Discover Houston: Where Space Age Innovation Meets Texas Charm

Get up close with America's space program at Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. Touch a real moon rock, tour the historic Mission Control room, and see astronauts training for future missions.

Houston's Museum District packs 19 museums into a walkable stretch around Hermann Park, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Spend a day moving between world-class art, science, and culture.

Escape the skyline along Buffalo Bayou Park's trails and green space, picnic in Hermann Park, or explore the newer Houston Botanic Garden. Houston's mild winters make outdoor sightseeing possible almost year-round.

Texas's largest shopping center, The Galleria, draws millions of visitors each year with luxury brands, an indoor ice rink, and hundreds of stores. Houston Premium Outlets offers a more budget-friendly shopping day out.

Experience Texas at its most authentic during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the world's largest rodeos, or dig into the city's celebrated barbecue, Tex-Mex, and Viet-Cajun food scenes any time of year.

A walkable, transit-connected hub between Downtown and the Museum District, Midtown draws a young crowd with its restaurants, bars, and easy METRORail access. It's a solid home base for first-time visitors.

Houston's most eclectic neighborhood mixes art galleries, the Menil Collection, and the city's best-known LGBTQ+ nightlife with a dense strip of independent restaurants and cocktail bars.

Tree-lined streets, Victorian-era homes, and a laid-back small-town feel define The Heights. Stroll Heights Boulevard's historic houses, then shop and eat along 19th and 20th Streets.

One of Houston's most affluent neighborhoods, River Oaks pairs grand estates and live oak-lined streets with upscale shopping just steps from The Galleria.

Home to 19 museums, Hermann Park, and the Houston Zoo, the Museum District is the city's densest concentration of things to do, much of it free or low-cost.

Once an industrial district, EaDo has reinvented itself with breweries, murals, and Shell Energy Stadium, home to the city's professional soccer team.

We recommend: Houston Highlights

We recommend: Space City Explorer

We recommend: Texas Flavor Trail

We recommend: Best Day Trips from Houston

We recommend: Museum District Deep Dive

Just an hour south of Houston, Galveston is a Gulf Coast barrier island known for historic Strand District architecture, Moody Gardens, and the waterfront Pleasure Pier amusement park.

About 3 hours from Houston, San Antonio is home to the historic Alamo and the scenic River Walk, lined with restaurants, shops, and river cruises through the heart of the city.

A 2.5 to 3-hour drive brings you to Texas's capital, known for live music, the Texas State Capitol, and a laid-back food and outdoor scene along Lady Bird Lake.

Less than an hour southwest of the city, this park is famous for alligator sightings, hiking trails, and an observatory, making it a favorite easy escape into nature.

About 90 minutes northeast of Houston, this biologically diverse preserve offers hiking and paddling trails through pine forests, wetlands, and hardwood bottomlands.

A longer 5-hour drive (or short flight) takes you to New Orleans, where jazz, Creole cuisine, and the French Quarter make for a memorable extended weekend trip.