Outdoors · Houston · United States
7 best outdoor things to do in Houston
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hequals2henry, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Houston Museum of Natural Science, Hermann Park and Houston Zoo. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 12–17 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 12–17 hours
- Areas
- Museum District, Montrose and Downtown and Downtown
Outdoors in Houston
Museum · Museum District
1.Houston Museum of Natural Science
Book butterfly centre and planetarium add-ons with your main ticket to avoid queuing twice.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Park · Museum District
2.Hermann Park
Check the Miller Outdoor Theatre schedule and bring a blanket for the hill seating on a summer evening.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Zoo · Museum District
3.Houston Zoo
Arrive at opening in summer; by early afternoon the heat sends many animals into the shade.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Park · Montrose and Downtown
4.Buffalo Bayou Park
Watch the bat emergence from the viewing area by the Waugh Drive Bridge around sunset, then walk the trail back towards the skyline.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- After dark
- Views
Park · Downtown
5.Discovery Green
Bring children's swimwear in summer for the interactive fountain.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Garden · River Oaks
6.Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Spring is the best time to visit, when the azaleas are in bloom.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Park · Memorial
7.Memorial Park
Run or walk the Seymour Lieberman loop early in the morning when it is coolest and liveliest.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Museum District | Houston Museum of Natural Science, Hermann Park and Houston Zoo | 3 hours + 1–3 hours + 3–4 hours |
| Montrose and Downtown | Buffalo Bayou Park | 1–2 hours |
| Downtown | Discovery Green | 1 hour |
| River Oaks | Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens | 2 hours |
| Memorial | Memorial Park | 1–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Buffalo Bayou Park. The longest visit is Houston Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Buffalo Bayou Park: Cistern tours are small-group and often sell out; book online.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Museum District): Houston Museum of Natural Science, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Museum District): Hermann Park, at least 1 hour.
- Half-day 3 (Museum District): Houston Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Montrose and Downtown, Downtown and River Oaks): Buffalo Bayou Park → Discovery Green → Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Memorial): Memorial Park, at least 1 hour.
The best months to be outside
- March: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 9 rainy days, busy crowds. One of the best months: warm, green and busy with rodeo concerts and spring break.
- April: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 8 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm, with azaleas, wildflowers and peak crawfish season.
- November: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Warm days and cool evenings; often the most comfortable month of the year.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Downtown — Skyscrapers, Discovery Green, the theatre district and ballpark
- Museum District — Museums, Hermann Park, the zoo and live oak-lined boulevards
- Montrose — Bungalows, the Menil campus, cocktail bars and Houston's LGBTQ+ heart
- Uptown and the Galleria — Texas's largest mall, luxury hotels and the Waterwall
- EaDo (East Downtown) — Warehouse breweries, murals and the soccer stadium
More of Houston
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Houston?
Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Morian Hall of Paleontology poses dinosaur skeletons in dramatic action scenes, and the hall of gems and minerals is one of the finest anywhere.
+Which of these are free in Houston?
Hermann Park, Buffalo Bayou Park, Discovery Green and Memorial Park.