A Budget-Friendly Visit To Houston – Top 15 Finds

In this guide, you’ll be able to go through the top 15 finds we’ve selectively chosen that will be budget-friendly for your pockets. You will save a dime and maybe need to invest it in some other good place, like a popular restaurant. (Tacos, anyone?). Or for staying in a comfortable hotel until your tour ends?
Find outdoor activities, discover recreational activities at parks and museums, and indulge in refreshing and exciting sports, among many things to do in Houston!

Want to experience free musical-filled entertainment in a natural outdoor setting? The patio seating area is available to host 4500 people, spread across blankets or chairs while grooving to jazz, ethnic, or classical music buzzing around you. Dramas, dance performances, and short plays can also entertain you, such as ballet, classical films, and Shakespeare. A picnic with your family and friends can also be enjoyed before the performance, as there are many scenic spots available. (And hey, you’re allowed to snack dramatically before Shakespeare.)

When you reach 7300 Clinton Drive, Gate 8, Houston, you will come across Port Houston’s Sam Houston landing. The Sam Houston Boat Tour services enable free one-and-a-half-hour rides, giving an insight into voyages that have been operating since 1958. Tourists get to enjoy a breezy sightseeing of international cargo containers and the busy port activities around the port’s terminal. The cruise has a capacity of 100 passengers, with an air-conditioned seating lounge, and the boat’s rear observatory allows you to get an astounding view of the sea. Although the tour is free, tickets need to be booked in advance, and sailings usually operate from Wednesday to Saturday with limited spots. (Seats fill fast—like Black Friday, but more nautical.)

James Turrell’s eye-catching state-of-the-art marvel, Twilight Epiphany in Rice University’s Skyspace, is one of the Free Attractions In Houston. Tourists can witness the changing dimensions of the illusory sky that reflects the natural light from the flat top’s central opening. Hoisted on the grassy pyramid, an LED-illuminated rooftop grants a view of the sky. The structure is open throughout the day. However, the 40-minute light shows only operate during sunrise and sunset. Visitors are allowed free entry to this site, and the benches are occupied by 120 people dispersed at two levels; the lower level is accessible for wheelchairs. The show can be gained entry six days a week, except on Tuesday, when it is closed. (Because even the sky needs a day off.)

To support people with locally, fresh-grown produce such as fruits, vegetables, and meat, the Urban Harvest Farmer’s Market has been functioning since 2004. It started with only 7 vendors, which has today expanded to about 100 vendors. This, Texas’s largest farmers market, houses famous artisanal goods that are sourced from Atkinson Farm, Animal Farm, and Pat Greer’s kitchen. Open throughout the year every Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm. Visitors can enjoy a free stroll across the market, viewing the busy vendors selling their products excitedly, buying some local products if they wish, and getting to taste free samples of some eatables! (Warning: free samples may cause spontaneous snacking.)

Located at 500 Allen Parkway, this artistic park has been a famous tourist attraction. With its scenic, lush green meadows and artisanally crafted sculptures across different spots, Eleanor Tinsley Park is a good place to relax and unwind. Benches embedded within the green plains allow picnicking in a creative setting. This section is part of the larger Buffalo Bayou Park, along the coast of Buffalo Bayou and just next to Bayou Scenic Art Park. (Basically, your picnic’s about to get very Pinterest-worthy.)

This free-for-all, beautiful park, having several trails across the woods, is one of the largest downtown parks in Texas. (Yes, “free-for-all” in the best way—no ticket booth in sight.) Memorial Park provides amenities to the tourists, such as many forms of sports, and also leads them through trails besides an equestrian center and the Houston Arboretum. Visitors can be involved in playing 18-hole golf courses, swimming, inline skating, walking, cycling, enjoying croquet, and playing other games like soccer and baseball! One can find the location of this park at Woodway, inside Loop 610, Memorial Drive Road.

Spotted by the western end of Memorial Park, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Centre is a place where nature lovers will connect. (Cue the inner birdwatcher in you.) Housing mesmerizing ponds, gardens, prairies, and savanna landscapes, it features species of birds, insects, reptiles, and some mammals. There are a variety of plants as well that are native to the place, such as trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. It is instructed by area facilitators to avoid going anywhere other than on trails and also touching or feeding any animals for the safety of visitors and the wildlife.

Number one rated U.S museum for children by Parents Magazine, The Children’s Museum of Houston is an interactive, playful, and educational center where kids aged 3 to 12 get to explore and learn with their little, creative minds. (And where parents get 3 hours of semi-peace.) This whimsically constructed building by Robert Venturi is a playground for your whole family, where challenging science exhibitions enable the children to unleash their inner potential. Activity sheets are also given that can be taken home by parents to keep a check on their child’s growth. Excitingly, this museum allows free access to parents and children on special Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm. Free ticket reservations must be made in advance, as 7 pm is the last time for ticketing. You should definitely enjoy this time involved in free activities in Houston. (And possibly discover your kid is a future astronaut.)

This park is situated in Great Uptown Houston’s Post Oak Blvd area, surrounded by Texas’s largest mall, The Galleria. The 64-foot semicircular architectural wonder, officially named Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, is a cultural attraction for visitors because of its marvelous gushing waterfall scenery. (It’s like nature said, “Here’s some drama.”) You might have to pay a small parking fee, and the waterfall is typically running daily during open hours.

Rice University is a mesmerizing educational site with architectural wonder, where visitors can enjoy a free walk around the campus. (Try not to look too much like you’re scouting for a dorm.) Photographs can be taken at iconic sights, by huge and captivating oak trees. The President’s mansion on the corner of Sunset is also a must-visit while you’re on the campus. Please note that some areas may have restricted access during academic events or holidays.

We can’t miss this one when it comes to the free things to do in Houston! Smither Park, although a small neighborhood park, is filled with artistic mosaic attractions such as plates, cups, mirrors, silverware, park benches, structures, tables, and many more. (Basically, an artist turned the junk drawer into a masterpiece.) There is also a free library box having chits scribbled with items that can be played with for fun in scavenger hunting.

The 30,000 square feet of land is occupied by in-ground space, which is allocated for skating. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro at it, you can try free balancing, kick flip, Ollie, or Fakie big spin! (Don’t worry, falling is part of the fun. Just laugh it off.) It allows visitors to enjoy recreational sports and adventure at one of the largest cradle skateparks in North America.

The lush postcard view of a 12-acre park is laid out in front of you when you come to Discovery Green. The vegetation-covered pathway will lead you to view a tranquil pond and the Gateway fountain, where you can splash and enjoy the waterscape, motorboating. (Let your inner five-year-old run wild.) A beautiful walking trail, along with a dog run, calls the joggers for their daily run-up exercises. Children’s playground, an artistic splendor of exhibition, an Amphitheater, and the Houston Public Library Express are some of the other notable features of this park. Playing garden games here, such as golf, croquet, and bocce ball, can be a thrilling and fun-challenging experience with your friends. (Warning: family bocce ball games may lead to competitive yelling.)

Buffalo Bayou Park, situated at the Bank of the Buffalo Bayou, is a linear 160-acre parkland. The natural ecosystem surrounding the area houses various flora and fauna. This park has great facilities for its visitors, such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking, picnicking, dog-walking, skating, and cultural events. It has the famous Lee and Joe artistic skatepark, a nature play area for kids and families, a cistern, and a dog park. (Basically, an all-you-can-eat buffet of free fun.)

The Galleria, or Houston Galleria, is an urban shopping mall situated on Westheimer Road. The iconic sight of attraction here is The Ice at The Galleria, a 20,000 square foot ice-skating area with an 80-foot rink, which makes it the first-ever indoor rink inside a mall. (Skating next to Chanel. Fancy!) It houses 400+ stores across 4 floors and has two hotels and an office building inside this complex. You can enjoy free window shopping, gazing at the busy life of shoppers, and even have fun skating on the famous Ice at The Galleria — skating is available for a fee. (Window shopping is free. Regret-shopping is not.)