The fourth-biggest city in the whole of America, Houston is full of culture and is also known for its lively nightlife.

Visiting Houston: Places to Visit in Houston – Houston, Texas (TX), USA

• Downtown Aquarium, boasting many large aquariums and marine attractions, large sharks and a host of colorful fish, located along Memorial Drive
• Houston Zoo, standing in the Museum district and containing many large animal enclosures and exotic creatures, which include tigers, giraffes, elephants and monkeys
• Space Center Houston, the city’s premier attraction with many space-related exhibitions, including views of the astronaut’s training areas and realistic simulators
• JP Morgan Chase Tower, Houston’s tallest building, dominating the skyline and offering spectacular city views
• Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, a magnificent mansion housing an impressive collection of local Folk Art and antique furniture
• Houston City Hall, located in downtown Houston and hosting many of the city’s most prominent events and celebrations
• Julia Ideson Library Building, a historic building with Renaissance-style architecture
• Nina Vance Alley Theater, offering a range of theatrical performances throughout the year, standing on Texas Avenue
• Oscar F. Holcombe Civic Center, a vast and modern entertainment complex, situated in the very center of Houston and home to an array of shops, eateries and convention halls
• Museums and art galleries, with Houston’s most popular including the Contemporary Arts Museum, Menil Collection, Museum of Fine Arts and Natural Science Museum
• Six Flags Astroworld and Waterworld theme parks, perfect for all the family

Houston Zoo

Didn’t your mama tell you that you were related to the monkeys? Well why not visit your primate cousins? The Houston Zoo is located in Hermann Park, and is open everyday all year long from 10:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. Admission is free on some holidays. Prices: Adults 13-64 $7.00, Children 3-12 $3.00, Children under 3 FREE, Seniors 65 and up $5.00.

Sylvan Beach, La Porte

Want to stomp where pirates once stomped? Then visit Sylvan Beach Park! This historical place overlooks Galveston Bay where Jean Laffitte and other notorious pirates slipped into town to visit friends. The park includes a bait shop and pier for fishing (there is a fee to get on the pier though), tennis courts, free boat launch, playground, gazebo and enormous pavilion for events. The park closes at night except during events like “Sylvan Beach Day,” and the Fourth of July fireworks show. Laporte, TX.

Houston Museum of Natural Science/ IMAX/ Planetarium

There are a lot of cool things to see here. Check out the dinosaur exhibit, play with butterflies, watch the stars fly over your head in the planetarium, or check out the bigscreen in the IMAX theater. Visit their website for ticket information.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

This place is more than a museum, its an adventure! Live animal exhibits bring Science to life, and you can even take a canoe cruise. The nature center is located at 8500 Bay Area Blvd. Call 281-474-2551 for more information, or visit their website.

Kemah Boardwalk

Ahoy folks! Okay, I am obviously a landlubber, but a great way to throw some more salt in my blood would be to visit the Kemah Boardwalk! Another historic site, this place is breathtaking. Visit the “Aquarium” for the cantina, live music and great food. Seating not ready? That’s okay, you can stroll around and visit some of the many shops and museums, but be careful of the waterfall, it’ll getcha! Fun for the entire family! Bradford and 2nd Street Kemah, TX 77565

Space Center Houston

This is way more than a Museum. Kids activities and shows are just the tip of the iceberg here. The folks at Disney designed this place, and they know how to make science fun! Space Center Houston is located at 1601 NASA Road 1, off Interstate 45 South, in the Clear Lake area. Admission is $16.95, with discounts for children and seniors. For more information, call (281) 244-2100 or visit their website.

Pasadena Historical Museum

Okay, for rowdy kids, this may not be the best place to turn them loose, but for a peek into early Pasadena, Texas life, come on in and take a look. Open Wednesdays through Fridays 9:30a.m. to 2:30p.m, Saturdays 9:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. and Sundays 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. Located at 201 Vince Street in Pasadena (near Pasadena High School). For more information, call 713 477-7237.

San Jacinto Monument and Museum

Site of the famous 19 minute battle where a handfull of starving Texans defeated the army of Santa Anna while shouting “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” The museum inside the monument and grounds surrounding are free to the public. Elevatior rides to the top of the 570 foot monument will cost you $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. You can also see the “Texas Forever” show for a look at the events leading up the the infamous battle. $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for children. Located at 3523 Highway 134 LaPorte TX 77571. Call 281 479-2431 for more information.

Battleship Texas

Docked right next door to the San Jacinto Monument, the USS Texas is a floating museum. She was commisioned in 1914, and was the most powerful weapon in the world at the time, and served in both World Wars. Admission is $5.00 for adults, Seniors $4.00, Children 6-18 $3.00, Children 5 and under are free.

Strawberry Park

Features sand volleyball, swimming pools, barbecue stations, workout stations, a 1 mile length track, pavillion with two stages, large playground, several lighted ball courts and more. Located at 2900 Lafferty street in Pasadena.

High Spirit Tours

Visit the dark corners of Houston’s haunted hot spots with High Spirit Tours. Learn about history and ghostly activity.

Nearby is the historic city of Galveston, on the Gulf Coast. This is a resort town known for its beaches, Victorian architecture, and history as a free port for French pirates in the pre-state period. Elsewhere in southeast Texas are many national and state parks, excellent places for freshwater fishing and camping, and of course a selection of reasonably-priced Texas Motels. You will also find quiet towns where a large Cajun and Creole population still barbecue and make soul food and Cajun food, rivaling the cuisine of any other region in the country.

San Antonio
San Antonio is one of Texas’ oldest cities and is the largest tourist destination in the state. Besides being the stronghold for Tejano culture, it is the home of the Fiesta Texas amusement park, Sea World, the Alamo, and the beautiful Riverwalk, which is lined with bars, restaurants, and excellent shopping. Also in the city is the Institute of Texan Cultures, a well-maintained museum of the histories of the different ethnic cultures that settled in Texas. San Antonio is also home to the 750-foot Tower of the Americas, which dominates the skyline and offers a commanding view of the southwestern plains.

Austin
Just 60 miles north of San Antonio is Austin, home of the Texas Capitol and the University of Texas, the second-largest university in the world. Austin is also referred to as the “Live Music Capital of America,” especially on account of the area around Sixth Street in downtown. Every genre of music imaginable can be found any night in bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. In mid-March, the city becomes home to “South by Southwest,” the largest musical festival in the world.

Hill Country
In the areas between and to the west of San Antonio and Austin is the Texas Hill Country. Here, visitors can sample from the Texan native breweries and wineries, board in historic bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs), and visit the quaint European farm towns of New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, where the natives still speak the colloquial German of their ancestors. New Braunfels is the home of the three-mile, spring-fed Comal River, where locals lie in rented inner tubes and drink beer while floating down the river. The natural spring water of the river also supplies the environmentally-correct Schlitterbahn, a locally-owned and operated water theme park that offers a unique and very personal experience unlike any other theme park in America.

The Coastal Bend: Corpus Christi and the Mexican Border
This area is the home of southeast Texas’ finest beaches and bays. Fishing, surfing, sailing, boating, bird watching, windsurfing, and beachcombing are excellent along the coasts of southeast Texas’ barrier islands. These islands start on the coast near the town of Victoria, two hours south of Houston by car, and go all the way to Brownsville, 300 miles further south.

Beach Escapes
There are three main areas for the best beach escapes. One is in the easygoing fishing village of Port Aransas on Mustang Island, which is a good place to rent an air-conditioned bungalow and condo and spend a week, and catch some bird watching in nearby Aransas Pass. Near Corpus Christi are the beaches of North Padre Island, full of state and national parks for camping and high-rise beachfront hotels. For the more conventional tourist destination, you can visit the beaches of South Padre Island near the border, which are the most luxurious. The hotels are the plushest, the surf the biggest, and the water is crystal clear.