Houston, Texas

Go Batty

Find a spot near the Waugh Drive Bridge in late afternoon to see a quarter-million bats take flight around sunset in search of dinner. Houston’s Mexican free-tailed bat colony is second in size only to Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge. Don’t forget to stay quiet, don’t get too close, and bring a hat and bug spray!

Go Stroll

Houston is the top ranked city for parkland, with almost 50,000 acres of park space. One of these great spaces to visit is Hermann Park, just a short few miles from downtown, adjacent to Rice University. Take in the rose garden, butterfly exhibit, outdoor theatre, and lake. Then visit the best-in-class Houston Zoo. There are many discounts, including free admission after 2 PM from September-May.

Go Global

There are over a dozen museums in Houston that offer free admission every day, and many other museums that let you in for free on Thursdays. Visit the unique and extensive Menil Collection for antique art from the Stone Age, surrealist and modernist art from the 20^th century, and Medieval art dating to the 6^th century, to name a few collections.

Go to Sea

Enjoy smooth sailing on the Sam Houston Boat Tour, a 90-minute narrated tour of the Port of Houston. From the industrial wonder of the Houston Ship Channel to the wildlife and environment of the area, the tour is enjoyable and informative. Tours are offered Wednesday – Saturday at 10 AM and 2:30 PM, plus a 2:30 tour on Sundays.

Go Green

Right in the middle of downtown, Discovery Green is a park full of activity and excitement that you can feel good about – it was built to the highest environmental standards and is powered entirely by renewable energy. Many park activities are free, such as dog runs, playgrounds, performance spaces, gardens and public art installations, but there are also paid things to do such as ice skating in the winter, dance lesons, workout groups and visiting the two restaurants.

Go Greet

The Houston Greeters are a group of locals that love their city and want to share it with visitors. They volunteer their time to explore areas you’re interested in – you tell them what you want to see, and they take care of the rest. This isn’t an average tour of just historical facts (though you can get those too) – you can be accompanied to baseball games, nightlife, live music, rodeos…the list goes on. Just visit their website to schedule a tour.