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URBAN ADVENTURES ABOUND IN HOUSTON
An Insider’s Guide to Fun Family Outings in H-Town
WHY FAMILIES LOVE HOUSTON
Lots of parks, great weather, easy on the wallet, diverse, and the fact that most attractions either have kid-friendly areas, or are designed specifically for kids make Houston a great kid-friendly city.
{FRIENLDY HOTELS}
OMNI HOUSTON HOTEL For the ultimate family getaway try the Kid's Fantasy Suite at the Omni near the Galleria. The playful kid's suite includes two twin beds, bean bag chairs, art table and a connecting room for the parents. Each room is stocked with books, games and toys to keep little ones entertained.
OMNI HOUSTON WESTSIDE HOTEL During the summer, the hotel offers every child an activity back pack filled with toys, games and puzzles. They also have family-friendly dive in movies on Friday and Saturday night, weekend game room with free wii and x-box game adjacent to the pool, 'back of the house tour" for kids on the weekend, family-friendly entertainment poolside (weekends), and an outdoor grill with family-friendly menu items.
THE WESTIN GALLERIA This kid-friendly hotel features a Westin Kids Club program that includes a goody bag for tots and dial-up bedtime stories right from your room.
MAGNOLIA HOTEL This historic downtown hotel offers complimentary full breakfast, bedtime cookie & milk buffet, and rooftop pool & jacuzzi (all complimentary).
RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT Located in the Galleria area, this hotel is housed in converted apartments that are very spacious and perfect for families. They have a full breakfast selection, kitchens in the room, and they have kid-friendly meals every weeknight included in the rate.
LA QUINTA INN GREENWAY PLAZA For families that need extra room, this hotel has special “family suites” that offer rooms with multiple double beds.
LA TORRETTA LAKE RESORT & SPA This beautiful resort features a family friendly concert series during the summer, every Friday and Saturday, with balloonists, face painters and popcorn. They also have an exciting Kids Program for children ages 5-11, complete with their own private playground and supervised by the Adventure Pointe’s activities staff. Teenagers also have a place to call their own at The Edge, featuring over-stuffed furniture, remote control racing cars, and WII. La Torretta’s miniature golf course and Aqua Park are other family-friendly perks that are offered to families.
{MONEY-SAVING TIPS}
For families looking to stretch their vacation budget, Houston offers many money-saving perks.
CITYPASS This thin booklet offers tickets to Houston’s top attractions and museums at a fraction of the cost, $39 for adults (a 41 percent savings) and $29 for children ages 4-11 (a 42 percent savings). With CityPASS, you can explore the workings of mission control at Space Center Houston; experience the wonder of the underwater world at Downtown Aquarium; walk on the wild size at the Houston Zoo; or stop by the Children’s Museum for ultimate kid-friendly fun!
100 WAYS TO SAVE More than 100 special offers—from ticket deals and hotel packages to restaurant perks and transportation promos—are live on www.VisitHoustonTexas.com.
HOUSTON—FOR FREE Spend your day exploring Houston’s hotspots, while saving big with a well-edited list of the city’s most-loved free things to do.
{BEST MUSEUMS}
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON This world-class museum is crazy fun for all kids, featuring 90,000 square feet of interactive and bilingual exhibitions in the areas of science and technology, history and culture, health and human development, and the arts. Kids can run their own city and compile their own TV news reports at Kidtropolis, make their own gadgets in the Invention Convention exhibit, and check out the forces of hydropower at FlowWorks. And for children three years and younger, Tot Spot provides a fun-filled wonderland of invigorating activities for infants and toddlers.
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE (HMNS) This extremely kid-friendly museum is ranked one of the most highly attended museums in the country for a reason. The museum features a paleontology hall towering with prehistoric critters, a groovy planetarium, a 3D Imax, and a magnificent butterfly exhibit and over a dozen permanent exhibit areas.
THE HEALTH MUSEUM It’s anatomy and physiology come to life! The museum takes kids on an interactive, Magic School Bus-like exploration through the human body, letting them identify their personality, view their internal organs, see what they will look like in 30 years and much more!
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON (MFAH) Families can discover a world of art at MFAH with exciting weekly family programs - including Creation Station, Family Packs, Target Free First Sundays, Story Time and Family Tours - designed especially for children and adults to explore art together.
BAYOU BEND COLLECTION AND GARDENS This historic home turned museum loves kids so much it dedicated the third Sunday of every month to family fun. Bayou Bend Family Days are an amazing day of free entertainment and learning for kids, featuring different outdoor and indoor activities, demonstrations and performances.
SPACE CENTER HOUSTON The only place in the world where kids can personally experience the thrill of launching into space like a real astronaut. Here, kids can experience the rich history and the awe of space through Kids Space Place, created for children of all ages who have always dreamed of experiencing the same things astronauts do in space. From the popular Build-A-Rocket to Mission Kidtrol, children will explore, learn the concepts of space and see how these fun activities can be applied to the space program.
For a real behind-the-scenes look at NASA, take you kids on the exclusive Level Nine Tour.
{YES, HONEY, WE CAN TAKE THE KIDS}
For restaurants' pint-size patrons, a warm wait staff, a kitchen open to the flexible whims of a child's palate and a room of diners tolerable of tantrums all add up to a winning formula for feeding your children outside of the home. Take a look at our kid-friendly restaurants in Houston that can please both big and little diners.
Mexican restaurants are almost always a sure bet—they're colorful, food comes quickly and everyone is usually able to find something they like to eat. MOLINA'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT and CHUY’S are great spots to take the fam. LUPE’S TORTILLAS provides a sandbox and play area for tots while parents can kick back and sip a chilled margarita. GOODE CO. TAQUERIA offers burgers, hot dogs, chicken, delicious Mexican fare and a fun weekend brunch. Families flock here for the fun and colorful atmosphere and the huge outside fountain, which is a hit with squirmy kids.
SKEETER’S A relaxed family-owned grill that's super friendly to families as well as groups of stinky little kids, otherwise known as sports teams.
DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM RESTAURANT Experience the ultimate underwater dining adventure as you are seated around a 200,000-gallon tank home to a wide variety of fish, sharks, stingrays & more! Carnival games, rides, and a Ferris wheel are just part of the fun.
PICNIC Colorful bakery/cafe that offers freshly baked breads and treats, along with sandwiches, soups, and salads. Items can be packed to-go as picnic box lunches (the kids' option is presented as a sack lunch complete with sandwich, chips, and cookie).
BARNABY’S Whimsically adorned with painted paw prints, doggie bones and winged sheepdogs, this neighborhood joint draws an eclectic crowd for home-style comfort cooking.
59 DINER A retro-50s diner, complete with jukeboxes and plenty of neon. The menu features classic diner food and soda fountain specialties.
STAR PIZZA Kid-friendly pizza joint that serves a variety of classic and specialty pizzas, which are made to order with fresh ingredients.
BUFFALO GRILLE Popular neighborhood joint known locally famous for its pancakes, which are big as the plates themselves, and for its friendly wait staff. The restaurant is casual and breakfast is served anytime.
DYLAN’S CANDY BAR, home to more than 5,000 kinds of candy, and CANDYLICIOUS are sure to fix any sweet tooth. AMY’S ICE CREAM’s funky ice cream creations are always a huge hit with kids. SUGARBABYS, CRAVE, SPRINKLES CUPCAKES and the DESSERT GALLERY bake up the best cupcakes in town.
{IF YOU NEED SOME DRAMA}
EXPRESS CHILDREN’S THEATRE and the MAIN STREET THEATER are Houston’s two performing arts organization’s dedicated specifically to children performances like Junie B. Jones and Stuart Little.
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA’s Opera to Go! series presents shortened versions of traditional and new repertoire for more than 50,000 children and families throughout greater Houston. Enjoy the sweet sounds of the HOUSTON SYMPHONY’s Weatherford Family Concerts (year round) and Sounds Like Fun! FREE family concert series (every June).
{THE GREAT OUTDOORS}
In Houston, it's just as easy to spend a morning hiking and canoeing through the city’s lovely green belt as it is to visit an acclaimed science exhibit.
HOUSTON ARBORETUM AND NATURE CENTER Explore the best of nature at this 155-acre nature center nestled in the heart of Houston. Kids can participate in fun workshops about plants and wildlife and enjoy more than 5 miles of nature trails, including forest, pond, wetland and meadow habitats.
BUFFALO BAYOU Houston’s 52-mile Buffalo Bayou has become a prime destination for outdoor recreation near downtown Houston. A fun way for families to explore Houston’s green belt is with bikes, boats and bats!
- HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS Call West End Bicycles for rental info, (713) 861-2271.
- CANOE AND KAYAK TRAILS Call North Lake Conroe Paddling Co. for rental info, (936) 203-2697.
- WAUGH BRIDGE BAT COLONY Witness 250,000 bats emerge at dusk from under the Waugh Drive Bridge, located over Buffalo Bayou between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive. Buffalo Bayou Partnership offers Waugh Bridge Bat Colony Pontoon Boat Tours (second & fourth Friday of the month, March-October).
MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE Catch free music, dance and kid-friendly performance, like Jack and the Bean Stalk and The Three Little Pigs, at Miller’s beautiful outdoor amphitheatre inside Hermann Park.
DISCOVERY GREEN PARK Downtown’s new 12-acrea park features a model boat pond, children's playground, interactive water features and fantastic year-long programming geared toward families.
HERMANN PARK This 445-acre urban park, a recent Nickelodeon Parents' Pick Award winner, is the perfect place to spend a day with kids, whether its riding the train along Hermann Park Railroad, pedal boating on McGovern Lake, or enjoying a peaceful moment in the Japanese Garden.
HOUSTON ZOO Check out the zoo Parent’s Magazine recently named one of the “10 Best Zoos” in the nation. In addition to a special children’s zoo and an aquarium filled with exotic aquatics, the zoo’s Natural Encounters facility gives kids a “nose to nose” experience with animals.
{LOCAL FAVORITES}
THE CHOCOLATE BAR A dream come true for kids, this sweet place is all about fun, happiness and of course, chocolate! The store is packed with clever little novelties--cell phones, hand tools, cars--all created in luxuriously rich chocolate. Through a large window at the rear, kids can look into the preparation area where all this chocolate magic is concocted. But the heart of the operation is a marvelous ice cream cooler with a dozen stunning, made-on-site flavors that use chocolate to varying degrees.
THE MAD POTTER and YOUNG AT ART Get in touch with your artistic side at these “paint-your-own-pottery” studios where kids and adults alike can try their hand at becoming the next modern day Picasso.
THE LITTLE GALLERIA PLAY AREA Located on the second level of The Galleria, this new 2,000-square-foot play area features mini-versions of Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Williams Tower. Children are invited to play in the soft-foam area — that includes a grand entrance facade, climbers, slides, tunnels, a play wall, shoe keepers, a changing station, hand sanitizer stations, a stroller area and adult seating.
{FAMILY OUTINGS OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON}
KEMAH BOARDWALK Overlooking Galveston Bay, and just 20 minutes from downtown Houston, this coastal getaway features themed restaurants, retail shops, and amusements for the whole family. This 35-acre carnival-like atmosphere has a 36-foot carousel, a 65-foot Ferris wheel and rides like the Aviator, the Inverter and the Boardwalk Tower. Kids love the arcade and Midway games.
MOODY GARDENS This tropical destination, just 45 minutes from Houston on Galveston Island, is ideal for families and groups alike. Delve into the oceans depths at the Aquarium Pyramid, explore the extraordinary world of science at Discovery Museum, experience the action of the IMAX® 3D, 4D and enjoy gulf breezes aboard the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat.
SCHLITTERBAHN WATER PARK Hot or cold, rain or shine, Schlitterbahn – located 45 minutes from Houston on Galveston Island - has your family covered with climate-controlled rivers, slides and pools that will put you in a tropical mood! This award-winning park was recently featured on the Travel Channel and also provides free parking, tubes and lifejackets.
BLUE BELL CREAMERIES From the little creamery down in Brenham, TX - 70 miles from Houston- comes some of the sweetest, creamiest and sometimes, oddest flavors of ice cream you'll ever taste. The creamery offers guided tours that takes kids through the creamery’s production facilities and shows them how milk turns into delicious ice cream. Parents be warned, the tour does not operate on weekends, so make note of that before trekking over to Brenham.
{ANNUAL FESTIVALS}
HOUSTON CHILDRENS FESTIVAL (April) Houston’s official family celebration is held annually in downtown Houston, offering a dazzling smorgasbord of exciting activities, including six entertainment stages, more than 350 games and 10 family adventure areas. (281) 363-0900 www.houstonchildrensfestival.com
HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL (April) More than one million people attend this annual multicultural celebration to experience the ethnic food booths, arts and crafts, kiosks, interesting exhibits and 1,800 various performers. www.ifest.org
JAPAN FESTIVAL (April) This family-favorite celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Japan with two stages showcasing music, traditional and folk dance and martial arts, as well as demonstrations of Ikebana flower arrangement, tea ceremony, origami and bonsai. www.jashouston.org
HOUSTON DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL (May) Watch the thrilling sport of dragon boat racing while enjoying Asian cuisine, music, arts and crafts, and cultural performances for the whole family. www.texasdragonboat.com
ART CAR PARADE (May) Every May, the streets of Houston become a colorful canvas for mobile masterpieces of all shapes and sizes as the Houston Art Car Parade rolls its way through downtown. Inarguably one of the funkiest events in the U.S., the parade is a hit with kids, teens and adults who line the streets to view over 250 cruisers best described as folk art on four wheels. www.orangeshow.org
FREEDOM OVER TEXAS FESTIVAL (July 4) Houston’s official July 4th celebration takes place in Eleanor Tinsley Park at Buffalo Bayou and features live entertainment, food booths and a world-famous fireworks display. (713) 247-3500 www.houstonspecialevents.org
RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS (July) The Greatest Show on Earth is back every summer with a brand new show. Master clown Bello and his hilarious antics, plus Asian elephants, acrobats, Arabian horses and much more will delight audiences at Reliant Stadium. (832) 667-1400 www.ringling.com
HOUSTON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (July 30) A tribute to the famous playwright, the festival attracts more than 475,000 people to its free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre throughout the month. (713) 743-2929 www.houstonfestivalscompany.com
THE ORIGINAL GREEK FESTIVAL (October) A Houston tradition for over 40 years, featuring authentic Greek food, wine, dancing and artifacts are fun for the entire family. (713) 526-5377 www.greekfestival.org
TEXAS RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL (October/November) Starting in October and continuing for eight themed weekends in Plantersville, the Texas Renaissance Festival recreates an English village of the 16th century complete with magicians, jugglers, minstrels, troubadours and comedians. (281) 356-2178 www.texrenfest.com
FESTA ITALIANA (October) Houston’s 31st Annual Italian Festival at the Houston Farm and Ranch Club features authentic Italian food, wine, music, dancing, arts and crafts and entertainment for all ages. (713) 524-4222 www.houstonitalianfestival.com
RE/MAX BALLUNAR LIFTOFF FESTIVAL (October) This annual ballooning event near Johnson Space Center involves a weekend of hot air ballooning, arts and crafts, live entertainment, sky-diving exhibitions and food. (281) 488-7676 www.ballunarfestival.com
ANNUAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL (November)The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is transformed into a giant playground and educational wonderland, featuring performances by professional entertainers and local community groups. (281) 363-3300 www.woodlandscenter.org
H-E-B HOLIDAY PARADE (November) The holiday spirit hits Houston every Thanksgiving morning when this parade begins winding through downtown. This lavish parade is nationally televised and features sensational floats, uniformed marching bands and the season’s first glimpse of Santa Claus. (713) 654-8808 www.hebparade.com
