With kids · Houston · United States
Houston with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Quick answer
Houston is excellent for families: Space Center Houston, the Natural Science museum, the Children's Museum and the zoo are among the best of their kind in the region, and Hermann Park and Discovery Green have free play areas. Top picks: Space Center Houston, Houston Museum of Natural Science and Children's Museum Houston. Families usually base themselves in Museum District.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Museum District
- Rainy-day options
- 4
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Clear Lake
1.Space Center Houston
The official visitor centre of NASA's Johnson Space Center has astronaut gear, moon rocks and a shuttle replica mounted on the original Boeing 747 carrier aircraft. Tram tours enter the NASA site to see the restored Apollo-era Mission Control and Rocket Park, where a complete Saturn V lies in its hangar.
Head straight for the tram tours when you arrive; queues build quickly from late morning.
- Time needed
- Half a day to a full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Buy tickets online in advance, especially on weekends and school holidays.
- Iconic
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Museum District
2.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. The museum also has a planetarium, a giant-screen theatre and the Cockrell Butterfly Center, a three-storey glass rainforest.
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
Museum · Museum District
3.Children's Museum Houston
A hands-on museum for children up to about 12, with a kid-sized city where children run shops and earn money, a water-play area, science labs and a big outdoor play space.
Go on a weekday morning; weekends and school holidays bring long queues for the popular exhibits.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Zoo · Museum District
4.Houston Zoo
Inside Hermann Park, the zoo has a large African Forest area with chimpanzees and giraffes, an Asian elephant herd, a sea lion pool and the Galápagos Islands exhibit with giant tortoises. In winter it hosts the Zoo Lights evening light show.
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 · Museum District
5.Hermann Park
Houston's central park has a Japanese garden, McGovern Lake with pedal boats, a miniature train, the McGovern Centennial Gardens and Miller Outdoor Theatre, which stages free concerts, plays and dance from spring to autumn. The zoo and several museums open onto it.
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
Park · Downtown
6.Discovery Green
A downtown park opposite the convention centre with a small lake, a splash fountain, a playground, public art and lawns used for free concerts, films and markets. In winter a section becomes an outdoor ice-skating trail.
Bring children's swimwear in summer for the interactive fountain.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Rainy-day ideas
- Space Center Houston — Head straight for the tram tours when you arrive; queues build quickly from late morning.
- Houston Museum of Natural Science — Book butterfly centre and planetarium add-ons with your main ticket to avoid queuing twice.
- Children's Museum Houston — Go on a weekday morning; weekends and school holidays bring long queues for the popular exhibits.
- The Galleria — Watch the skaters from the upper levels, or skate yourself; rentals are available at the rink.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, culture, first-timers and quiet stays
Museum District
Around Hermann Park and the Mecom Fountain, the Museum District groups the Museum of Fine Arts, Natural Science museum, Children's Museum and Houston Zoo, with the Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel a short drive away. Rice University and the restaurants of Rice Village are next door, and the METRORail Red Line runs along Main Street.
- Good
- Walk to most museums; Leafy and calm; Light rail to downtown and the medical centre
- Watch out
- Few late-night options; Hotel choice is limited
- Nearby
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Hermann Park, Houston Zoo, Rice Village
Family travel tips
- Stay in the Museum District to walk to the zoo, Children's Museum and Natural Science museum.
- Combine Space Center Houston with the Kemah Boardwalk rides in one day.
- Plan outdoor activities for the morning in summer; afternoons are hot and stormy.
- Hermann Park's miniature train and pedal boats are inexpensive hits with young children.
- Pack swimwear for splash pads at Discovery Green and the Children's Museum.
Day trips for families
- Galveston (About 1 hour by car) — An island city on the Gulf with the Victorian Strand Historic District, the 1890s Bishop's Palace mansion, Moody Gardens' glass pyramids and a long seawall with the Pleasure Pier amusement rides and beaches.
- Kemah Boardwalk (About 40 minutes by car) — A waterfront boardwalk on Galveston Bay with seafood restaurants, amusement rides and a roller coaster.
- Brazos Bend State Park (About 1 hour by car) — Lakes, marshes and live-oak woods south-west of Houston where alligators are commonly seen sunning beside the trails around Elm and 40-Acre lakes.
- Brenham and Washington-on-the-Brazos (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — Brenham is the home of Blue Bell ice cream, with a visitor centre and parlour, and the surrounding hills are famous for bluebonnets in spring.
- Huntsville State Park (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — Pine forest around Lake Raven with hiking and biking trails, canoe rentals and swimming.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–April and October–November. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Houston good for kids?
Houston is excellent for families: Space Center Houston, the Natural Science museum, the Children's Museum and the zoo are among the best of their kind in the region, and Hermann Park and Discovery Green have free play areas.
+What can kids do in Houston?
Space Center Houston, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Children's Museum Houston, Houston Zoo and Hermann Park.
+Where should families stay in Houston?
Museum District: Museums, Hermann Park, the zoo and live oak-lined boulevards.