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Houston - Things to See and Do

From big oil and aerospace to shipping, energy and finance, America’s fourth-largest city is a leader in the world of business. But it’s also a city that knows how to have Texas-sized fun. From the outer expanses of space to the depths of the ocean, there are many sights and attractions to explore in this southern city. Grab a Houston, Texas, CityPASS to spend less and experience more.

Family Fun
Where else can you experience the sensation of a space launch and get a behind-the-scenes tour of Johnson Space Center’s working and training areas? Space Center Houston is an iconic attraction packed with activities. Visitors can experience the history of flight from the earliest rockets to the lunar landing to shuttle flights. And the Kids Space Place keeps future astronauts entertained for eons.

From outer space to the depths of the ocean, see some of the sea’s famous residents at the Downtown Aquarium. Experience the wonder of the underwater world as you tour the Aquarium Adventure Exhibit, a 500,000-gallon aquatic wonderland. Discover 400 species of marine life from around the globe including a giant Pacific octopus, clownfish and grouper.

Majestic elephants, red pandas, chimpanzees and rhinos are just a few animals you can find at the Houston Zoo. But, if you really want to squeal, head over to the new Bug House and enjoy colorful beetles, centipedes, giant katydids, tarantulas, scorpions and even white-dotted domino roaches.

The Children's Museum of Houston is a playground for the mind. Children can harness the power of water as FlowWorks unleashes a tsunami of wet, wild fun; run an entire city at Kidtropolis; leap, jump, crawl and climb up PowerPlay; and create, concoct and invent their own gadgets in the Invention Convention.

More Museums
Take your CityPASS and explore one of the nation’s most-visited museums at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, home to one of the largest paleontology halls in the country. The vast Hall of Egypt immerses visitors into the ancient world of the pharaohs and a coveted collection of work by Fabergé craftsmen displays over 600 pieces, the largest private collection of Fabergé in the world.

Take on an art adventure at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Explore the expansive assortment of paintings, sculptures and film. The breadth of the permanent collections brings together stunning works from every corner of the world, from ancient artworks to modern masterpieces. And the collections rotate often, bringing in the chance to see art from a myriad of disciplines and people.

A Colourful Escape
Get out of the heart of the city and enjoy a local pastime for all ages: unwinding on a boardwalk by the beach. Kemah Boardwalk has amusement rides, nine waterfront restaurants, shopping, midway games, live entertainment and weekend festivals. Brave the Bullet rollercoaster, ride the train and Ferris wheel, and plunge 40-plus meters on the Drop Zone.

CityPass Houston - includes admission to 5 Attractions:

Space Centre Houston, plus 4 more attractions of your choice:

Downtown Aquarium
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston Zoo
Kemah Boardwalk
Children's Museum Houston
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Space Centre Houston

Among Houston’s many assets – a vibrant downtown set on Galveston Bay, loads of culture and locals who offer as much friendly South Western charm as they do hip urban sass – there is its long history as NASA’s home to human space flight operations.

Drawing more than 1 million space-lovers every year, Space Centre Houston is the city’s top destination for international visitors and the Official Visitor Centre for NASA Johnson Space Centre. Through its extensive educational programs, year-round hands-on exhibits and artifacts, visitors can see The Real Thing at Space Center Houston. Imagine seeing real flown spacecraft, meeting Robonauts and even touching a moon rock (one of only eight lunar touchstones in the world).

Behind-the-Scenes Access
Start with the NASA Tram Tour, the only way the general public can visit Johnson Space Centre. As the centre’s most popular attraction, the tour is included with the price of admission and takes guests to see the enormous Saturn V rocket at Rocket Park as well as across the 650-hectare campus. See more of this one-of-a-kind working facility and go behind-the-scenes aboard the Level 9 VIP tour, a five-hour tour of Historic Mission Control, International Space Station Mission Control and a rare chance to see where the astronauts train.

Aircraft to Astronauts
It’s hard to top what you’ll see at Space Centre Houston. Its home to the international landmark Independence Plaza, where visitors enter both the original NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft and a shuttle replica mounted on top. Enter Starship Gallery to see the Apollo 17 capsule used in the last lunar landing, spacesuits, moon rocks and more. Among the lunar samples and flown spacecraft, you can walk inside the Skylab Trainer and see where astronauts trained to live and work in space. And yes, you are clear to have Lunch with an Astronaut (and stop by the gallery to see portraits of astronauts from every crewed mission). Visit on a Friday for Meet an Astronaut to hear an informative astronaut talk and score an autograph.

Interactive Exhibits and Robust Educational Programs
Offering three major new exhibits each year. Take advantage of the centre’s educational programs like Space Center U, a weeklong study of all-things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Step into Mission Mars, an immersive exhibit that gives visitors a chance to look inside an Orion spacecraft research model. Board an Orion simulator to get a sense of what life is really like on the red planet. Hear live NASA briefings, catch a thrilling show in one of the largest 4K theatres in Texas or stick around for a science presentation.

Space Centre Houston is an hour or less from Houston Airport and accessible via bus, taxi or car.