As Texas’ large metropolis and one of the largest cities in the United States, Houston offers you an endless list of attractions to visit during your time in the city. Whether you’re into culture, art, fun activities, dining or shopping, you will find plenty to keep you busy in Houston. It is the ideal destination for a weekend getaway or a long vacation with your children, friends or significant other.
One of the best ways to make the most of your experience in Houston is by renting a car from SIXT at Houston Airport (IAH) or one of our other locations. Rent an SUV if you’re traveling with family or a minivan if you’re touring Houston with a group of friends or colleagues. We also give you the option of personalizing your rental with GPS or child seats to make your time in Houston more memorable.
- 1. Space Center Houston
- 2. Houston Zoo
- 3. Minute Maid Park
- 4. Houston Museum of Natural Science
- 5. Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
- 6. Houston Children’s Museum
- 7. Downtown Aquarium
- 8. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
- 9. Buffalo Bayou Park
- 10. Health Museum
- Best Places to Eat & Drink in Houston
Must-see attractions in Houston
1. Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is the visitor center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. It is an ideal attraction for space nerds since you can learn about NASA’s future missions, including the Mars Exploration Project, and get an interactive session with an astronaut. You can take the open-air tram tour from the visitor center to Johnson Space Center and Rocket Park. Here, you can see actual rockets and astronauts training for space missions.
Address: 1601 NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: Touring the Johnson Space Center can take approximately 5 to 6 hours. However, the full experience, including the VIP Level 9 tour of areas like the ISS Mission Control and Buoyancy lab, which are not part of regular tours, can take 10 to 11 hours.
2. Houston Zoo
Resting on 55-acres of land in Hermann Park, Houston Zoo is an ideal destination for wildlife and nature lovers. The zoo is home to thousands of animals, both indigenous and exotic. The children’s zoo and education center also make it a family-friendly destination. You can enjoy activities like watching sea lions and otters frolicking and feeding giraffes.
Address: 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 4 hours
3. Minute Maid Park
Sports fans will have several options for enjoying a game while in Houston. Baseball fans in particular can enjoy an Astros game at Minute Maid Park. The park is one of the few where you can enjoy a baseball game no matter what the weather is like due to its retractable roof.
Address: 501 Crawford St., Houston, Texas 77002
Entry fees: Tour tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 1 hour
4. Houston Museum of Natural Science
History enthusiasts can visit the paleontology hall of this museum to explore skeletons of dinosaurs and Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Burke Baker Planetarium is also onsite if you’re interested in astronomy. You can also see exhibitions like Body World & the Cycle of Life and Ramses the Great & the Gold of Pharaohs. Moreover, a section of the museum is designated for artificial and natural items like rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
Address: 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 2 hours
5. Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
Going to a rodeo makes the trip to Texas complete. In Houston, there’s no better place to enjoy a rodeo than the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Here, you can feel like a Texan while cheering on the cowboys and cowgirls and take part in events like calf scrambles and livestock auctions. Rodeos take place at NRG Stadium with competitions such as bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling and bareback riding.
Address: NRG Parkway, Houston, Texas 77054
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: Depends on the event
Time required to see the attraction: At least a few hours
6. Houston Children’s Museum
The Houston Children’s Museum is a must-visit attraction when you’re in Houston with your kids. Your kids can have a fun time and run wild in this colorful and noisy place. The museum is full of interactive and hands-on displays to keep your kids busy. Send your kids to the Secrets Spy Game exhibit, where they can solve clues as pretend secret agents. Alternatively, you can send them to the “How Does it Work” exhibit, where they can learn about how things in their daily lives operate.
Address: 1500 Binz St., Houston, Texas 77004
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 2-3 hours
7. Downtown Aquarium
Initially built as an entertainment and dining complex, Downtown Aquarium now houses hundreds of exotic sea creatures in a 500,000-gallon aquatic space. Other than aquatic exhibits, the aquarium is also a fun place for kids, thanks to rides like the aquatic carousel. The building complex also has shopping and dining sites, including an upscale bar.
Address: 410 Bagby St., Houston, Texas 77002
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 30 minutes to 1 hour
8. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
This park in uptown Houston features a water wall that is a sculptural fountain. The structure is 64 feet high, with water trickling over the sculpture and walls. The fountain stands in an almost 3-acre park filled with live oaks. It is an iconic landmark and a great place to take pictures to reminisce about your time in Houston.
Address: 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77056
Entry fees: Free
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 30 minutes
9. Buffalo Bayou Park
Covering 160-acres of land, Buffalo Bayou Park is the United States’ most significant urban green space. It’s a beautiful and serene destination for nature lovers and families. You can take a nature walk while enjoying the fresh air and scenic views of the Houston skyline. Also, there are attractions within the park like the Water Works and Hobby Family Pavilion, which are popular event spaces for weddings, birthdays and performances.
Address: Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street, between Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway
Entry fees: Free
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 6 hours
10. Health Museum
There’s no better place for you and your kids to appreciate the biological processes in humans and other species than the Health Museum. Learning biology is more fun here, and it’s the ideal place for your kids to nurture their interest in science. The museum offers exhibits like the Amazing Body Gallery, and Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage.
Address: 1515 Hermann Drive, Houston, Texas 77004
Entry fees: Tickets
Hours: When to visit
Time required to see the attraction: 2 hours
Best Places to Eat & Drink in Houston
There is a diversity of cuisines in Houston that you can enjoy during your time in the city. These include Mexican, Latin American, traditional Southern dishes and Asian cuisines, particularly Vietnamese. Moreover, restaurants like Vibrant offer healthy options if you are on a gluten-free, non-GMO or refined-sugar-free diet.
One-Fifth Houston: Enjoy chef Chris Shepherd’s culinary skills at the One-Fifth Houston restaurant. The restaurant is famous for its frequent transformation of cuisine themes. You can enjoy some of the best Southern and Mediterranean dishes at this restaurant.
Xochi: For Mexican food lovers, Xochi should be the top of your list. The restaurant serves Oaxaca-inspired dishes like tlayuda, memela, robalo and ensalada rojo con pollo. They also serve Oaxaca-inspired drinks like aguas frescas.
Vic and Anthony’s Steakhouse: Located in Downtown Houston, Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse is where you can enjoy the most delicious and award-winning steaks when you’re in Houston. The restaurant also has a warm ambiance and offers private dining with an intimate atmosphere by request.
