Our most recommended things to do in Houston Museum District

Houston: Museum of Natural Science General Admission Ticket

1. Houston: Museum of Natural Science General Admission Ticket

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of natural science with an entrance ticket to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, one of the United States most-visited museums. See spectacular mineral specimens, dinosaur skeletons, space-station models, and much more. Gaze at dozens of prehistoric beasts in the Morian Hall of Paleontology brought to life in lively displays that animate their struggle to survive. See a blue topaz crystal of more than 2,000 carats in the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. Celebrate the diversity of America’s indigenous peoples in the John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas. Come face to face with wildlife ecology at the Frensley Graham Hall of African Wildlife, or learn about shell science and the study of mollusks at the Strake Hall of Malacology.

Houston CityPASS®: Save 49% at 5 Top Attractions

2. Houston CityPASS®: Save 49% at 5 Top Attractions

Make use of your Houston CityPASS® on your next trip to Houston. See the wonders of space, amazing animals, fascinating science, world-class art, and more with Houston CityPASS® tickets. CityPASS® tickets offer convenient instant delivery and are valid for 9 consecutive days, allowing ample time to experience each attraction. Save 49% on prepaid admission to 5 must-see attractions: • Space Center Houston – General admission, including Independence Plaza and the NASA tram tour Plus get admission to 4 more attractions of your choice: • Downtown Aquarium – General admission to the Aquarium Adventure Exhibit; rides and games not included • Houston Museum of Natural Science – General admission • Houston Zoo – General admission; not valid for Zoo Lights • Kemah Boardwalk All-Day Ride Pass – All-Day Ride Pass; Stingray, Boardwalk Beast, and Iron Eagle not included • Children’s Museum of Houston – General admission. To enter the museum, your group must be accompanied by a child • Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – General admission to permanent collections and non-ticketed special exhibitions

Houston Museum of Natural Science: Cockrell Butterfly Center

3. Houston Museum of Natural Science: Cockrell Butterfly Center

Visit the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Walk through a living butterfly habitat, admire spectacular live and preserved specimens of some of the world’s largest and weirdest arthropods, and enjoy interactive games and quizzes. Upon arrival, enter a three-story glass structure built around a 50-foot (15-meter) waterfall. Once inside, discover a simulated tropical rainforest filled with exotic plants and hundreds of live butterflies imported from butterfly farms around the world. Marvel as these delicate creatures flutter through the vegetation, stop to sip nectar or fruit juices, and occasionally alight on lucky visitors. Feel the enchantment continue with astounding living insects, mounted specimens, larger-than-life models, and interactive games. Search for camouflaged creatures, meet a cricket weatherman, learn how insects are used to solve crimes, watch leaf cutter ants at work, see giant wasp nests, get a close-up look of some of Houston’s largest cockroaches, and more. Tucked underneath the waterfall and behind the cenote pool, discover how insects are particularly important to humans. Listen to interviews with real-life entomologists and take a peek into an entomologist’s lab, where you can look up close at insect specimens. The last entry of the day is at 5:30 PM.

Houston Museum of Natural Sciences: Planetarium Ticket

4. Houston Museum of Natural Sciences: Planetarium Ticket

Immerse yourself in the vastness of space at the Burke Baker Planetarium in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Enjoy the upgraded planetarium which features the world's leading digital planetarium software and projection system. Let this digital projection system allow you to step off world and into the wider universe. Explore planets and asteroid fields. See projections of planets, stars, and entire galaxies. Expand your knowledge of the universe with different dome shows like "Lamps of Atlantis", "Are We Really Alone?", "Black Holes", "Starry Night Express", "Dark Side of the Moon", and "Passport to the Universe." The last show of the day is at 5 PM.

Houston: Children's Museum of Houston Entry Ticket

5. Houston: Children's Museum of Houston Entry Ticket

Pre-book your entry ticket to the Children’s Museum Houston and let your children run, play, explore, learn, touch, smell, feel, and so much more in a variety of different exhibits. Exhibits regularly change so visiting multiple times is still fun for both locals and visitors alike. Current exhibits may include: • Tot*Spot (ages 0-35 months): Perfect place for the youngest guests to play and grow their brains (reopening September 20, 2022) • EcoStation (ages 2+): Explore the native plant garden, solar-powered research pavilion, woodland area, and the pond habitat • Cyberchase (ages 3+): A math adventure where forces join with the CyberSquad in their quest to save Cyberspace • FlowWorks (ages 5+): Learn about the forces and properties of water with waves, rapids, vortices, and hydropower • Heart and Seoul (ages 3+): Immerse your child in South Korean culture through the lives of children in Seoul • Inventor's Workshop (ages 3+): Use imagination to create extraordinary objects, mechanisms, and inventions • Genius Station (ages 4+): Discover your inner genius with the museum's very own science experts who are ready to answer all your questions • Challenge Course (ages 5+): Using agility, stamina, and balance, kids test out a 7-obstacle, low-rope course • How Does It Work (ages 5+): Conduct hands-on investigations around physical science concepts and how they appear in our everyday lives • Invention Convention (ages 5+): Unleash imagination inside this workshop filled with gadgets and gizmos that kids design and build • Kidtropolis, USA (ages 5+): A city for kids run by kids where kids choose what they want to be and work with other kids to make it function • Matter Factory (ages 5+): Explore the building blocks of matter while immersing yourself in the • Periodic Table of Elements • PowerPlay (ages 5+): Explore the science of nutrition, health, and exercise • Maker Annex (ages 8+): Be creative with 3-D printers, laser cutters, and more • Power Science Lab (ages 8+): Check out the science behind the body and the mind and overall health in a hands-on chemical wet lab • Kids' Hall (all ages): Traveling art and cultural exhibits from across the world with new activities introduced weekly • Parent Resource Library (all ages): A branch of the Houston Public Library right at the museum

Houston: Space Explorer Pass

6. Houston: Space Explorer Pass

Spend your day learning about space and space exploration at two different attractions in Houston. Visit Space Center Houston to learn more about the NASA Mission and astronaut training. Explore space at the Burke Baker Planetarium, which offers an unprecedented immersive experience with a best-in-class projection system.  Space Center Houston features more than 400 space artifacts including the world's largest collection of moon rocks and lunar samples. As the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center, guests are taken behind the scenes to see NASA Mission Control, International Space Station Mission Control, and areas used for astronaut training. At the Burke Baker Planetarium, the newly updated Digitar 6 system enables our visitors to fly through the universe, experience the vastness of space, roam planetary surfaces, navigate asteroid fields, and watch the latest fulldome shows. With this pass you'll also gain entry to the Museum's permanent exhibit areas that examine astronomy and space science plus a whole host of other topics focused a little closer to Earth!

Houston: Holocaust Museum Houston Entry Ticket

7. Houston: Holocaust Museum Houston Entry Ticket

Discover the history of the Holocaust with entry tickets to the Holocaust Museum in Houston. See the museum's permanent exhibitions and pay your respects to the innocent victims of the Holocaust. Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people on the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims, and honoring survivors' legacies. Using lessons from the Holocaust and other genocides, the museum strives to teach the dangers of hatred, prejudice, and apathy. See the museum's five permanent exhibitions, including the Lester and Sue Smith Human Rights Gallery. Explore the historical evolution of human rights and the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – a historic document that set the foundation for the modern-day human rights movement.

Houston: 1-Day or 3-Day Museum Pass

8. Houston: 1-Day or 3-Day Museum Pass

Explore Houston's most exciting museums including the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, Asia Society Texas Center, Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Children's Museum of Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Czech Center Museum Houston, Holocaust Museum Houston, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston Center For Photography, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Lone Star Flight Museum, National Museum of Funeral History, Rothko Chapel, The Health Museum, The Heritage Society, The Menil Collection and The San Jacinto Museum and Battlefield Association. Houston is known for many incredible museums. Choose a 1-day pass to see some of your favorites, or select a 3-day option for more time to visit them all. This pass is activated upon first use and valid for the number of days you've selected.

Houston's Highlights Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

9. Houston's Highlights Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Experience the sights and history of Houston, Texas, on this self-guided driving tour via an app for maximum flexibility, comfort, and value. Simply hop in your own car, get the tour guide app set up on your phone, and get started. All audio plays automatically based on location. Start your tour by the bayou and learn about the deadly battles that took place along the river. Most stops along the tour have animated videos that let you visualize what you cannot see, such as snapshots from different centuries or interior rooms. Then, visit Sam Houston Park, where past and present collide in the architecture, offering a unique glimpse into the diverse life of the area. Next, head to the Historic District and get to know some of Houston’s complex past. At Christ Church Cathedral, hear a quintessential story of the southern community back in the 1800s. Continue to Emancipation Park and get familiar with the significance of Juneteenth within Houston. As you drive through the Museum District, uncover the secrets behind some of Houston’s more notorious urban legends. Then, visit the grandest green space in the city: Hermann Park. The park even features a zoo. After that, swing through the famous Rice University and hear the tale of a wild senior prank pulled back in the ’80s, engineered by a student still known as “the mastermind.” Continue on to MacGregor Park and learn how the intense Hurricane Harvey impacted Houston. Then, hear about the importance of oil and gas to this city. Finally, get some stellar space facts and visit the world-famous NASA Johnson Space Center.

Austin & Houston: Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

10. Austin & Houston: Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Once downloaded, your tour begins in either Austin or Houston. In Austin, you’ll start at the beautiful Mount Bonnell. As you drive, you’ll learn about Texas’s struggle for independence and the city’s rich and delightfully diverse music history. Plus, cruise past the Wild Basin Wilderness preserve, replete with over 200 acres of preserved wilderness. Uncover the city’s rich BBQ history, especially Austin’s pit-style cooking! Then find out how this became the hottest city in the tech industry. Stop by Zilker Botanical Garden with 28 acres of local and exotic flora. Pay a visit to the beloved Barton Springs with its three-acre spring-fed pool, a miniature train, and even a community theater! Then, cross Congress Avenue Bridge, home to the largest urban bat colony in America. Dig further into Austin’s culture and learn how the iconic phrase “Keep Austin Weird” was born! Get some trivia on the various movies and shows that have been filmed here, such as the cult classic, Office Space and Richard Linklater’s ambitious Boyhood, shot over a dozen years. Then park by the majestic state capitol and stroll through the beautiful grounds as you learn more about Austin’s fascinating history. Finally, catch snatches of the vibrant nightlife on 6th Street, which was once a hive of booze-related shenanigans during Prohibition. This concludes your Austin adventure! In Houston, you’ll begin on Lamar Street, between the Embassy Suites Hotel and Grove Restaurant. Then hear about the Caddo Nations and how the Spanish conquered their land to establish Mexico. Proceed past the Buffalo Bayou Park and unearth the famed Battle of San Jacinto, a key fight in the struggle for Texan independence! As you drive, you’ll behold amazing architecture both new and old, from sleek skyscrapers like Penzoil Place to the grandeur of Christ Church Cathedral. Discover the blend of art, science, and history at the Houston Museum District, where you’ll find a diverse range of museums dedicated to everything from African-American culture, to children, natural sciences, and beyond! Of course, no visit is complete without learning the history of NASA. Learn why Houston was chosen for the headquarters and hear stories of some of its greatest triumphs as you make your way to the Johnson Space Center. Your tour concludes here.

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Things to do in
Houston Museum District

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What people are saying about Houston Museum District

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 92 reviews

I went to the Children’s museum with my kids. They loved the place and didn’t want to leave. We went to the holocaust museum too. Couldn’t go to other places due to time as the kids spent so much time at the children’s museum leaving us with no time for other places.

It was great!! We went to the Aquarium yesterday and today we went to the zoo. My girls loved it!! Tomorrow we will go to the science museum and we are very excited

It served very well and also we did not have to queue anywhere. The only thing missing was the aquarium

Good and interesting presentation but a little on the short side in length.

Great experience for both kids and adults I would definitely buy again!!