Houston Attractions
 | Children's Museum of Houston 1500 Binz Street Houston, TX • 713-522-1138 A bright yellow pagoda-style entrance beckons children inside to this Museum District space just for them. Hands-on exhibits allow children to learn through play with exhibitions. Examples of the fun include programming robots, anchoring the news and getting elected as mayor. Of course, my kids loved the three-story climbing tower. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Downtown Aquarium 410 Bagby Street Houston, TX • 713-223-3374 It's not the country's largest or best aquariums, but this small aquarium makes up for its size in its heart of downtown location. More than 400 species of marine life are on view, but many families find the Aquarium Restaurant worth the visit alone, where you'll dine beside the tank as fish swim by. Or, ride the train beneath the swimming sharks. Fair-style rides and games are also available. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9) |
 | Galveston Island Galveston Island, TX Further afield is Galveston Island, where Houstonians go to cool off. Wide expanses of beach and warm Gulf waters provide for a perfect day-trip. Visit the island's Historic Downtown Strand, located near the island's cruise port, where there are plenty of ships, museums and restaurants to fill any time off the sand. The island is also home to the Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark with 26-acres of water slides, tube rides, splash zones and wave pools. The Waterpark is has an indoor section that opens in March, and the full park is open April through September. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Hermann Park Houston, TX This park, located in the Museum District, features walking and biking trails, as well as a wheelchair-accessible playground, a fountain playground (perfect for cooling off but put the kids in swimsuits!), and a free mini-train around the park (hop on just across the street from the museums). The park also features a "mini mall" complete with reflection pool and small version of the Washington Monument. For a nominal fee, visit its McGovern Lake and paddleboat your way across. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Houston Museum of Natural Science One Hermann Circle Drive Houston, TX • 713-639-4601 Located in Houston's Museum District, the Museum of Natural Science has a variety of exhibits targeting kids of all ages and interests, from its dinosaurs and excavation area to its gorgeous butterfly center to its planetarium to the insectarium where kids can eat actual bugs. (Larvae lollipops, anyone?) Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Menil Collection 1515 Sul Ross Houston, TX • 713-525-9400 Considered one of the country's best private collection and contemporary museums with works by Warhol and Matisse on display, the museum is small enough to squeeze in a visit and entertain the kids. Outside the museum, a giant red jack became my kids' favorite piece, climbing to the top. The entire Menil campus includes a Byzantine Fresco Chapel with the country's only collection of 13th century Byzantine frescoes, as well as quiet, residential parks. (Look for the lone red swing, part of a worldwide Red Swing project that began in Austin, Texas. Swings are placed in urban areas that beg for a place for children to play, which my kids certainly did once they found the swing.) Best For: Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Museum of Fine Arts 1001 Bissonnet Street Houston, TX • 713-639-7300 I'll let you in on the secret of visiting a decidedly grownup art museum with young ones in tow: turn the massive stairs, escalators, and elevator at the entrance into part of the fun. We rode the escalators and elevators, walked through the colorful tunnel exhibit, and lunched in the museum's Canopy restaurant until the kids were worn down enough to allow a few peaks at the art, of which there are nearly 60,000 pieces beginning with the Stone Age. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Space Center Houston 1601 NASA Parkway Houston, TX • 281-244-2100 Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Houston -- the two places were families can witness working space centers where space shuttles and astronauts come and go. Yet, Houston's space center is not to be missed, as it is the only center in the world that allows families to watch astronauts train for their missions (at the Sonny Carter Training Facility). Take a behind-the-scenes Mission Control tour, "land" a space shuttle and touch a moon rock at the center located just south of the city. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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