{"id":24371,"date":"2014-01-15T03:01:42","date_gmt":"2014-01-15T11:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=24371"},"modified":"2014-01-15T03:01:42","modified_gmt":"2014-01-15T11:01:42","slug":"things-to-do-in-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/things-to-do-in-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"29 Awesome Things To Do In Houston"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Buy A Pair Of Cowboy Boots More Authentic Than A Western<\/h2>\n

\"Buy

Source: Flickr user CosmoPolitician<\/p><\/div>
\nOkay, that might not be saying much, but if you head to the Texas<\/a> Junk Co., you\u2019ll be greeted with more than 1,000 pairs of real, vintage cowboy boots starting as low as 20 bucks.<\/p>\n

2. Visit The Chocolate Bar<\/h2>\n

\"Visit

Source: Flickr user stu_spivack<\/p><\/div>
\nThe real world version of Willie Wonka\u2019s Chocolate Factory is\u2014who knew?\u2014in Houston<\/a>, Texas. Picture chocolate covered\u2026 everything.<\/p>\n

3. Tour The Saint Arnold Brewing Company<\/h2>\n

\"The

Source: Flickr user dpkpr<\/p><\/div>
\nIf you\u2019re in the mood for something a bit stouter than chocolate milk, head to the Saint Arnold Brewing Company for a factory tour (meaning free beer) on Saturdays and weekday afternoons.<\/p>\n

4. Go On A Roller Skate Date Like In Middle School<\/h2>\n

\"Dairy

Source: Dairy Ashford Roller Rink Facebook Page<\/p><\/div>
\nAt Dairy Ashford Roller Rink, you can revert back to your middle school years at a true retro skating rink complete with a glittering disco ball and old school music.<\/p>\n

5. Go To Gatlin\u2019s BBQ For The BEST Barbecue<\/h2>\n

\"Gatlin\u2019s

Source: Gatlin\u2019s BBQ and Catering Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nSorry, Goode Company, but Gatlin has you beat. Need proof? Just try their brisket. You may very well see God.<\/p>\n

6. Get Your ’80s On<\/h2>\n

\"Visit

Source: Numbers Houston Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nSlap on some heavy eyeliner, red lipstick, Madonna bra, and head to Numbers each Friday night to take a step back in time. The perfect end-of-the-week solution to any \u201cBlue Monday.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Lose Your Hearing At A Rockets Game<\/h2>\n

\"Houston

Source: Red Rowdies Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nIf this sounds fun to you, sit next to the Red Rowdies to enjoy the Houston Rockets game. And by “sit” I mean “stand”, and by “enjoy” I mean “scream your freaking head off”!<\/p>\n

8. Say \u201cHouston We have a Problem\u201d At Mission Control<\/h2>\n

\"Johnson

Source: Flickr user JD Hancock<\/p><\/div>
\nVisit the Johnson Space Center, home to NASA\u2019s Mission Control, and one of the most famous movie lines ever. Go on, say it. You know you want to.<\/p>\n

9. Ready The Bat Signal<\/h2>\n

\"Waugh

Source: Flickr user USFWS Headquarters<\/p><\/div>
\nEvery night at around dusk, around 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats fly from the Waugh Drive Bridge near Buffalo Bayou for supper (hundreds of thousands of mosquitos. Yum.)<\/p>\n

var googletag = googletag || {};
\ngoogletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
\n(function() {
\nvar gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
\ngads.async = true;
\ngads.type = ‘text\/javascript’;
\nvar useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
\ngads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
\n\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js’;
\nvar node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
\nnode.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
\n})();<\/p>\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
\ngoogletag.defineSlot(‘\/1014900\/M_Blog_300x250_Inline’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
\ngoogletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
\ngoogletag.enableServices();
\n});<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n
\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’); });<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

10. Buy All The Knickknacks!<\/h2>\n

\"Old

Source: Old Town Spring Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nIf you love knickknacks as much as I do, head to Old Town Spring just outside of Houston, the home of all things lace, doily, kitschy, and eclectic. Pro Tip: Head over during the annual Crawfish Festival.<\/p>\n

11. Keep… Houston Weird?<\/h2>\n

\"Houston\u2019s

Source: Flickr user eschipul<\/p><\/div>
\nYep, Austin<\/a> isn\u2019t the only weird Texas city. Just visit Houston\u2019s Orange Show to see the Beer Can House (exactly what it sounds like) and the annual (and crazy) Art Car Parade.<\/p>\n

12. And It Just Gets Weirder<\/h2>\n

\"David

Source: Flickr user Beth Rankin<\/p><\/div>
\nIf art cars aren\u2019t weird enough for you, check out David Adickes\u2019 workshop filled with gigantic sculptures of U.S. presidents\u2019 heads, each around 20 feet tall. Why? Well, why not?<\/p>\n

13. Go To The Top Of The San Jacinto Monument<\/h2>\n

\"San

Source: Flickr user J.R.Ramos<\/p><\/div>
\nWarning: If you do not like heights, skip this one.<\/p>\n

14. Have Pie At 3 A.M.? Yes, Please!<\/h2>\n

\"House

Source: Flickr user gina pina<\/p><\/div>
\nHouse of Pies on Westheimer Road is open 24\/7 for all of your pie needs. Pecan pie for dinner? Certainly. Banana cream for breakfast? Absolutely. You can even stop in around 4 a.m.\u2014probably after your Friday trip to Numbers\u2014for a piece of strawberry cheese cake.
\n[php snippet=1]<\/p>\n

15. Contemplate The Universe Inside Rothko Chapel<\/h2>\n

\"Rothko

Source: Flickr user Aleksandr Zykov<\/p><\/div>
\nAfter your night at Numbers and pie-filled morning, you might want to head to Rothko Chapel for some redemption. This minimalist chapel is so Zen, people from all walks of life and religions will feel welcome to meditate, pray, or just get a few moments of quiet.<\/p>\n

16. Watch The Fireworks From Buffalo Bayou<\/h2>\n

\"Buffalo

Source: Flickr eschipul<\/p><\/div>
\nEven after the renovations to the area in recent years, this is still one of the best spots in town to watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

17. Show Your Pride<\/h2>\n

\"Pride

Source: Flickr user megarooo<\/p><\/div>
\nNon-residents may be surprised to learn about Houston\u2019s robust gay community. It\u2019s no San Francisco<\/a>, but they do have one fabulous annual Pride Houston Parade on Westheimer Road.<\/p>\n

18. Go To Brunch At Hugo\u2019s For The Huevos Rancheros<\/h2>\n

\"Hugo\u2019s

Source: Hugo\u2019s Restaurant Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nThis delicious dish is reason enough to head to Hugo\u2019s Restaurant for brunch\u2014oh, and the rest of their menu too. The bad news is brunch anywhere else will be ruined for you forever, but it\u2019s well worth it, I think.<\/p>\n

var googletag = googletag || {};
\ngoogletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
\n(function() {
\nvar gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
\ngads.async = true;
\ngads.type = ‘text\/javascript’;
\nvar useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
\ngads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
\n\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js’;
\nvar node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
\nnode.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
\n})();<\/p>\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
\ngoogletag.defineSlot(‘\/1014900\/M_Blog_300x250_Inline2’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
\ngoogletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
\ngoogletag.enableServices();
\n});<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n
\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’); });<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

19. Go Museum Hopping<\/h2>\n

\"Houston\u2019s

Source: Flickr user eschipul<\/p><\/div>
\nForget bar-hopping and head to Houston\u2019s Museum District for a really good time. Check out the Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, The Menil Collection, and one of the best children\u2019s museums in the country.<\/p>\n

20. Keep That Culture Going…<\/h2>\n

\"Houston\u2019s

Source: Flickr user BFS Man<\/p><\/div>
\nHead to Houston\u2019s downtown theater district for all of your opera, theater, ballet, and symphony desires. Fun fact: This area downtown has more concentrated seating for arts events than any place in the U.S.\u2014except for Broadway.<\/p>\n

21. Bike Above the City…<\/h2>\n

\"Biking

Source: Flickr user AlphaTangoBravo\/ Adam Baker<\/p><\/div>
\nIn recent years, the City of Houston has been working hard to improve the bike paths and shared use paths around the city, and has created 128 acres of paths in total looping around the city.<\/p>\n

22. … Or Walk Below the City<\/h2>\n

\"Below

Source: Flickr user eschipul<\/p><\/div>
\nBeneath Houston lie seven miles of tunnels, with access to dozens of restaurants, coffee shops, stores, offices, newsstands, florists and much more. If you don\u2019t feel like finding your own way around beneath the city (and probably getting hopelessly lost), there are audio walking tours available.<\/p>\n

23. Get Lost In Memorial Park<\/h2>\n

\"Memorial

Source: Wikipedia user Tartessos75<\/p><\/div>
\nMemorial Park is one of the largest urban parks in the U.S. It\u2019s home to a golf course, facilities for baseball, swimming, track, tennis, and trail biking.<\/p>\n

24. Find Yourself At The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir<\/h2>\n

\"Shri

Source: Flickr user Ian Muttoo<\/p><\/div>
\nThis beautiful temple is the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in the U.S. No matter your religion, this building\u2019s walls, pillars and domes made of hand-carved marble and limestone will leave you feeling divinely inspired.<\/p>\n

25. Stroll The Houston Heights<\/h2>\n

\"

Source: Flickr user cortneymartin82<\/p><\/div>
\nThis neighborhood is filled with cafes, cute little salons, vintage stores, and tons of interior design and fashion shops. If you\u2019re a local, check out the White Linen Nights or Lights in the Heights to get to know your neighbors in the area\u2014and if you\u2019re not a local, crash the party anyway.<\/p>\n

26. Get Your Cowboy On<\/h2>\n

\"Houston

Source: Flickr user p_a_h<\/p><\/div>
\nOkay, we had to mention it eventually. Sure, Houston is so much more than cowboys and rodeos, but that doesn\u2019t mean that the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo isn\u2019t one helluva good time. Roping events, a livestock show, rides, games, music, and fried everything. Giddyup.<\/p>\n

27. Make Yourself Super Thirsty at the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park<\/h2>\n

\"Gerald

Source: Flickr user ljmacphee<\/p><\/div>
\nNot only is this horseshoe-shaped wall with 11,000 gallons of water cascading per minute a breathtaking feat of design, but it will truly make you appreciate the power of water\u2014plus it will make you really thirsty. Pro tip: make a bathroom stop before you visit.<\/p>\n

28. Visit A Park Named After the First Dog…Really<\/h2>\n

\"Millie

Source: Millie Bush Dog Park Facebook page<\/p><\/div>
\nMillie Bush Dog Park was indeed named after George H.W. and Barbara Bush\u2019s dog, Millie, but no matter your political leanings this 15-acre lake-filled park will certainly get your vote\u2014and your dog\u2019s.<\/p>\n

29. Get a Kolache at Christy\u2019s Donuts Kolaches, Change Your Life<\/h2>\n

\"Christy\u2019s

Source: Wikipedia user Angeldm<\/p><\/div>
\nTry the jumbo kolache, with cheese and sausage in the middle, or the traditional, or the jalape\u00f1o, or their donuts, or the free donut holes… Nom nom nom.
\nLike This Post? You\u2019ll Definitely Love These:<\/b><\/p>\n