Discover Houston

Houston offers a range of starting points for planning your trip: space exploration history, outdoor trails, nature and wildlife, as well as art and culture. Visitor offerings range from a guided tram tour to self-guided visits. If you want to plan your stay around a specific offering, check current operating, tour and access conditions in advance.

Space Exploration History and Insights

Space Center Houston is the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Check the latest operating details before your visit. At Independence Plaza, visitors can board the shuttle replica Independence. It is mounted on NASA 905, the historic, original shuttle carrier aircraft.

At Historic Mission Control, NASA directed Gemini and Apollo missions, including the first lunar landing mission. A guided tram tour takes visitors through NASA’s Johnson Space Center and offers insights into astronaut training facilities, historic spacecraft and modern research laboratories. Availability depends on operating conditions; check in advance whether the tour is offered during your visit. The experience spans everything from boarding the shuttle replica to learning about mission history and getting a glimpse of research and training.

Trails and Green Spaces

You can explore Buffalo Bayou Park on foot, by bicycle or on the water. Conditions and possible closures may change, so check the latest park information when planning your visit. Across Houston, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department maintains an extensive trail system with more than 163.12 miles of trails.

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is a 155-acre urban nature sanctuary on the western edge of Memorial Park. It offers 2 miles of accessible trails. Check the latest information about the accessible trails before your visit, too.

Wildlife and Exhibits

At the Houston Zoo, the Kathrine G. McGovern Texas Wetlands brings bald eagles, whooping cranes and American alligators together in a lush wetland habitat. The Galápagos Islands exhibit, by contrast, immerses visitors in an environment modeled on the archipelago’s unique landscapes and marine habitats. The two nature experiences differ in focus: the wetland centers on the species listed above, while the Galápagos exhibit features recreated landscapes and marine habitats. Check the latest exhibit details before your visit.

Museums and Activities

The Houston Museum District spans nine square miles and includes 19 museums and arts and cultural organizations. The number of institutions may change. Bayou Bend is the MFAH house museum for American decorative arts and paintings. It offers docent-led and self-guided tours; tour policies may change. Check the latest visitor information in advance.

Discovery Green has a one-acre lake where kayaking is possible. Access to the water is subject to park rules, so take these into account if you plan to kayak. Compare hotel offers according to your own priorities, and check tour availability, trail information, exhibit details and park rules for each activity separately.

Explore more destinations: Nassau Bay, South Houston, Galena Park, Deer Park, Baytown, Piney Point Village, Taylor Lake Village, Jersey Village

View the broader travel overview: Harris.