Visit Houston

Spend your day exploring Houston's museums, while saving big with a well-edited list of the city's most-loved free things to do. Fortunately, for locals and visitors alike, more than a dozen of Houston's most memorable museums won't break the bank--in fact they won't even cost a dime.

On the field or on the court, Houston's home teams offer year-round competition and high-energy action for loyal sports aficionados.

Houston’s Theater District, a 17-block area in the heart of downtown, is home to Houston's nine professional performing arts organizations. Add to the mix the Bayou Place entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks and it’s no wonder that more than two million people visit the district annually. With 12,948 seats for live performances and 1,580 movie seats, Houston’s Theater District ranks second in the United States for the number of theater seats in a concentrated downtown area, and is one of only five cities with permanent professional resident companies in each of the major performing arts disciplines: ballet, opera, symphony and theater productions.

Discovery Green, a 12-acre park located in downtown Houston, is designed as an engaging and active place with programming to serve all ages and backgrounds, as well as workers, residents, and visitors alike. Dining at the Park Visitors have a variety of dining experiences to choose from within the park: the informal elegance of The Grove restaurant and the fast-casual fare of The Lake House, with both menus comprised of award-winning Chef Robert del Grande’s creations. The Grove’s all-glass exterior overlooks a gathering of live oaks, offering visitors a peaceful, upscale ambience in the heart of the nation’s fourth largest city. The Lake House reels in visitors with its self-serve lakeside concept and convenient counter service. Major Park Features Prominent features visitors can enjoy including a one-acre lake, children’s playground, interactive water features, amphitheater stage and slope, small and large dog runs, public art works, HPL (Houston Public Library) Express, open lawns, and great restaurants.

Space Center Houston, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center, is Houston’s No. 1 attraction for international visitors and the first Smithsonian Affiliate in the greater Houston area. Discover the exciting future and remarkable past of America’s human spaceflight program set among the largest collection of space artifacts in the southwestern United States. There is always something new to see and do. With more than 400 space artifacts including flown spacecraft, the largest collection of moon rocks on public display and at multiple major seasonal exhibits a year, Space Center Houston offers an array of exciting attractions for people of all ages.

Upper Kirby’s Levy Park reopened its doors in late February 2017 after a massive renovation that left it unrecognizable to anyone who knew the park before. Located off of Richmond Avenue and Eastside, the 6-acre park is buzzing with activity perfect for the whole family. Table tennis, foosball and a putting green are just some of the park’s features adults may love -- although plenty of kids take advantage of them, too. Free classes and events are regularly available as well. Yoga? Flamenco? Story time? Whether you want to exercise or learn something new, Levy Park has a packed schedule of activities for kids and adults alike.

Serving as a 55-acre oasis in the heart of Houston, and neighbors with the world renown Texas Medical Center, the Houston Zoo is home to wildlife from all corners of the globe. Gorillas, giraffes, elephants, storks, tortoises and many more species are waiting to teach you something you did not know about animals. Over two million guests visit the Zoo each year to explore an incredible variety of animals and ecosystems that immerse visitors into an educational and fun experience. The Zoo is open 363 days a year, only closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whether your trip to Houston lasts weeks or days, a Houston Zoo membership is a great way to enjoy the Zoo all year long. Even if your travels take you far from Houston, a Zoo membership has you covered, offering free admission or discounts to more than 100 zoos across America!

Buffalo Bayou Park is the 160-acre greenspace that lies along the 2.3-mile stretch of the bayou from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. Enhancement of the park was completed in 2015 and was a collaboration of Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the Kinder Foundation, the City of Houston through Houston Parks & Recreation Department and Harris County Flood Control District. Buffalo Bayou Park includes beautiful gardens and native landscaping; hike and bike trails; paddle craft and bike rentals; the go-to dog park in the city; public art; a creative nature play area; two visitor centers; and gathering places for visitors to picnic, relax and enjoy outdoor activities.