Unique Things to Do in Houston
Fun and Unique Things to Do in Houston
In one of the largest cities in the United States it is no surprise that there is a wide variety of things to see and do. Here you can indulge your curiosity for so many things! Enjoy the list of fun things to do in Houston – choose whatever suits your fancy during your visit to the Lone Star State.
Read before you go to get the kids interested and ready! Kids who have an idea of what they are going to see are more engaged and have a better time AND they are practicing valuable reading skills. You can NEVER get to much of that!
CLICK HERE – Kids’ Books About Texas
Weird Things to Do in Houston – National Museum of Funeral History
If I think about this rationally….it makes sense to have a museum for funeral history. It is a very necessary business that we use at the most difficult times of our lives. I’m grateful that there are people who go into this line of work.
On the other hand….ew.
National Museum of Funeral History
415 Barren Springs Drive
Houston, Texas 77090-5918
281-876-3063
Hours: Monday – Friday 10-4
Saturday 10 – 5
Sunday 12 – 5
Ticket Prices – Adults $10
Seniors (55+) and Vets $9
Children (6-11) $7
Children (5 and under) FREE
Fun Things to Do in Houston – Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
This underground water reservoir is a really cool place to visit. That is cool, both figuratively and literally and in Houston, when the heat can reach triple digits, a cool spot to visit is really a God send!
The reservoir is the size of 1 1/2 football fields and holds 15 million gallons of water. Be sure to try out the acoustics. The echo there is 17 seconds long according to the website, which is interesting because Wikipedia lists the world’s longest echo as 15 seconds. I’ll check that out and report back!
We visited a reservoir in Turkey and it was SUPER cool! It is quite a surreal spot and a must for kids!
CLICK HERE – Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey
105 Sabine Street
Houston, Texas 77007
RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED!
NO ONE UNDER 9 ALLOWED.
30 minute Tour times: Tuesday – Thursday 3:00 – 7:00
Saturday – Sunday 11:00 – 1:00
Tickets:
Cost $5 per person
Reservations required and can be made up to 60 days in advance
Unique Things to Do in Houston – Art Car Museum
This cool art car museum is also playfully known as the Garage Mahall, which I think is so fun. The English teacher in my just loves word play.
Kids of all ages will LOVE this place. Who said museums have to be boring? Houston proudly has more art cars than any other city and seeing them will bring out some great conversations for sure. I used to think that I would add flames to my soccer mom van, but now I realize I need to shoot higher with more creativity than that!
Kids really enjoy unusual art in any form. When we are all small we create art with wild abandon but at some point we realize our art is ‘wrong’ and ‘not good enough’ and stop playing around with it as much. Seeing unusual art like these cars gives everyone the idea that art doesn’t have to be realistic and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Art can be fun!
140 Heights Blvd
Houston, Texas 77007
713-861-5526
Hours:
Wednesday – Sunday 11:00 -6:00
Monday – Tuesday CLOSED
Tickets: FREE
Crazy Things to Do in Houston – Beer Can House
With a population of almost 7 MILLION people you are sure to see a wide variety of everything and anything here in Houston. In this case, you see an unusual hobby or pastime.
Way back before we thought about recycling things like beer cans, John Miklovisch enjoy a beer in the evenings and decided to keep those cans rather than throw them out. In the many years since he started created with cans back in 1968 he has continued to add to his house.
Some call it art or sculpture but he doesn’t. As a matter of fact he has this to say about his creation:
“Some people say this is sculpture but I didn’t go to no expensive school to get these crazy notions.”
Now the Beer Can House has more than 50,000 cans, he put has covered the front yard because he doesn’t like to mow the grass and crated all sorts of landscape creations with it. He also discovered that covering the house reflected the light keeping it cooler and their electric bills went down. In the insane heat of a Houston summer this was surely the place to be.
Who drank all the beer? He did and so did his helpful neighbors. What kind is John’s favorite beer?
“Whatever’s on special.”
222 Malone Street (Between Memorial Dr and Washington, Ave.)
Houston, Texas
Hours: Only open Memorial Day – Labor Day
Wednesday – Sunday 12:00 – 5:00
Ticket Prices: Adults $5
Under 12 FREE
They have a gift shop!
Fun Things to Do in Houston – Eclectic Menagerie Park
This is a really fun way to show kids that ‘things are bigger in Texas’. The Rubenstein family uses their 108 acre yard to the pipe company they own as an open air museum. Some of the art was created by the family and other pieces are from others.
Jerry Rubenstein loves combining art and welding. He started the park with a purchase of a GIANT hippo which he put out on his land near the road.
288 South and Bellfort Street
800-233-8736
Hours and Tickets – not really open or closed because it is totally open air and you can see it from the road
My favorite is the HUGE armadillo.
Weird Things to Do in Houston – The Orange Show
Check out this installation of folk art all made by the hand of one artist – Jefferson Davis McKissack who loved oranges. Jeff McKissack loved the orange so much that he created this 3000 square foot outdoor space to tell everyone all about the positive benefits of this favorite fruit.
The art exhibit is created out of bricks, tiles, fencing, farm implements and other ‘found objects’. Enjoy the maze and colorful creations like mosaics and iron sculpture during your visit to this truly unusual and important folk art monuments.
2402 Munger Street
Houston, Texas 77007
713-926-6368
(off the Gulf Freeway near Telephone Road Exit)
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 – 5:00
******If the weather looks iffy call first. The Orange Show closes for inclement weather.*****
Tickets:
Adults $5
Children 12 and under FREE
Houston is a BIG city with a lot to offer. You could easily spend two weeks here just hitting the highlights! Enjoy your visit to the Lone Star State. Will you be visiting the state capital? Enjoy these tips!
CLICK HERE – Visit Austin’s Capitol Building
CLICK HERE – See Austin’s Bats – the largest urban colon in the world
CLICK HERE – Why is Austin Weird? Check out the Cathedral of Junk
Happy Texas Travels,
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
Never knew about these places. I’ve been to Houston but I think I need to plan another trip with my kids!
Fascinating! When I think of Houston or Texas, I think of Sheldon Cooper. It’s nice to learn that there’s so much more to Houston than that.
A national museum of funeral history??! Wow, they have a museum for everything it seems! I’ve not yet been to Houston, but it looks like a great place to explore, and with many activities too. Hope I get to go one day.
Yes, I’m thinking you are right about there being a museum for everything. There is a pigeon museum in Oklahoma City I just found out about, too!
This guide is awesome. Beer can house and the funeral museum look so interesting. You got something for everyone.
This guide is very useful. The funeral museum is so strange, never heard about that. Good work!
Wow, I never thought that Houston has all these fun things to do and enjoy. The Eclectic Menagerie Park is something I should never miss seeing because it has an open air museum with so much art to enjoy. The orange show as well has caught my attention. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.