daylight Saving Time)
Address
6200, Golf Course Drive, Houston 77030
Telephone
+1 713 533 6500
San Jacinto Museum of History
The battle for Texas
The San Jacinto Museum of History, east of Houston, is sited at the base of
the impressive 174-metre monument to the battle where Texas won independence
from Mexico in 1836. The World War II Battleship Texas is also located
here.
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Cost
US$12; concessions US$10.50; children US$8
Opening Hours
Daily 9am-6pm; Battleship Texas daily 10am-5pm
Address
One Monument Circle, La Porte, Houston 77571-9585
Telephone
+1 281 479 2421
Downtown Aquarium
Watery worlds
An entertainment complex, the Downtown Aquarium in Downtown Houston features
various ecosystems such as a Louisiana swamp, a sunken galleon and a
rainforest. Journey through the centre of the shark tank from the safety of
the Shark Voyage train.
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Cost
Aquarium Adventure Exhibit US$9.25; concessions US$8.25; 2-12yrs US$6.25
Opening Hours
Sun-Thu 10am-10pm; Fri & Sat 10am-11pm
Address
410, Bagby Street, Houston 77002
Telephone
+1 713 223 3474
Space Center Houston
Journey into space
Space Center Houston in Clear Lake is an incredible journey through America's
epic space programme. Visitors can feel what it's like to walk on the moon,
experience the various gravitational pulls of some of the other planets and
view mission control.
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Cost
US$19.95; concessions US$18.95; 4-11yrs US$15.95
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-5pm (until 6pm Sat & Sun)
Address
1601, NASA Parkway, Houston 77058
Telephone
+1 281 244 2100
Sam Houston Park
Historic houses
The Heritage Society at Downtown's Sam Houston Park has a collection of
mainly 19th-century restored houses and a church with Houston's futuristic
skyline as a backdrop. Regular guided tours bring the lives of the former
occupants to life.
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Cost
Tours US$8; concessions US$6; under 18s free; Museum Gallery free
Opening Hours
Museum Tue-Sat 10am-4pm; Sun 1pm-4pm
Address
1100, Bagby Street, Houston 77002
Telephone
+1 713 655 1912
Discover Houston Tours
Discovering Houston on foot
The Discover Houston Tours' two-hour Tunnel Walk and Rail Tours take visitors
from City Hall to the Tunnel System. This unique air-conditioned seven-mile
system connects 77 buildings 20 feet below ground. Ride up to the highest
sky lobby in Texas.
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Cost
US$30
Opening Hours
Tours Mon-Fri 10am-1pm
Address
Visitor Center inside City Hall (tour meeting point), 901 Bagby Street, Houston 77002
Telephone
+1 713 222 9255
Sam Houston Boat Tour
Cruise Houston Ship Channel
From the M/V Sam Houston Boat Tour, visitors can cruise the Houston Ship
Channel. The trip passes towering international cargo vessels and the Port
of Houston's Turning Basin Terminal, one of the world's busiest ports.
Reservations and ID are required.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tours Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am and 2.30pm; Thu & Sun 2.30pm only
Address
7300, Clinton Drive, Gate 8, Houston 77029
Telephone
+1 713 670 2416
Transport
Bus 30 Port of Houston Branch to Gate 8 or Bus 48 to McCarty and Clinton
Website
Kemah Boardwalk
Fun at the seaside
Twenty miles from Downtown, the Kemah Boardwalk overlooking Galveston Bay is
a popular place for taking some sea air. Visitors can eat out, go shopping,
get a good view from the Boardwalk Tower's observation deck and enjoy
thrilling funfair rides.
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Cost
US$18.99; children (under 1 metre tall) US$16.99
Opening Hours
Funfair rides Mon-Thu 12pm-9pm; Fri & Sat 10.30am-11pm; Sun 10.30am-10pm
Address
215, Kipp Avenue, Houston 77565
Telephone
+1 281 334 9880
Kayaking the Buffalo Bayou
Kayaking trips
Buffalo Bay winds through much of Houston and its lush, green areas. One way
of exploring it is by renting a kayak or by joining the regular 30-minute
organised kayak trips that travel the Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive.
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Cost
US$60
Opening Hours
Various
Address
Vine Street Studios, Suite 200, 1113 Vine Street, Houston 77002
Telephone
+1 713 752 0314
George Ranch Historical Park
Working Texan ranch
The George Ranch Historical Park, located southwest of Houston, offers the
chance to experience life on a working ranch. Visitors can take the
tractor-drawn wagon to the restored ranch houses dating from the 1820s-1930s
and see the cowboys at work.
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Cost
US$9; concessions US$8; 5-15s US$5
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 9am-5pm
Address
10215, FM 762, Richmond 77469
Telephone
+1 281 343 0218
