Buffalo Bayou Park
1800 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
A 160-acre green ribbon along the bayou with skyline views, the Waugh Bridge bat colony at dusk, the underground Cistern art space, and kayak launches. The best free hour in Houston.
Insider tip
Rent a bike at the Lost Lake visitor center and ride to the Sabine Street bridge for the classic skyline photo.
Located in Downtown. Theater District, ballpark, and 7 miles of tunnels.
Also in Downtown
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
$A 1926 underground drinking-water reservoir with 221 columns, now an eerie art and sound installation space. Guided tours run every half hour. Unlike anything else in Texas.
Downtown 路 Indoor
Discovery Green
FreeA 12-acre downtown park across from the convention center with free concerts, a winter ice rink, kayaking on Kinder Lake, and a packed calendar of free events. Downtown's living room.
Downtown 路 Kids
Downtown Aquarium
$$Part aquarium, part amusement park: a 500,000-gallon tank, white tigers, a Ferris wheel, and a restaurant surrounded by fish. Touristy, and kids love it.
Downtown 路 Indoor 路 Kids
Houston Botanic Garden
$132 acres of gardens on a former golf course southeast of downtown: a global collection garden, a culinary garden, and a coastal prairie. Best in spring and during the winter light show.
Downtown 路 Kids