Houston with Kids :: Easy, Budget Friendly Getaway for Louisiana Families
We’re a family that likes to travel; prior to having kids my husband and I had some great adventures around the world. Since having kids, we’ve kept things closer to home while they’re young. We’ve gone to the beach, the mountains, the city (like Nashville), quick weekend vacations, and one-tank trips. Road trips aren’t always the easiest but they can be fun, and with a large city like Houston not too far away, we decided to give it a try for our latest family vacation.
Houston did not disappoint. There are tons of affordable or free activities that are family friendly. The drive was just about 4 hours from Baton Rouge, so you may not even have to stop for gas or food if you time it right.
We were planning a week-long vacation and decided to break it up. We started our vacation at Great Wolf Lodge just outside of Houston and ended our week in Houston proper.
What to Do
I had done a bit of research, asked some friends, and read a few travel sites to get an idea and some recommendations. Since Houston is such a large city, it can feel overwhelming to try to narrow down what you want and can do in the time you have. With younger kids, we decided to focus on one area with the knowledge, and the oft repeated saying, “we can come back, Houston is not that far away.”
Houston has a plethora of wonderful museums and you can potentially spend an entire day in one, or with enough planning you can access the museums during their scheduled free hours in the evenings. There are also great parks with affordable or free activities. We chose to stick primarily to the museum district and the area around Hermann Park for this trip.
Houston Museum of Natural Science (free hours Tuesdays from 5p-8p) :: This one is great if you have a dinosaur, animal, or rock loving kiddo. Permanent exhibits include halls on Paleontology, Ancient Egypt, African Animals, Gems & Minerals, exhibits on energy and motion and all things science. My kids loved it. There was an attached parking garage for easy access to the museum and Hermann Park.
Hermann Park :: had tons of great free, and low cost, activities and options.
- Train ride around the park – $6 for daily pass
- Carousel – Kids need tickets, but adults who stand do not. $3/per kid for single ride, $6 for unlimited or you can add-on unlimited carousel rides for $5 to your train daily pass.
- Playground – Free! Great climbing, sliding and space themed fun.
- Japanese Garden – Free, koi ponds, ducks, relaxing walk
- Lake pedal boats $14.50 for 30mins for a boat for 4.
- Free 2hr parking in the park
Children’s Museum Houston (free hours Thursday night 5p-8p) :: The Children’s Museum participates in the Association of Science and technology Centers Passport Program, so if you have a membership to the Louisiana Art and Science Museum, the Louisiana Children’s Museum, or the ULL Science Museum, you can enter this museum for free! You just need your photo ID and membership card.
Houston Zoo :: The zoo is located in Hermann Park as well. They do not sell tickets at the gate, so you will have to plan ahead and reserve your tickets in advance. The Houston Zoo offers Free Zoo Day as well, but it requires on-line reservations for all non-members. If you have a membership to Baton Rouge Zoo, admission to the Houston Zoo is 50% off!
We also visited the Color Factory-Houston. While it said this was a 2 hour experience, our time there was almost double. There was no rush to move through the rooms and we let our kids, and the adults, enjoy themselves to the fullest. This was a unique experience for the adults as well. We were able to save a bit by comparing prices and getting tickets through Groupon.
Another way to save is to consider the CityPASS. We did not purchase passes this time, but will likely do so for out next visit. We used them when visiting Chicago and it made things easier, saved us some money and honestly, helped reduce the number of “things” we were considering. The Houston CityPASS is great if you plan to visit the space center and the Kemah boardwalk.
Where to Stay
To keep our trip budget-friendly, we decided to stay in the museum/medical district as it was closest to most of the activities we wanted to do. We chose a hotel with a 2 bedroom suite and on-site hot breakfast included in the stay. This option allowed us to have a kitchenette to cook and full size refrigerator to save leftovers to use as late night snacks or next meal. A short-term rental also allows for this; however, I didn’t have the energy to research all of the areas!
Where to Eat
Just because you’re traveling with kids doesn’t mean you can’t have great food. We ate at The Pit Room, a Michelin guide restaurant, and at Barnaby’s Cafe a fun, bright place near the Children’s Museum. Houston has a lot of really great restaurants and a variety of cuisine. We also utilized the kitchenette and packed a picnic lunch for our day spent in the park. We took a drive out to Saint Arnold Brewing Company, to try local craft beers and explore a different area. They had a great outdoor area that was family friendly.
