Houston, TX

NASA Space Center Houston
DESCRIPTION: Established in 1961; entering the center you see a jaw-dropping Saturn Rocket used to lift the earliest American spacecraft; Space Center IMAX Theater, shows the excitement, the commitment and the risks taken by men and women astronauts from Mercury to the Space Shuttle; Blast Off Theater is the only place in the world where you can experience the nearly all the same sensations of launching into space like an astronaut; NASA Tram Tour takes you to the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility or the current Mission Control Center; Astronaut Gallery includes African American astronauts in their first mission photos: Guion S. Bluford (Aug 30-Sep 5, 1983), Ronald E. McNair (Feb 3-11, 1984), Charles F. Bolden (Jan 12-18, 1986), Mae C. Jamison (Sep 12-20, 1992), Bernard A. Harris (Apr 26-May 6, 1993), Winston E. Scott, Jr (Jan 11-20, 1996); Robert L. Curbeam, Jr (Aug 7-19, 1997); Living in Space module simulates life for astronauts aboard the space station and there's plenty of space ship artifacts in the large gallery; the Space Center also runs day camps and teacher programs

ADMISSION: $20 Adults, Ages 4-11 $16, Seniors $19, Age 4 and under enter Free; order online for substantial discount

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Fri 10a-5p Sat-Sun 10a-7p, with extended Summer hours

ADDRESS: 1601 NASA Parkway  MAP

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 281-244-2100

WEBSITE: http://www.spacecenter.org

Children's Museum of Houston
DESCRIPTION: This museum ignites a life-long passion for learning in children through interactive exhibits and innovative programming; Invention Convention lets kids engage in a workshop of gadgets to create individual contraptions; KidTropolis lets youngsters choose a skyline, government, occupations and systems that make a city work; you kids can outsmart a hacker in Cyberchase; Matter Factory introduces kids to concepts and properties of materials science; FlowWorks is an exciting, interactive, fun and educational exploration of hydropower; Kids discover the laws of motion with Motion Commotion and TotSpot keeps the smallest of toddlers inquisitive and engaged; there's more fine exhibits and a small cafe as well

ADMISSION: Ages 1-64 $7, Military w/ID and Age 65+ $6; under age 1 enter Free

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 10a-6p, Sun Noon-6p

ADDRESS: 1500 Binz Ave  MAP

PARKING: plenty of garage parking at $7 per 3+ hours

PHONE: 713-522-1138

WEBSITE: http://www.cmhouston.org

Houston Zoo
DESCRIPTION: The city has come a long way since 1920 when Houston Zoo housed about 50 animals in a small downtown park; today located on 55 lush acres of Hermann Park, over 4,500 animals from more than 800 species populate the most-visited zoo in the Southwest; the zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and the bird, reptile, and primate collections are among the finest in the world, particularly the Wortham World of Primates 2.2-acre rainforest habitat, Alkek Komodo and Crocodile Monitor Exhibit, and the Red Panda Exhibit; African Lions, Malaysian Tigers, spectacled bears, and Ankole cattle, the African Wild Dog exhibits also feature animal amenities that include a pool and cabana for shade -- a significant benefit in Houston; guests may also observe them from a shaded viewing area; Natural Encounters Building is home to over 50 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, tropical fish and spectacular corals; the sizable petting zoo and kid-sized exhibits are great for tots; Macaw Cafe and eatery kiosks populate the zoo; if you see people well dressed in the evening, note that several venues in the zoo host catered corporate events; accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; in a nice touch, the zoo annually hosts a Dream Night at the Zoo for critically ill children

ADMISSION: Ages 12-64 $10, Ages 2-11 $6, Age 1 and under enter Free; Carousel $2.50; entry is free on MLK Day, Presidents Days, Columbus Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, New Year's Day

DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-6p with Summer hours extended to 7p

ADDRESS: 1513 North MacGregor, Hermann Park  MAP

TRANSIT: Metrorail travels between Downtown, Midtown, Museum District/Zoo, Texas Medical Center, Reliant Park and the South Fannin

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 713-533-6500

WEBSITE: http://www.houstonzoo.org

Houston Museum of Natural Science
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1909 and benefiting from corporate philanthropy, it has grown into one of the most popular in the nation; with four floors of permanent exhibit halls comprising over one million objects and specimens let your kids see the 70-foot dinosaur skeleton, Cockrell Butterfly Center housing butterflies in a six-story glass cone, 600 mineral specimens and Native American artifacts; the Hall of Paleontology, Welch Chemistry Hall are stellar and Burke Baker Planetarium lets you visually experience the universe’s star systems; theres more -- Herzstein Hall of Special Exhibitions, Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife, Frensley Hall of African Wildlife, Strake Hall of Malacology, Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals and the ever popular Wortham IMAX Theatre; the museum frequently presents traveling exhibitions on a variety of topics

ADMISSION: Exhibits for Adults $15, Ages 3-11 $10, Age 62+ and Students w/ID $10; seperate fees for Butterfly Center, Planetarium, and IMAX Theater

DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sat 9a-9p (last entry 7p), Sun 11a-9p (last entry 7p)

ADDRESS: 1 Hermann Circle Drive  MAP

TRANSIT: Metrorail travels between Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District/Zoo, the Texas Medical Center, Reliant Park and the South Fannin

PARKING: on premises, $10 with Museum ticket stub

PHONE: 713-639-4600

WEBSITE: http://www.hmns.org

Downtown Aquarium
DESCRIPTION: Located on 6 acres, this multi-faceted experience includes Gulf Coast Seafood to dine on, a 500,000 gallon aquarium full of exotic marine life surrounding you, a Shipwreck, Louisiana Swamp, Rainforest, Aqautic Carousel, Lighthouse Dove, SunkenTemple, Discovery Rig, White Tigers, Shark Voyage, dancing fountains for the kids, a gas-powered train and a Ferris wheel; a nice gift shop is on the premises

ADMISSION: Adults $9.25, Age 65+ $8.25, Ages 2-12 $6.25, Age 1 and under enter free; lower individual rides prices available

DAYS & HOURS: Sun Thu 10a-10p, Fri-Sat 10a-11p

ADDRESS: 410 Bagby Street  MAP

PARKING: valet parking available; garages and lots within walking distance

PHONE: 713-223-3474

WEBSITE: Link

Minute Maid Park
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 1999, Houston Astros’ baseball park is a great place to while away time after a busy conference or business meeting downtown; a retractable roof allows a natural grass field to grow, while during games a comfortable temperature is maintained among its 40,950 seats; a vintage, full-size locomotive runs along 800 feet of track whenever someone hits a homer and the structure; the main entrance is the old Union Station railroad building; walking tours of Minute Maid Park year are round

ADMISSION: tours $9 Adults, $7 Age 65+, $5 Ages 3-14; Age 2 and under enter Free

DAYS & HOURS: depends on Houston Astros baseball games

ADDRESS: 501 Crawford Street  MAP

PARKING: plenty of parking garages and lots surround the park

PHONE: 713-259-8000

WEBSITE: http://astros.mlb.com

Toyota Center
DESCRIPTION: Opened in 2003 and rather utilitarian looking on the outside, this 19,500 seat arena is home of the NBA Houston Rockets, WNBA Houston Comets and many concerts; its charms are revealed inside with some of the most comfortable seats of any arena and playing surface 32-feet below street level giving great sightlines to all; the exclusive Lexus Lounge and Red and White Bistro’s superior food and service are well above average;

ADMISSION: see website for pricing matrix

DAYS & HOURS: depends on Houston Rockets basketball games and concerts

ADDRESS: 1510 Polk Street  MAP

PARKING: 2,500-space, seven story parking garage includes a private skybridge entrance for premium guests; 10,000 total parking spots are within a few blocks

PHONE: 713-758-7200

WEBSITE: http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com

Reliant Stadium
DESCRIPTION: Houston Texans play in a dazzling 70,000 seat stadium that must be the envy of football fans nationwide; Texas-sized amentiies and restrooms; one visit and you’ll quickly see why the NFL is happy to name Houston a regular host of the Super Bowl; the old Astrodome is next door

ADMISSION: see website for pricing matrix

DAYS & HOURS: depends on Houston Texans football games

ADDRESS: Reliant Stadium  MAP

TRANSIT: METRORail stops at the stadium

PARKING: a large number of parking spaces surround the park for tailgating

PHONE: 866-468-3926

WEBSITE: http://www.houstontexans.com/facility

Spring, TX

Splashtown Park
DESCRIPTION: Water rides aplenty, a feature attrction is Tornando which resembles a 60-foot tall yellow and blue checkerboard funnel turned on its side where riders are set in motion down a 132-foot long tunnel; Thunder Run lets you experience wild twists speeding down an inline tube; Zoom Flumes 
are three fun-filled flumes including a 95-foot tandem-tubing slide; Wild Wave Pool is a half-million gallons of wave-floating fun; Blue Lagoon - lay in the sun with swings, geysers and water cannons and many more rides to make a full day of it

ADMISSION: Online Adult: $30, Age 3 and under 48" $25

DAYS & HOURS: hours vary mostly between 9a-6p with Summer hours to 7p

ADDRESS: 21300 1-45 Freeway North  MAP

PARKING: on premises

PHONE: 281-355-3300

WEBSITE: http://www.splashtownpark.com