NASA | Colour Factory| P-6 Farm | Interactive Animal Zoo and Aquarium | Parks and Lakes | Museums | Temple and Religious Places | Fun and Adventure Activities

It is that time of the year when you have guests at your place or Holidays for your kids, or it’s weekend, which is practically every week, these evergreen questions always stay…

What Place to Visit in Houston?

How to Keep Our Kids Engage?

Where to take our guests in Houston?

These were the questions that came to my mind, too, when I faced these situations, which is almost every week. The thought was maddening, and I had no clue, so I started exploring the city.

Here are the top places to Visit in Houston. They are not in any particular order of preference but as an overall list.

NASA Space Centre Houston

NASA should unquestionably be one on your list. “Houston Aaye or NASA nahi dekha”, how is this possible.

The center is divided into multiple sections – Independent Plaza, Starship Gallery, Space Suit Collection, Mission Mars, International Stations, Live Presentations, Stimulators, and Tram Tours.

I personally liked Starship Gallery and Independent Plaza sections and would recommend seeing that first. Also, take the tram tours in the first half of the day. The rest of the sections can be explored in the second half of the day.

There are 3 tram tours to enjoy:

Historic Mission Control Tour

You must book in advance to see this tour. The cost of this tour is in addition to the general admission ticket.

Astronaut Training Facility Tour

This tour shows you a live facility where engineers and scientists work. It is fantastic to see them working on the current mission.  The cost is included in the admission ticket.

Tip: Take the timeslot of this tour at the reception/service desk the moment you enter the facility

Rocket Tour Park

You can see the remains of Saturn V rockets. I loved to watch parts of rockets.

Tip: You do not need any specific time slot. So, take the ride whenever you see the line empty (especially during morning hrs when people are busy seeing other exhibitions). Otherwise, it may take hours for your turn to come.

It is worth visiting this place and one of the best places to visit in Houston.

Tip: Enter the premises early at 10.00 am sharp. You will get an hour to explore at your own pace. After 11.00 am, it starts becoming crowded.

Take a Houston pass, as it is economical, and most importantly, NASA is included in that pass. The only catch is you have to visit places within 10 days. You can choose any 5 places out of the 7.

Colour Factory

The colour factory is marketed as an interactive art museum. But the place is so much fun.

It has seven sections: Ball on the Moon, Float on Air, Light Up the Room, Play in Confetti, Connect with Others, etc, and each section is interactive on its own. You will enjoy it to the fullest.

Bring out the little kid inside you to relish this place.

The best part about this place is that you do not have to worry about clicking photos. They have installed cameras in all the galleries. And you can take as many pictures as you want at no additional cost. The pictures get emailed to you the moment they are clicked.

One of the best places to take your guests.

P-6 Farms

There are many farms to visit and have some fun, especially if you are going there with children.

During summer, the farms are full of sunflowers and berries. In winter, pumpkins are grown, especially for the Halloween festival.

The farm visit is like a festival that they celebrate here with flowers, fruits, and rides.

We visited P6 farms during the summer. It was huge and looked beautiful and vibrant.

The first section was covered with smiling sunflowers. The entire portion of land was shining with yellow sunflowers. 

The other section had blackberries, where you could collect your own berries (only the black ripped ones and not red ones) in a basket. It was the first time I picked up berries from the plant.

And there were rides and slides which you could enjoy.

The entire farm was a photo-op destination for photo lovers. After clicking innumerable pics with flowers and berries and having fun with rides, we enjoyed our snacks before leaving.

The experience was truly unique and unforgettable.

It is a good, fun place to visit in Houston with family and friends.

Interactive Animal Zoo and Aquarium

TGR Exotic Park

As the name suggests, it is one of the exotic parks in Houston with an exotic variety of animals and reptiles. It is an absolutely delightful place if you enjoy being around animals.

As the name suggests, TGR Exotic Park has many exotic, fascinating, and endangered animals.

There are specialized tours available, like sloth encounters, reptile encounters, etc, apart from normal basic tours.

We were more interested in reptile encounters, which was one of our best decisions. There were so many exotic reptiles that we saw and interacted with.

There are multiple encounters and interactive tours here. The one encounter I would highly recommend is the reptile. You will interact with the exotic species of reptiles here.  

Tip: Book your encounter sessions beforehand. Reptile Interaction is pretty economical and unique.

Houston Interactive Aquarium and Animal Preserve

Located on Sam Houston Parkway, it is one of the best places for animal lovers to visit in Houston. The experience at the interactive aquarium and animal preserve was one of the best I have ever had. The preserve had many different species with whom you could feed and interact.

There is a variety of sea life, mammals, reptiles, aviaries, and exotic animals with whom you can interact. You can touch and feed giraffes, kangaroos, lemurs, Alpacas (looked similar to goats), sheep, tortoises, emus, ostrich, and all the birds here.

It was such a unique and satisfying experience. I have never encountered any such animals so close. Feeding and touching them was so serene.

Anyone adult or kid will enjoy it here. You must visit this place if you love animals.

Tip: Visit this place early before it gets crowded. You will get more time to feed and interact with animals.

Visiting and interacting with all the animals will take at least 3-4 hours.

You can take the card with a minimum balance and refill it per your requirements and interest.

Houston Zoo

Houston Zoo is a full-day picnic destination and is one of the best in America. There are more than 600 species of animals.

The best thing about the Houston Zoo is its shade near the animal enclosures. During summers, the shade comes as a rescue from scorching heat.

You can also enjoy a boat ride outside the zoo if the weather is good.

Houston Zoo looks beautiful and radiant during Christmas lighting.

Take a train ride for fun or to get down at stops at museums, parks, etc.

Tip: Park your car at the parking and enjoy it tension-free.

You can take a train ride to cover museums or parks as well. The train ticket is valid for the entire day.

Houston Aquarium

Houston Aquarium downtown is pretty amazing. It features many species of marine life and has an entertainment complex with ferry rides, carousels, and a beautiful shark tour. You can easily spend 3-4 hours here.

The shark tour by train ride was another highlight of the aquarium. You must take a train (included in your aquarium ticket) to see the shark tour.

For other rides, you need to pay extra.

There is a beautiful restaurant above the aquarium to enjoy and relish.

Tip: The parking is available, but it is paid. And it may get full during peak time or holidays.

Parks and Lakes

There is no shortage of parks and lakes in the Woodlands. There are numerous parks and lakes where you can spend a lovely sunny day. Pack your picnic bags with snacks, drinks, and mats, and enjoy the day.

And you can try your hands at fishing on the lake. But remember, fishing is for fun and not for catching. You must put the fish back where it belongs in the lake /pond within 2-3 minutes.

Some of my favorites include:

Hughes Landing

This is my all-time favourite and my number-one recommendation for families, friends, or business meet-ups. It has amazing restaurants near the waterfall. Enjoy the food with your friends, family, or business associates here. A must-place to take your guests.

Lakeside at Robbins Dr

It is an extension of the park at Hughes Landing. It is just on the opposite side and along the lake. An amazing place to walk and jog. There are many good restaurants too. Enjoy the dining experience at the lake.

This place is one of my favourite places to go.

Burroughs Park

Burroughs Park is one of the amazing park that falls in tomball district. It is popular for picnics, fishing, barbeque and beautiful hiking trails. It also has a swing/ride area for children. The elevated boardwalk and observation deck is the highlight of this park.

Bring your picnic basket and enjoy the quite afternoon or lively evenings with your family and friends.

Northshore Park

The park is beautiful, with a lake around. It also has a play area with many swings for kids to enjoy.

This park is also famous for many live concerts and fireworks.

Rob Flemming

It is a beautiful park for picnics and gatherings.

Tip: The park, like Burrows, Rob Flemming, Bear Branch, etc, gets dark after sunset, and there is no street light inside the park. So, enjoy these places during the daylight.

Museums

Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Museum of Natural Science is one of the most visited museums in the US. It showcases many features like:

Permanent Exhibit Halls: The halls showcase exhibits like dinosaur displays, Gems and stones, Egyptian mummies, and science and technological advances on various floors.

Tip: You can visit all the exhibit halls using a general admission ticket. It can take the whole day only to visit permanent exhibit halls.

The museum is also included in Houston Pass.

Burke Baker Planetarium: It has a star map and shows many shows like cosmic collision, the dark side of the moon, etc.

Each show needs to be booked separately. Also, check the time of the show before booking.

Cockrell Butterfly Centre: It is a beautiful butterfly center; however, I missed visiting it due to time constraints. But I would like to visit the butterfly center next time.  

Wortham Giant Screen Theatre: Many shows and performances take place here. Each show needs to be booked separately. Also, check the time of the show before booking.

The two sections I loved most in the permanent exhibit were Dinosaur, Gems, and Stone.

The Museum of Natural Science, for sure, is one of the best places to Visit in Houston.

Children’s Museum of Woodland

The children’s museum only applies to you if you have kids; otherwise, you can skip this location altogether.

This museum, in my opinion, is more suitable for children aged between 4 and 7 years. The kids of this age group will enjoy role-play and related activities.

There is not much for older kids.

Lonestar Flight Museum

The flight museum looks fantastic. This is on my bucket list. You can enjoy the stimulator ride and the actual plane ride.

I will add more information soon.

Temple and Religious Places

It is good to visit religious places sometimes, even if you are not fond of visiting temples. Going to these places gives you good, positive energy. You always feel relaxed after visiting any spiritual place.

Visit the temple to experience solace and some quiet time. A few of the temples which I like to visit are:

Swaminarayan Temple – Located in Sugarland. Will update more details soon.

Meenakshi Temple – It is located in Pearland. Will update more details soon.

Hindu Temple of Woodlands – I visit this temple the most. For one, it is close to my place, and two, I always feel good after visiting this temple.

Char Dham Temple – It is located in the Woodlands. The temple is built on the concept of char-dham. You can get the feeling of visiting all the Char-Dham situated in India. I surely want to Char-Dham yatra once in my lifetime.

Jalaram Sai Baba Temple – It is first independent temple for Gajanan Maharaj at Hillcroft. One of the serene places to go.  I love the quietness this temple offers.

Trolly Ride

A trolly ride in the Woodlands is one of the best things to do. It runs around the designated track and covers many nearby attraction points. The trolly ride is a free ride, and you can hop on and off at any designated stop.

It covers points like Water Square, Pavilion, Riva Boat House, Woodlands Mall, Town Green, and Montogomery Public Library. The trolly ride is pleasurable.

Just ride in a trolly to experience the beautiful surroundings, garden, and lakes.

The entire trolly ride takes up to an hour. Just get down at any point of interest and enjoy. The whole area is walkable, and riding a trolly adds fun.

Tip: The trolly ride is only available in the Hughes Landing area. Hope they can have more trolleys across the town.

Kemah Boardwalk

Kemah Boardwalk is an adventure park, and it is on my bucket list.

I will add more information soon.

Fun and Adventure Activities

Top Golf

Top Golf is a place to have fun with friends, family, colleagues, or anybody. You can enjoy golf by technically not playing it. Any age group can enjoy this sport, from kids to senior citizens. It is one of the best activities to do in Houston.

Indoor Skydiving

Indoor Skydiving at I-fly is a fun-loving activity that all can enjoy from 6 to 60 years old. All you need is a little adventure spirit. It is also a good activity for people who fear heights but want to experience skydiving.

Bowling

It is another fun activity to enjoy with friends and family.

Kayak

Kayak is one of the locals’ favourite activities. Riva Boat House and Lake Edge are the two popular spots for kayaking.

Waterways is a better choice as a starting point for kayaking as you go from narrow lane towards the lake.

It is an activity which everyone can enjoy. All you need is good, pleasant, sunny weather.

Single/double kayak is more fun than pedal, where you can row yourself.

Do book in advance, as they allow limited kayaks at a time.

It is pretty safe even if you do not know swimming.

Well, I would not say the list includes everything, but it is definitely something to start with.

Feel free to add more places in the comment section below.

Check out my blog on 10 Top Places to Visit in Texas.