Houston, Texas Attractions, Tours and Tickets
If you are traveling to Houston or live in the area there are plenty of places to go visit in the city. There are many great museums like the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Art Museums, and specialty museums such as the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum and the National Museum of Funeral History. You can visit the tallest Oblisk Monument in the country at the San Jacinto Battlefield and of course the Johnson Space Center which is a place special to me. My Grandfather worked in Mission Control from Mercury to the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program, my father worked on Space Shuttle and Orion software and I had the opportunity to work at NASA on the “Wings in Orbit” book project (see below for a link the main book and a separate publication I wrote along with two NASA Scientists). There are other attractions like the Kemah Boardwalk, the Downtown Aquarium and Moody Gardens in Galveston. Here is a list of ticket options all in one place that you can book for your Houston area experiences. I will also give you some tours and places to visit that are a little more off the beaten path but places that are great to visit. There are also some great Day Trip Options that I highlight here.
Lessor Known Houston Area Attractions
There are a wide variety of things that you can do in the Houston area. As mentioned above The Johnson Space Center, Moody Gardens in Galveston, The Houston Museum of Natural Science and more are great and well-known attractions to visit. Here are some of the lessor known places you can visit in the area that I have written about. I will update the list as I write more.
Day Trips from Houston
Houston is a huge city (anyone who has driven from places like Pasadena to Katy or Pearland to Bush Intercontinental Airport can attest) and has a wide variety of things to do. Going out into the countryside around Houston can offer some great opportunities as well including many free or affordable places to see. I have started writing up some day trip or short weekend trip options that might be helpful. As I write more options I will update this list.
Purchase Tickets and Tours Below:
Houston City Pass
If you have never used a City Pass or internationally attraction cards for different cities you are missing out. Its a way to get into museums at a discount or sometimes free (internationally) for the price of the pass. The Houston City Pass gives you access to The Space Center, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Kemah Boardwalk Ride Pass, The Houston Zoo and more! If you want to see attractions in Houston its a way to do it in a more affordable way!
Space Center Houston
A place like no other and is very important to me personally as I mentioned above is The Space Center Houston. You can see where manned space flight is managed and were Astronauts train and where mission control is. There is a great visitors center will many activities and movies, plus an actual Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Capsule. You can visit the Space Shuttle Carrier 747 with a mock Space Shuttle on top. On the tram tour visit Rocket Park to see a real Saturn 5 rocket and tour NASA including visiting buildings like Mission Control. Its a must see spot in Houston.
Houston Children's Museum
I remember it fondly going there as a kid I enjoyed going to the Children’s Museum and all the learning opportunities there. It has been a long time since I have been there personally but its still a wonderful place to take your kids to have a time of learning and fun in Houston!
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is my personal favorite museum in Houston. It goes over the history of our natural world from the dinosaurs to the present. You can see ancient Egypt, the indigenous people of the Americas, beautiful gemstones, animals from around the world and so much more. There are many interactive exhibits and great special exhibits (temporary) to visit. Click below for tickets to the permeant exhibit halls.
Cockrell Butterfly Center
Located at The Houston Museum of Natural Science you can have a unique adventure in the large greenhouse house that inside mimics a tropical rainforest. There you see many butterflies, plants and insects from around the world. Some of the butterflies I’ve seen when in places like Costa Rica. There is a large waterfall and pond. Before you enter the rainforest there is an exhibit to view stories and information about the life of insects. If you have never been its well worth it!
The Kemah Boardwalk
On Galveston Bay in Kemah Texas is the Kemah Boardwalk. Its an entertainment district with many Laundry’s restaurants, shops and rides. The crown jewel is the wooden rollercoaster “The Boardwalk is Bullet”. You can buy an all-day ride pass and enjoy your time at the boardwalk!
Joyride Tours
In downtown Houston you take a ride in a small vehicle that can take you on some unique tours. It keeps you from walking around in the very hot and humid Houston weather while getting to see different parts of Houston. A really interesting tour is their Pokemon Go Adventure. With that tour they take you to different Pokemon Go stops and Gyms while seeing and learning about different parts of Houston. They also offer a Houston Mural Tour as Downtown Houston as recently has many huge murals painted on different buildings. It’s a great way to tour downtown in comfort!
Astroville Best of Houston Guided Tour
If you would like to see much of Houston and let someone else do the driving there is a guided tour you can take of Houston. This tour visits the major areas of Houston like Downtown, River Oaks, the Medical Center and more. You also have a live guide who will give you history and information about what you are seeing. It would be an interesting tour for those visiting or people that live in Houston that would like to see their city from a different perspective.
Private Houston Brewery Tour
Houston has some good breweries and taking a tour by a specialized Golf Cart is a great way to visit many of them in the downtown area. If you enjoy trying local breweries when you travel this is a good tour for you!
Houston Ghosts and Hauntings By US Ghost Adventures
We have gone on many Ghost Tours around the world and they are a great way during an evening to see a different side of the city you are visiting. Rough things have happened in every major city and you can learn about some of those and alleged hauntings with a tour. I will have to take this Houston Tour in the Future!
Official Houston Bus Tour
Take a Double Decker Bus Ride around the downtown area to learn about the history of the 4th Largest City in the Nation!
Find Other Houston tours and activities here:
STS Limo Services (The Best Transportation in Houston in Our Opinion)
We travel often and when we head to IAH or take family trips we rely on JJ and Paige Valdez at STS Limo Houston to get us to the airport. They are always right on time and have comfortable vehicles. They are flexible and do everything they can to get you on your way to your trip stress free. They track your flights and sometimes know before you do if a delay happened. They are very friendly and its a way to support a small family business with great people. We consider them not just our go to transportation service but good friends as well. Send them an email below to get reliable transportation in Houston!
stslimohouston@gmail.com
If you are looking for a trip outside of the Houston Area:
Contact Donna or Jason Miller and we can help you book your dream trip today including customized trips, guided tours, cruises and much more.
We can also plan and book your trips in Texas! We can help with a little and as much of your trip.
Our travel planning services are completely free if you book with us. Contact us at donnamiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com or jasonmiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com to book today!
