Sure, you’ve visited—or even lived in—big cities. But it can be tough to grasp exactly just how big a city can be until you’ve spent some time in Houston, the county seat of Harris County. Sitting just 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, this low-lying city spans some 634 square miles. That’s enough space to hold New York, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, D.C. And that’s just what lies inside Houston’s city limits. Add in neighboring cities such as Baytown and Sugar Land and the eight counties that make up the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Area, and the Greater Houston area spans more than 8,778 square miles—an area slightly smaller than Massachusetts but larger than New Jersey. Most of this land is—or was—forests, swamps, prairies, or marshes. Buffalo Bayou, the birthplace of Houston, passes through the city, running from the western suburb of Katy into downtown and then east into the Houston Ship Channel. Three Buffalo Bayou tributaries can be found around Houston: Braes Bayou runs along the Texas Medical Center; Sims Bayou runs through downtown, as well as south of Houston; and White Oak Bayou flows through the Heights neighborhood. The combination of these bayous, the city’s flat land, and frequent rain makes flooding a common occurrence.
Still struggling to kick that image of Houstonians as boot-wearing folks with a funny twang? A visit to one of our museums should remind you just how cosmopolitan this city really is. In fact, our more than two dozen museums are some of Houston’s most prized gems. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is one of the country’s largest art museums, and the Menil Collection holds one of the most noteworthy collections of art assembled during the 20th century. We’ve also got art museums dedicated to craft, contemporary art, photography, and decorative arts—not to mention the Rothko Chapel, which blends art and religion.
And that’s just the art museums. Houston also has several one-of-a-kind history, culture, and science museums. You can learn about the funeral industry at the National Museum of Funeral History, hatred at the Holocaust Museum, and how your body works at the Health Museum. History buff? Be sure to check out the the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site and Space Center Houston, each of which boasts artifacts and films that are sure to whet almost any appetite for history.
Houston is also home to a weather museum and a wonderful children’s museum, both of which you can learn about in the “Kidstuff” chapter.
Overview
This chapter highlights Houston’s best museums. Seventeen of these are located in the Museum District, an area surrounding Hermann Park and Montrose. All of the Museum District museums are within a 1.5-mile radius of the Mecom Fountain, so several of them are within walking distance of one another. A map of the Museum District can be found on page xi. Parking is available at all Houston museums, but it’s limited in some cases. So, if you plan to visit a couple of museums in the Museum District, you may find it easier to take the METRORail to the Museum District stop and walk.
Most museums are closed at least 1 day, if not 2, each week. These closure days are included in the descriptions that follow. Some museums have seasonal hours, so consult the individual museums’ websites to double-check this information and find out about special events and exhibits.
Most museums host special fund-raisers and educational programs throughout the year. To learn about upcoming events at Houston’s museums, visit the museums’ websites. Or check out the Houston Press (houstonpress.com), the Houston Chronicle (chron.com), or Houston’s daily digital magazine CultureMap (houston.culturemap.com).
All museums are wheelchair accessible unless indicated otherwise.
Houston’s museums should be at the top of your list of places to visit, but these are hardly the only must-see sites here. Houston is also home to historic houses, one of the country’s best zoos, a house made from beer cans, Space Center Houston, the pivotal battleground of the Texas Revolution, and an unusual tunnel system that’s ripe for exploring. And that’s not all. In this chapter, you’ll learn about more spots that belong on your Houston “to do” list and places that don’t fit neatly into other chapters. Several of these locales—City Hall, the Houston Tunnel System, the Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park, and Downtown Aquarium—are located downtown. Others like the Kemah Boardwalk and San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site aren’t technically located in Houston, even though they’re among Houston’s most definitive attractions. Only one—Williams Tower and Water Wall—is in the Galleria area. Nevertheless, all of these attractions—few as they might seem—are distinctively Houston. You’ll find nothing else quite like them, even elsewhere in Texas.
Houston is a great place to be a kid. The mild weather deserves some of the credit since it makes for endless opportunities to run around outside and play in the water. Credit also goes to Houston’s loads of parks and playgrounds, festivals and carnivals, water parks, skating rinks and bowling alleys, and spots to see unusual animals. Houston even has theaters especially for kids.
In this chapter, you’ll find some of the most fun ways for your kids to blow off some steam here. With categories highlighting carnivals and festivals, parks and playgrounds, mental stimulation, physical activities, circuses and other shows, and animal hot spots, you’re sure to find something that satisfies even the pickiest child.
Overview
The activities listed here are by no means all-inclusive. There are plenty of other neighborhood destinations and spots in the exurbs where kids can have fun. The ones listed here draw some of the biggest crowds and tend to put big smiles on little faces. You might notice some overlap between this chapter and the “Annual Events” and “Attractions” chapters. That’s because many attractions and events are perfect for kids but are also worthy of a visit even if you don’t have children in tow. Likewise, be sure to give the “Annual Events” and “Attractions” chapters a second look even if your kids are tagging along. Many activities in those chapters—especially the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, the Houston International Festival, the Art Car Parade, the Wings Over Houston Air Show, the RE/MAX Ballunar Liftoff Festival, the H-E-B Holiday Parade, the Uptown Holiday Lighting, and Glowarama—also make for great family outings. Be sure to find out about options for family fun at Hermann Park and Discovery Green, too.
If a visit to the toy store is your child’s idea of fun, you’re in luck: Houston has plenty of great ones. You can find a good list in the “Shopping” chapter, which also includes a section on children’s clothing stores.