A FIRST-TIMER’S GUIDE
One of the first things that come to mind when thinking of this Texan city is, "Houston, we have a problem". While the Space Centre is one of the most well-known and popular tourist attractions in Houston, H-Town has so much more to offer, including many great things to do that don't require a pricey entry ticket.
QUICK LINKS
MURALS & STREET ART
One of the top things to do in the city is hunt for the many impressive murals and beautiful street art locations. There are hundreds of public sites, each a unique work but together, they reflect the diverse community of Houston. Searching for these murals can occupy anywhere from an hour to an entire day, and it's all free.
We personally loved the Houston Graffiti Building and "Big Art. Bigger Change", an exhibition of huge outdoor art that was unveiled in October 2022. The first image below is from this exhibition and can be found at 405 Main Street.
BUFFALO BAYOU PARK
We love a city that has green parks and nature escapes within the heart of its urban environment. Houston has a few city parks on offer, so we will start with our favourite. Buffalo Bayou Park is 160 acres of green space and trails that run along the Buffalo Bayou. It stretches from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street, and along with gardens, dog parks, and walking and bike trails, the park also has great views of the city skyline.
DISCOVERY GREEN
The Discovery Green is a 12-acre park nestled amongst the streets, office buildings, hotels and convention centre in Houston city. The park has grassy slopes, gardens, a lake, playgrounds, public art, a restaurant, walkways and an amphitheatre. Events are regularly hosted at the Discovery Green, including markets, music concerts, art exhibitions, family workshops and more.
HERMAN PARK
Herman Park is a 445-acre urban park located at the southern end of the Museum District, with a range of free and ticketed attractions. Hop on the Herman Park Railroad, hire a pedal boat on the lake, visit the Houston Zoo, play golf at the Herman Park Golf Course and enjoy lunch at the cafe. If you are sticking to the free activities, simply wander along the walking and bike trails in the park to explore the beautiful parklands, the Japanese Gardens, the reflection pool, McGovern Lake, memorials and monuments.
TEXAS BBQ
As lovers of food and avid viewers of cooking shows, we were keen to try a cuisine we had heard so much about – Texas BBQ. With numerous recommendations on our list, we decided to pick a different restaurant for each lunchtime in Houston. Over 3 days, we ticked off 3 great places, all giving us the Texas BBQ experience we were looking for.
Check out our 3 Texas BBQ Joints in Houston guide.
OUR GOOGLE MAPS
When planning our travel destinations, we pin our bucket list of sites to see and recommended places to eat and drink on Google Maps. We are then never lost for ideas when travelling, and can easily share these lists for our friends and family to use too.
Click here to see our Google Maps for Things To Do in Houston.
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