Top 10 Things To Do In Downtown Houston

I want to share our short list of the 10 top things to do in Downtown Houston, with the hopes of saving visitors to the "Big H" a lot of time. Because it could take a couple of tanks of gas and almost a lifetime to experience all there is to see and do in this big'ol metropolis.

You are welcome to browse the tabs on this blog where you will find plenty of creative date ideas for couples, fun stuff for elders and even tots that are enjoyable for everyone from loners to loud-mouths.

What's really gives the downtown district its all around appeal is how people greet each other and even strangers on the street with warm, friendly waves and nods everyday, and not just on holidays or during special events.
Its fantastic skyline includes Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park. You will be pleasantly surprised to discover that a city of millions can still have a laid back rural atmosphere.
Unlike the suburbs that have spread their wing around outskirts of the city. There are no long blocks of vacant land separating each street. Downtown has a more urban configuration. The area is neatly designed so that a quick walk, ride on the Metrorail or jaunt on a bike will get you from place to place relatively easy.

Places To Visit In Downtown Houston

Tops on every must-visit list should be, Sam Houston Park. If you're pressed for time and can only make one stop, make a trip to see this museum/park. The park is open from dawn to dusk, however the museum hours are:
Tuesday through Saturday,
Open: 10am closes: 4pm.

The main displays are architectural samplings of Houston homes from the 19th and 20th Century.

It's worth paying extra for a docent to provide a guided tour of the houses. It will give you a better idea of what daily life was like for families living in the various communities. The fabulous antique contents, rare furnishing and houses are really unique because most of them are not replicas, but the exact homes that were once owned by a Houston doctor, a businessmen, an African American preacher and a few other notable citizens of the city. Visiting Sam Houston Park in downtown is a culturally enriching thing to do.

Buffalo Bayou Walking Trail

If you can squeeze one more stop onto your list of things to do in downtown Houston, include a short trip along the walking trails on Buffalo Bayou. What makes this trail so different from your everyday jogging/walking trail? The backdrop of the landscape is filled with modern buildings peering down on scenic paths that are filled with natural beauty and magnificent works of art standing around like sentinels waiting to be encountered on the serpentine paths of the bayou.

You'll catch more than eyeful of Houston and see it from a variety of different angle, as you journey along the 2 mile trail that spans from Bagby to Sabine Street.

If you don't make it obvious, you'll see that you are being watched by the creatures who live in and around the waters edge. There are plenty of turtles, birds darting back and forth and the occasional splash of a mullet jumping out of its watery playground to sneak a peak at you.

What's To Do In Downtown Houston

Just off the walking trail is another action packed place to visit. Bayou Place located at the edge of Downtown Houston's Theater District. It's the place to go if you want to your food, fun and excitement all under one roof. It's fabulous venues include Houston's Hard Rock Cafe, a movie Theater and plenty of other shops and restaurants where you can get your eat-on. Other attractions that we are well worth your time include:

The sidewalk cafe in front of the Main St fountain.
Fonde Recreation Center
Minute Maid Park
Discovery Green
Julia Ideson Library
Toyota Center
JP Morgan Chase Tower Observation Deck

There's lots of interesting and entertaining things to do in Houston. Don't get hung up trying to plan every little detail, go freestyle and you can still max out your fun quotient in downtown.

If you happen to be downtown and it is a cold or rainy day you can still visit many of these places by using the downtown tunnel system. You can find entrances to the tunnels through most of the businesses near the Metrorail train stops on Main street.