Frequently Asked Questions to Veronica
What to do with kids?
What are Houston’s must see?
Where to eat?
Where to shop?
Nightlife?
What is there to do after hours?
What to do during a layover/one day?
What to do on a budget?
What hotels are near the convention center/ in downtown?
What's the best way to get around Houston? (Public transportation)
What to do with kids?
Houston is a family-friendly city that offers something for everyone!
Downtown Aquarium: The 500,000-gallon under-water adventure complex includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger exhibit and a restaurant.
Kemah Boardwalk: Overlooking Galveston Bay, the Kemah Boardwalk features themed restaurants, retail shops, and amusements for the whole family.
Space Center Houston, the official visitors center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, is the only place on earth where guests can embark on an out-of-this-world journey through human adventures in space.
The Children's Museum of Houston is all-new and now twice as big! Rated a 5-star nationwide children's museum by Citysearch.com, it's one of the top children's museums in the country.
The Health Museum, the most visited health museum in the country, provides innovative and interactive health and science educational experiences to promote an understanding of the human body.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science, one of the most heavily attended museums in the U.S., features the Wortham IMAX Theatre, Burke Baker Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center, permanent exhibit halls and traveling exhibitions.
Houston Zoo: Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Houston Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 800 species.
Zuma Fun Centers: With two locations in Houston, Zuma Fun Centers are the place for family entertainment, birthday parties and group events, with attractions including go-karts, miniature golf, batting cages, bumper boats and a state-of-the-art video arcade.
Discovery Green, a 12-acre park located in downtown Houston, has more than 400 events each year. There is always something going on!
What are Houston’s must see?
There are many iconic places that Houston is known for. The city also have a diverse and quirky side!
Now you can explore more and save at Houston's top attractions! CityPass, which is essentially a Cliff's Notes for the city gives you access to the top attractions in the city for only $39 for adults and $25 for children. A CityPass provides a map, info on the best times to visit each attraction, editorial content from National Geographic Traveler and more. Purchased separately, those same tickets would cost $70.96!. The attractions included on the pass are:
- Space Center Houston
- Houston Zoo
- Downtown Aquarium
- Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston OR Children's Museum of Houston
- The Health Museum OR George Ranch
You can buy CityPasses online, at any of the attractions or at the Houston Visitors Center.
Houston offers a diverse and eccentric arts scene filled with contemporary and progressive artwork. Don't miss the Art Car Museum/Beer Can House/Orange Show Monument, Discovery Green, David Adickes' president's heads (on Summer Street), The Galleria and the water wall, The Menil Collection, San Jacinto Monument, Buffalo Bayou Boat Tours.
Where to eat?
With more than 8,000 restaurants representing more than 35 types of cuisines, Houston is a foodie's dream. From sizzling fajitas, to delicious barbecue to fresh Gulf coast seafood, Houston has just the place for every taste.
Click here for a list of restaurants in the city. Scroll to the bottom to narrow your search by cuisine.
Click here for a list of 15 icononic Houston meals.|
Click here for a list of family-friendly restaurants.
Click here for a list of award-winning restaurants in Houston.
Where to shop?
A city full of extreme shopping opportunities, shoppers can find the perfect piece at designer boutiques, deluxe malls and bargain-filled centre.
In downtown, there is a large Macy's at Main and Dallas and Houston Pavilions has a flagship Forever 21 store, BCBG. The tenant list continues to grow.
Visit the 4th largest shopping center in the country! The Galleria has more than 375 shops, with everything from Chanel to Banana Republic. There is also an entire wing of restaurants, an ice rink and two hotels. Other great places to go are Rice Village (where Lot 8 is located), Uptown Park, Highland Village, The Heights.
Click here for a list of some of Houston's best boutiques.
Nightlife
The city comes to life after dark with sleek lounges, laid back pubs and LED-happy clubs to keep you moving.
Click here for a complete list of nightlife options. Below are suggestions in specific parts of the city.
Midtown
Front Porch Pub, Tasting Room, Cyclone Anaya's for great margaritas. Howl at the Moon is a really fun dueling piano bar, and Pub Fiction is right next door. There are a lot of other bars in that area. The intersection at Bagby and Gray Streets is a good place to start.
Washington Avenue is the new nightlife hot spot in Houston!
Check out Sawyer Park (it's an upscale sports bar, but they have DJs on certain nights and a very cool rooftop patio)
Ei8ht; Reign Lounge; and Manor are LED-happy clubs where the pretty young things go to see and be seen.
There are many other pubs and bars along the street, too.
Country Western Bars
Armadillo Palace: Local flavor and southern charm collide inside this cowboy-chic country bar
Blanco's: For an authentic Houston experience, head to Blanco's and see what a real Texas honky-tonk is made of.
Firehouse Saloon: The Firehouse is a large music club and bar reminiscent of an adult amusement park, with the Eagles on the jukebox, fancy video games, a full bar, outdoor-style wooden booths and a stage for live music.
Wild West: This country nightclub was built and is operated by Texans and features a solid oak dance floor just for your boots!
Downtown
Sambuca
Enjoy live music seven nights a week in Houston’s historic Rice Hotel.
Red Cat Jazz Cafe
One of Houston’s hottest hot jazz clubs, Red is a place to relax and be entertained. With classic Cajun and Creole cuisine, the food befits the French Quarter atmosphere.
The Roof
The Roof Bar exudes a cool 80s glam rock vibe: decked out in zebra-print and velvet, the enormous space offers a jaw-dropping view of the downtown skyline.
La Carafe
The oldest haunt in Houston, La Carafe wine bar is less a ghost than a piece of living history, a timeless challenge to the contemporary nightclub scene.
What is there to do after hours?
It's 2 a.m. and you're still going. We got you covered.
Click here for a list of places that are open after hours.
What to do during a layover/one day?
If you're flying into IAH, you can take the Metro Airport Direct into downtown for $15. If you're flying into Hobby, then you'll need to take a cab (about $45 to downtown).
Head downtown and visit Discovery Green park and The Heritage Society. The Grove is a lovely restaurant inside the park that would be a good lunch spot. You could also explore downtown by downloading audio walking tours--it's a really cool way to learn about the city. From downtown, you can also take the light rail and visit the Museum District and Hermann Park. There are so many lovely places there, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Menil Collection and more.
Or if you like to shop, take a cab (about $35) to The Galleria. You'll find 375 shops, an ice rink and an entire wing of great restaurants. Less than a mile away are two more shopping centers, Uptown Park and Highland Village.
If you want to stay near IAH, there is the National Museum of Funeral History. It's a quirky place whose motto is "everyday above ground is a good one."
What to do on a budget?
Houston is an affordable city that that stretches your buck. That means more fun for you.
Click here for a list of things to do that are $2 or less.
CityPass, which is essentially a Cliff's Notes for the city gives you access to the top attractions in the city for only $39 for adults and $25 for children. A CityPass provides a map, info on the best times to visit each attraction, editorial content from National Geographic Traveler and more. Purchased separately, those same tickets would cost $70.96!. The attractions included on the pass are:
- Space Center Houston
- Houston Zoo
- Downtown Aquarium
- Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston OR Children's Museum of Houston
- The Health Museum OR George Ranch
You can buy CityPasses online, at any of the attractions or at the Houston Visitors Center.
These museums are ALWAYS FREE
* Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum
* Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
* Holocaust Museum Houston
* Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
* Houston Center for Photography
* The Jung Center of Houston
* Lawndale Art Center
* The Menil Collection
* Rice University Art Gallery
* The Rothko Chapel
Here are FREE TIMES for the other museums.
General Admission Only
* Buffalo Soldiers National Museum - FREE Monday 10 am - 5 pm
* Children's Museum of Houston - FREE Thursday 5 – 8 pm
* The Health Museum - FREE Thursday 2 – 5 pm
* The John C. Freeman Weather Museum - FREE Thursday 12 – 4 pm
* Houston Museum of Natural Science - FREE Tuesday after 2 pm
* Houston Zoo - FREE Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Columbus Day, New Years Day & the Friday after Thanksgiving
* Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - FREE Thursday 10 am – 9 pm
What hotels are close to the convention center/in downtown?
- The Hilton Americas-Houston is the largest hotel in Houston offering Houston visitors 1,203 guestrooms, including both one and two-bedroom suites. (connected to the convention center via skybridge)
- Four Seasons Hotel Houston: Located in the heart of downtown Houston, Four Seasons resonates with the cosmopolitan elegance and refined Southern charm that characterizes Houston.
- The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Houston Downtown Convention Center
- Inn at the Ballpark is a luxury themed hotel in Baseball tradition.
- The Magnolia Hotel,Hotel ICON, Alden Hotel are boutique hotels.
What's the best way to get around Houston? (Public transportation)
Getting around the city is easier than ever.
METRO is Houston's public transportation system.
From the airport: For $15 each way per person, you can take the Metro Airport Direct into downtown.
Light Rail: The Metro Light Rail spans 7 miles from Downtown to Reliant Stadium. The rail passes through midtown, Hermann Park, Museuem District, Rice University, Medical Center and Reliant Park. It's $1.25 per person each way.
What is there to do in Houston along the METRORail? Click here to find out.
Local bus system: Local service runs mostly on city streets, stopping at every other corner along its route. One-way fare is $1.25.
Park & Ride service is for long-distance commuting. METRO’s 28 Park & Ride lots provide bus service to key destinations in the service area. One-way fare ranges from $2 to $4.50, depending on distance.
Cab Service: Houston has more than 2,200 taxis in its fleet. If you're in downtown, take advantage of a $6 flat rate in downtown. This $6 fare will apply anywhere within the Central Business District, bounded by Interstate 45, Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. The fare, in addition to increased downtown taxi stands, provides an easy alternative to driving to lunch, business meetings and activities throughout the downtown area. No surcharges will apply to the fare, which can accommodate multiple riders under the $6 total rate.
