With Kids in Houston

The official visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. Real Saturn V rocket, the shuttle carrier aircraft you can walk through, and a tram tour into the working campus where astronauts train. Allow five hours.

Clear Lake & Kemah · Indoor · Kids

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

Inside Hermann Park, more than 4,300 animals across 55 acres with a standout Galápagos Islands exhibit and daily sea lion training sessions. Zoo Lights in winter is one of the city's best holiday traditions.

Museum District · Kids

445 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

A 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 · Kids

A waterfront amusement park on Galveston Bay: a wooden coaster, a Ferris wheel, seafood restaurants with bay views, and boat rides. Pairs perfectly with Space Center Houston, 15 minutes away.

Clear Lake & Kemah · Kids

Three glass pyramids on Galveston Island: a 10-story rainforest, an aquarium with penguins, and a 3D theater. Plus a paddlewheel boat and a small beach. A full day for families.

Galveston · Indoor · Kids

A 1,130-foot amusement pier over the Gulf with 16 rides, midway games, and a Bubba Gump. Best at sunset when the Ferris wheel lights up over the water.

Galveston · Kids

Consistently ranked the best children's museum in the US: a three-story climbing structure, a kid-sized city with its own economy, and a water play area. Ages 1 to 12.

Museum District · Indoor · Kids

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 · Indoor · Kids

155 acres of forest and prairie trails inside Memorial Park, with boardwalks, a savanna, and a nature center. Free, dog-free, and surprisingly wild for a spot ten minutes from the Galleria.

Memorial & Energy Corridor · Kids

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 · Kids

A postman's hand-built monument to the orange, next door to a half-acre park built entirely from mosaic scrap by 300 artists. The birthplace of Houston's Art Car Parade.

EaDo · Kids

A 567-foot tower (taller than the Washington Monument) marking where Texas won independence in 1836. Elevator to the top, a museum at the base, and the Battleship Texas nearby in Galveston.

Clear Lake & Kemah · Kids

An hour southwest: 5,000 acres of wetlands with hundreds of wild alligators visible from the trails, plus the George Observatory for Saturday stargazing. Houston's best wildlife day.

Memorial & Energy Corridor · Kids

The largest Renaissance festival in the US, on 55 acres an hour northwest of Houston, eight weekends each October and November. Costumes, jousting, turkey legs, and themed weekends.

Memorial & Energy Corridor · Kids

Free professional performances (symphony, ballet, musicals, Shakespeare) on an open-air stage in Hermann Park from March to November. Bring a blanket and sit on the hill.

Museum District · Kids

A small, brilliantly designed urban park near Upper Kirby with a treehouse, a giant lawn, a dog park, free fitness classes, and the best playground for under-8s in the city.

Rice Village & West U · Kids

When it's 98 degrees or pouring: Topgolf bays, iFLY indoor skydiving, escape rooms, and Main Event. Not uniquely Houston, but reliably fun and air-conditioned.

Galleria / Uptown · Indoor

2,500 acres of bayou wilderness near Clear Lake with pontoon-boat tours, bison, a 1900s farm, and guided night hikes. A quiet counterpart to nearby Space Center Houston.

Clear Lake & Kemah · Kids