Top 10 Things to do in Houston with Kids

A fun-filled Houston adventure where curiosity meets family-friendly exploration and unforgettable moments.

 From rockets that were able to land on the moon to fluttering butterflies located in a tropical rainforest, this sprawling metropolis of Texas has kid-friendly attractions. Zoom around Space Center Houston, view the wonders of dinosaurs found in the Museum of Natural Science, or glide across the ice at The Galleria. With an abundance of hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and outdoor experiences, Houston is not only known as Space City but is also a place for children to imagine, explore, and build unforgettable memories.

Space Center Houston provides unique access to the human spaceflight program of the United States. Visitors have the opportunity to see the historical Mission Control Center that helped Apollo 11 land on the moon and view the last remaining Saturn V rocket in its entirety. Space Center Houston has Independence Plaza, housing a real Space Shuttle model that is mounted on a NASA 905 Shuttle Carrier. There are several interactive exhibits located in Space Center Houston that provide immersive experiences.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) attracts millions of guests with its unique blend of science, culture, and awe. It features the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Burke Baker Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center, and a variety of permanent exhibits. Initiate with the Cockrell Butterfly Center, a stunning, glass-enclosed rainforest filled with hundreds of colorful butterflies gliding around the beautiful tropical plants and flowers. Proceed to the Morian Hall of Paleontology, hosting over 450 fossils that illustrate Earth's 3.5 billion-year history, with life-size skeletons featuring animals from trilobites to dinosaurs. Visit the Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife, showcasing more than 400 specimens of Texas's rich ecosystems, including deer and endangered whooping cranes. Stroll through The Hall of Ancient Egypt, which provides a journey into Egyptian civilization through 5,000-year-old objects. Some of the other highlights of the museum include the glittering Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals, the interactive Welch Hall of Chemistry, the Weiss Energy Hall 3.0, which explores modern energy, and the Foucault Pendulum, with the rotation of the Earth.

Head over to Discovery Green, a 12-acre green space that embodies nature, alive with activity, from fun fountains to a lake, a putting green, bocce courts, and artistic adornments every few feet. Families can enjoy shaded reading rooms, children can play on the playground, and everyone can lounge under the city skyline. Discovery Green also features tons of free activities: outdoor movies, fitness classes, live music, cultural festivals, and more.

The Museum of Fine Arts features an extensive collection of nearly 80,000 works representing cultures from around the world. Visitors can explore its beautiful 14-acre campus, which includes notable spaces such as the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, and the tranquil Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden. Nearby, two historic house museums — Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens and Rienzi — highlight impressive collections of American and European decorative arts in elegant residential settings. The Glassell School of Art, also part of the campus, offers educational opportunities for both emerging and established artists through programs like the Junior School, Core Residency, and Studio School. Additionally, the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) contributes important research focused on modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art.

Continue your 2 days in Houston journey at the Galleria, covering 2.4 million square feet and 400-plus stores and restaurants. It has fancy big retailers such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and two Macy's. Luxury stores such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Valentino are also available. Jewelry lovers will find stores like Cartier, Bvlgari, and De Beers. If you are not interested in shopping for designer labels, the Galleria has Ann Taylor, Zara, J.Crew, Gap, and Urban Outfitters. Tech lovers can stop in at Apple, Brookstone, or Microsoft. Just a short walk away, is the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park next to the 64-story Williams Tower. The waterwall is an oversized, 64-foot curved fountain that cascades and spills into a pool.

Situated in the heart of downtown, Houston’s Theater District stretches across 17 blocks and serves as a vibrant hub for performing arts and entertainment. The area is home to nine major arts organizations, along with Bayou Place, a lively complex featuring dining, nightlife, and entertainment options. Visitors can enjoy a mix of stylish theaters, open plazas, green spaces, and diverse restaurants throughout the district. Renowned venues such as the Alley Theatre and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts regularly host live productions ranging from classic stage plays to Broadway and West End-style performances, making this district a cultural highlight in the city.

Once full, head to the Space Center Houston, with more than 400 real space artifacts, immersive theaters, and interactive exhibits. The official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, this is one of the best places to visit on your Houston weekend itinerary. Take a break at McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann Park, an artfully landscaped area featuring floriferous flowerbeds, beautiful sculptures, and fountains. Stroll to the iconic spiral hill to the top and enjoy the view in a tranquil space with a waterfall cascading down the side.

The Houston Zoo, situated on 55 acres adjacent to the Texas Medical Center, is a green space that welcomes over two million visitors annually. The zoo invites visitors to experience the variety of animals, from large gorillas to giraffes, elegant storks to gentle elephants, and slow tortoises. The Houston Zoo is home to more than 6,000 extraordinary animals with fur, feathers, fins, and scales, supported by a dedicated team of zookeepers, veterinarians, electricians, plumbers, and other professionals. The Houston Zoo is open all year long except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, when the Zoo closes for daytime operations.

Continue the exploration with Downtown Aquarium in Houston, a fun combo of adventure, eating, and exploration. In its 500,000-gallon aquarium, featuring a Ferris wheel, aquatic carousel, and thrilling adventures like Shark Voyage and a white tiger exhibit, the aquarium also provides an underwater dining experience. Adults will relish ordering dishes like lobster bisque and Gulf red snapper topped with crabmeat, while kids will enjoy colorful dishes like popcorn shrimp, “sand dollar” pizza, and a “Captain’s” grilled cheese. Head out to visit the Louisiana Swamp, where alligators, snapping turtles, and bullfrogs reside. Plunge into Shipwreck, a replica of a sunken 17th-century galleon, and see coral reef and sea life like eels, octopus, and clownfish. See the colorful Rainforest where piranhas, stingrays, and colorful birds are under the canopy. Enter the mystical Sunken Temple, where lionfish, tarantulas, and a huge python are discovered in ancient ruins. Explore the Gulf of Mexico exhibit to view marine life from the area, including barracudas, redfish, and nurse sharks, or wander the Discovery Rig, where you can touch a stingray and a horseshoe crab. Don't forget to check out the White Tigers of the Maharaja's Temple.

Satiate your hungry belly with Houston's Chinatown, a multicultural Asiatown filled with culinary traditions, with the bustling Bellaire Boulevard full of places to eat, drink, and shop, representing the cuisines of India, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. If you are looking for Malaysian food, check out Banana Leaf for expertly flavored curries and spices, or go to Sinh Sinh for real Chinese barbecue. Just west of Chinatown is Little Saigon, home to one of the largest Vietnamese communities and home to some of the best pho and seafood in the city. Crawfish and Noodles is famous for its Viet-Cajun spices crawfish, while Pho Binh is well-known for its comforting bowl of noodle soup.

Make Sterling Inn & Suites your Houston base and explore the city while enjoying convenient comfort and accessibility.