Let’s keep traveling. I love learning of new places to travel and budget friendly ways to do it. Let’s talk about Texas. Houston is a business-friendly city, which means hotels in Houston have cheaper rates on the weekends. This is good for visitors looking to have a good time in the fourth largest city in the country. Houston also has budget hotels, Airbnb and hostels, so you can greatly reduce your accommodation budget while enjoying all the city has to offer. Houston has a lot of activities and many are free or low-cost. Here are four categories of budget-friendly activities in the city:
- Free Fun in Houston
Terry Hershey Park runs along the banks of Buffalo Bayou, and offers biking and hiking trails both paved and dirt. The park promotes good health by encouraging people to walk its trails every day, which its website says is good for losing weight and reducing stress. This is the place to go for a few minutes back-to-nature in the middle of the bustling city. When you are at the Buffalo Bayou, have a look at the Wortham Theatre located at the Preston Street crossing of the Bayou. There is an innocent-looking red button that you can press by the staircase that leads to the water. According to legend, pushing the button wakes up the sea dragon that lives in the bayou.
Free performances at the Miller Outdoor Theatre between March and November are hugely popular for locals and visitors alike. Look at this place…it’s gorgeous! The shows include ballet, classical music, film, dance, Shakespeare and much more. The theater is inside Hermann Park and visitors are encouraged to bring picnics, with no glass containers, and enjoy the show. This would be fantastic to see.
Have a free boat tour of the Port of Houston. It takes about 90 minutes and has a guide who will give information on the history of the port and point out interesting sights. You’ll see enormous ocean freighters and barges. Even though the tour is free, you’ll need to make reservations, because this is a popular ride. I know kids would love this one for sure.
- Museum’s Free Thursdays
Most museums have an admission fee, but they also offer free days on Thursdays. You can enjoy the Children’s Museum of Houston for free from 5pm – 8pm, the Holocaust Museum Houston from 2pm – 5pm, the Houston Museum of Natural Science after 2pm and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston from 10am – 9pm.
- Budget Attractions
The Houston Zoo is one of the top zoos in the nation, and if you become a member, you’ll pay for your ticket in two visits. There is a lot to see and it will definitely take more than two visits to see it all. The extensive collection of wildlife is just the beginning. You can feed some of the animals and there are petting zoos as well as animal conservation workshops and activities. We all know kids love going to the zoo. This one sounds fantastic and perfect for families.
- Houston Space Center
A must-see for anyone visiting Houston is the Houston Space Center. It has an admission fee, but you can get a discount price online. There’s a museum of space artifacts and exhibits as well as a tour of the NASA Johnson Space Center. Visitors get a look behind the scenes of the American space program.
Houston is a city that is loaded with fun and interesting things to see and do. With discounts available at most of the paid attractions and hotels and many free attractions, it offers an affordable vacation.
Have you been to Houston? Have you visited any of these places? Do you have any others that you would add to the list?
