Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
5216 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006
A stainless-steel parallelogram across from the MFAH with rotating shows of living artists. Always free, never more than an hour, and the gift shop is excellent.
Insider tip
Do it as the free break between the MFAH and Natural Science.
Located in Museum District. 19 museums in a 1.5-mile radius, many free.
Also in Museum District
Houston Museum of Natural Science
$$One of the most-visited museums in America: a hall of 60+ dinosaur skeletons, a walk-through butterfly rainforest, a planetarium, and a gem vault that makes adults gasp. Bigger than you expect.
Museum District · Indoor · Kids
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
$70,000 works across three buildings, including the Kinder Building for modern and contemporary art and the underground light tunnels by James Turrell. A top-10 US art museum that never feels crowded.
Museum District · Indoor
Houston Zoo
$$Inside Hermann Park, 6,000 animals across 55 acres with a standout Galápagos Islands exhibit and a sea lion show. Zoo Lights in winter is one of the city's best holiday traditions.
Museum District · Kids
Hermann Park
Free445 acres of the Museum District's front yard: a miniature train, pedal boats on McGovern Lake, the Japanese Garden, and Miller Outdoor Theatre's free shows. Bring a picnic.
Museum District · Kids