Discounts On Things To Do In Houston For Couples and Families

Everybody, especially Houston couples and families can keep more money in their pockets on their next date or family adventure in the city. H-town is full of cool stuff to do, but the truth be told, a lot of prices to some places have grown faster than most peoples entertainment budgets.

Just about every person or family has not been impacted by the current tough economy. If you are like me, you consider it as American as Budweiser to scrimp and save a few dollars on the everyday purchases. It’s the smart and painless way to come up with extra cash to take your wife, girlfriend or the whole darn family to see Houston's best attractions. I’m not that different, lots of other folks are like me they also:

• shop the clearance racks
• buy clothes off-season
• ain’t too proud to use coupons
• want the most bang for your bucks

Most of all, I’m the one that will get blamed if things do not turn out to be a really enjoyable for everyone. So, anytime I plan outings it always includes eating an unhealthy decadent meal or dessert.

Guaranteed To Save Money

I found a way to always come out on top in sticky situations when funds are low and you want to have some fun. Search for the real discounts. Not the kind stuff that has been marked up so that it looks like I’m saving money.

I analyzed the discounts and their policy on refunding unused CityPASS booklets, cards or vouchers. It's more than just a good deal. It's the kind of real deals people need to know about.
If you break out the full admission prices for each of the 5 places for an adult it’ll cost about $91.00 vs $46.00. That really shows how much money you get to keep in your pocket.

In fact you save enough to pay for:

a childs' ticket with each adult ticket you buy
A platter for two at your favorite seafood restaurant
a tank of gas

I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience with you about local Houston events. Your take on some of the events that you think are cool may be different than mine. In either case, take time to share your opinion by leaving a comment below.

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Don’t leave this page without hitting the like button for MidtownLIVE or browsing through our Event Calendar page. Mature couples and newlyweds will be delighted to know that it contains an entire year worth of family-friendly fairs, festivals and free events in and around Houston that they can attend.

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Things To Do In Houston With CityPASS Discounts

If you are looking forward to enjoying things to do in Houston with a CityPASS. You may want 
to go about it as if you were eating an elephant.

Don't focus on the size of the job just go at it,  one piece at a time. 

It can be complicated trying to see everything in one day. The daily traffic jams that can pop-up at anytime and anywhere or the immense heat beating down on the city's concrete jungle can slow your pace.

It can leave  tourist, travelers and tough skinned locals feeling like they’re reaching the end of their rope and convincing themselves that they can’t take another day of the heat.

A good time to visit the city is in the fall during November and the months ending in "R" . That's when the shorter days and lighter humidity teams up to make the weather in H-town a lot more enjoyable. 

 It’s not just the fun stuff available to do in the great outdoors.  Everything is better in the cooler weather.

   The fall season is an ideal time to visit museums, amusement parks and other attractions in the city. We have a few insiders tips on visiting some of the must-see-places, shown below, using a Houston CityPASS :

Houston Attractions

Space Center Houston

Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Children's Museum

Health Museum

Houston Zoo

Downtown Aquarium

Kemah Boardwalk

Museum of Fine Arts

Things To Do At Houston Attractions

   Why waste valuable time standing in line to purchase tickets everywhere you go,  when you can buy a Citypass online in advance?   The discount pass is a surefire way for you and your group to see Houston on a budget.

  

 With savings ranging up to 50% off combined admission prices, it’s affordable for you to take your entire family out for a visit to the top Houston Attractions .  Plus you’ll head to the front of the line with your prepaid admission at most of the places on the list.

 Don’t fret, take your time to enjoy each attraction fully,  your passes are good for up to 9 days.  Here’s a few of the details you should know about the exciting things you can do with your CityPass-Houston.  

  Houston’s Zoo

It takes more than a just getting a deep discount to liven up things for kids. So arm yourself with some age appropriate Q and A’s and little known facts about some of the wild animals. 

This will keep the kids on their toes, it will also make them think that you are really smart. Make sure you ask them almost as many questions as they ask you. 

These are just a few ideas for Zoo clues off the top of my head.

Let them try their hand at counting just the mammals.

Playing zip that (male animal, baby animals, raptors)

Stage a photo shoot in sections of the park

Play name that species

Animal jeopardy

Don't forget its free to join our Fun In Houston club!

Don’t be embarrassed if your kids let their wild side show,  after all it is a zoological park.

 Want to know more things to do in Houston with a CityPASS or buy a pass, see our sidebar. We are planning a special guide to Houston for members of our "Fun In Houston" club. signup in the sidebar.

In the next edition of Midtownlive we will share with you some of the cool things you can do at Houston museums.

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Information On Houston Texas - Tips For Affordable Vacations

Houston aquarium fun for young and old

Here's more information about Houston Texas that can help visitors stretch their travel dollars so they can plan fun stuff to do, discover exciting places to visit and have a good time. Since we live work and play here, we have access to tons of relevant facts, unique advice and data that you won’t find anywhere else so you can have a terrific time while you are in the city.

We have compiled lots of tidbits of details into a useful guide or keep reading to get some quick pointers below.

Houston Attractions

When it comes to Houston attractions the best bang for your buck is to buy a Houston CityPass for you and your crew. It will save you 45% off the regular admission to 5 of the most visited places in town. More importantly, it’s the key that opens the door to a variety of exciting entertainment at these fab places.

The Houston Zoo
Space Center Houston
The Museum Of Fine Arts
Children’s Museum
The Downtown Aquarium
The Health Museum
The Museum Of Natural Science

CityPass offers 5 special benefits

It makes it economical for families and groups to visit the must see places in Houston.
Download your pass once you are ready to go and avoid the inconvenience of losing tickets.
Eliminate standing in long lines waiting to buy tickets
Get information about each venue to help you choose where you are going in advance.
Attractions that accept the CityPass include fun places that can be enjoyable for the young and those who are young at heart.

Did I mention that two of the webs popular travel review sites named Houston as one of 2011’s top value destinations. Buying a Citypass is a travel smart idea that will help you do more and see more of the city

Fun Stuff To Do

It’s natural for fun and visiting Houston to go hand in hand. A few good reasons are that it’s home to teams in every major league sports, a short drive to some of the best fishing and hunting grounds in the Gulf Coast and barbecue restaurants are plentiful. A typical day during an affordable vacation in Houston could include doing any of the things listed below.

Information On Downtown Houston

See some of the city up close traveling on the MetroRail commuter train from Houston's Downtown Districtt to Reliant stadium.
Shop at Macy's or shops and boutiques in the downtown tunnel system
Have a drink out at House of Blues or Hard Rock Cafe
Catch a movie at the Sundance cinema.

Midtown Houston

Visiting lovely boutiques and small cafes in Rice Village
Check out Hermann Park and its amenities, golf course, recreation center, Japanese gardens and more
Visit some of the cultural museums in the Museum District, Buffalo Soldiers, Czech Center Museum Houston, Weather Musem ect.

North

Cool Off wet on a slide, in a pool or raft ride at one of the water parks in the area
Shop the Woodlands Mall
Enjoy a relaxing ride and take in the scenery during a boat tour along the 1.4 mile Woodlands Waterway.
Visit Lake Livingston good fishing is reported near the dam
Go camping at the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation popular Lake Tombigbee Campground, offering primitive sites, teepees, full-capacity RV stations

North West

Deussen Park
Lake Houston
Bird Watching at Big Thicket National PreserveTravel Farm-to-Market Road 787 known as Ghost Road where strange lights are often seen
Join the hunt for Bigfoot in Sam Houston National Forest

East

See Texas History at the San Jacinto Battle Ground
Use a rod and reel to catch dinner at the San Jacinto Memorial park
See gators, deer and other the local wildlife at Sheldon Park
Ride Crosby-Lynchburgh ferry boat across the river
Attend a festival in Pasadena Texas

South

Brazoria County Historical Museum
American Cowboy Museum a working ranch a few miles south of Reliant Stadium Complex
Visit Reliant Stadium home of the Texans, Houston Rodeo and the Astrodome
Get in a few hours on the water or underwater at 288 Lake where kayaks and divers are welcome
Spend some leisure time at Tom Bass Park hike and bike trails, Amphitheater, Recreation Center ect.
Sea Center Texas

Southwest

HMNS at Sugar Land a satellite campus of the Natural Science Museum
George Oil Ranch
Go Fishing in Oyster Creek Channel Reservoir
Hang out and try ice skating in the Galleria
Visit Chinese and Southeast Asian grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries on Beltway 8


This information about Houston’s ABC’s ( attractions, businesses and culture) shows just a few wonderful ways that people can enjoy themselves in the nation's fourth largest city. You should now have enough of the real nitty gritty facts to make any trip in and around Houston pleasurable.

Don’t forget if you found this information useful or would like to know more details about the city drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook.    If by chance you  didn't find  this list  missed out on your idea of fun check out  our Houston events calendar for more enriching, exciting Houston events.

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Houston Attractions

The easiest way to find things to do on weekends at Houston attractions is to right click and bookmark this page. Then you can return to the page with just a click. It will make it easier for you to always find something exciting to do. Consider signing up for our free newsletter that delivers fantastic things to do each month in Houston, long with special discounts on Houston attractions.



Popular categories of things that are happening this weekend.

Indoor attractions
Free movies/ films
Houston tours
Houston festivals
Free Events

Follow this link to get a CityPASS with discounts on 5 of the top attractions in the city. If you are planning a family reunion or a trip with a group this is a great bargain, that won't last much longer.

Some of the best things to do in Houston Texas this weekend are free and we have taken the time to put them together for you in this easy to read list.

Indoors Attractions In Houston

Houston Aquarium
Shark Month - Education booths, shark crafts and activities all month.
Latin Beats - Every Friday Night! Learn to salsa dance and listen to great music!
* 30th & 31st Shark Weekend - Learn all about sharks! Education booth, crafts & activities, live entertainment.
* 31st - Bridal Open House - Call 713-315-5168 for details.

Moody Gardens
Vist thier Events calender

Spacecenter Houston
Enjoy a guided tour of NASA , see real space-flown vehicles and explored the inner workings of the Pepsi Martian Matrix and much, much more

Schlitterbahn Waterparks
Water slides, endless rivers, uphill water coasters, waves for surfing, splashing and relaxing, plus kid-friendly water playgrounds.

Funplex, Houston
Bowling, Skating, Go-Karts, and Two Story Playport for the kids.
The tots can also enjoy the Ferris Wheel, Rio Grande Train, Airplanes, Lady Bugs and Bumper Cars.

Houston Festivals

Green Arts Festival
The city’s first festival of its kind will take place on July 9, 2011. GREEN artisans from around the state will be on hand to sell, collaborate, free trade and educate the local community about choosing sustainable/ green options.
The highlight of the day is Flor Y Canto sustainable green theater.

Haak Winery Harvest Festival!
The charming winery in Santa Fe, 25 miles south of Houston begins its annual harvest this weekend at 8:00 am. Bring a pruning knife, if you have one. Everyone is welcome to participate in harvesting the grapes. Dressing appropriately for the occasion includes sunscreen, hats, mosquito repellent, first aid for bites.

Complementary coffee, juice and assorted warm muffins will be served in the morning. Door Prizes will be given to pickers only. For each bin of grapes picked, a door prize ticket will be given. The more grapes you pick, the better your chances of winning a door prize.

Galveston ArtWalk
20 July
Better than a street festival, on Saturday night in the heart of the historic district every six weeks. ArtWalk takes place. It’s held in existing commercial galleries, non-profit arts spaces and what are called "other walls," restaurants and retail stores, for example.

Each exhibits art and welcomes viewers with open doors and promotes visual art and artists, by offering alternative places to see and learn about art.

Free Movies

Alamo Draft House
Monday - Friday 11:00 am

Beat the heat this summer with the best family friendly movies around! All films are free and all ages are welcome!

Domy Books
9 July
Visual Vitriol: David A. Ensminger.
Topics related to the film and book will be discussed with photographer Ben DeSoto and the author. Things get started around 7 and should last till 9pm.

Glassell School of Art
July 12, 14, 19, & 21

The free film series begins with a lecture with curator Gerald O'Grady july 12th. They showcase original footage of how television brought the struggle for civil rights into the livingrooms of everyday Americans in the 1960's. A series of films will be shown that document injustices against African Americans in the segregated South and their quest for equality.

Jung Center
July 29-July 30, 2011
Departures: Healing and Homecoming Through Acceptance and Relationship. Jungian analyst Diana Heritage presents a workshop and free film screening exploring the ways that unexpected events can spark questions about the meaning of our experience.

Free Events

Children's Hilltop Theatre Festival
Miller Outdoor Theatre
July 18 11 a.m. - noon

A comical look at a stage adaptation of the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

Houston Tours

Kayak trip down Buffalo Bayou
9am-1pm Paddle from I-610 and Woodway going east to downtown’s Sabine Promenade
Meet at the parking lot of the Woodway Boat Launch (just west of I-610)
Shuttles will be provided to take paddlers back to the parking area.

Note: Maximum capacity is 20. Reservations required..
Cost: $ 60/person; includes kayak rental, paddles, shuttles, & guided tour

Places to visit In Houston

Buffalo Bayou
Canoe and Kayak Rental:
ACK www.austinkayak.com 713.660.7000
Houston Rowing Club www.houstonrowing.com 281.532.1518
North Lake Conroe Paddling Co. (kayak’s only) www.northlakeconroepaddlingco.com 936.203.2697
REI www.rei.com 713.353.2582
Southwest PaddleSports www.paddlesports.com 281.292.5600
Shuttle Service:
Bayou Shuttle www.bayoushuttle.com 713.538.7433
The Wave www.thewashingtonwave.com 713.863.9283
Bike Rental:
West End Bicycles www.westendbikes.com 713-861-2271

Texas Nature Challenge

A summer long adventure to get families and kids outdoors by visiting as many participating parks and nature areas in Texas as they can this summer.

Each site has activities designed for family fun and nature exploration. Prizes for participants will be awarded at the closing ceremonies

All materials must be turned in by 11 AM on August 13th so that voting can be completed by Noon

Each site has activities designed for family fun and nature exploration. Prizes for participants will be awarded at the closing ceremonies


These are just some of the incredible things Houston couples can do this weekend in the city. We tried to include plenty of free events in Houston for this weekends June 2011 wrap-up.

Don’t forget to check out the Midtownlive calender for more cool stuff to do.

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Space Center Houston

Every family visiting Space Center Houston plan to see and do as much as possible without going broke. To save money and time you can purchase a Houston CityPASS online. It'll keep your crew from ending up hot and frustrated, because they wasted their time standing in long lines waiting to get a ticket.

Houston CityPASS saves you big bucks (over $30.00) and puts tickets to 6 fantastic places to visit in Houston in your hand.

Space Center Houston
Downntown Aquarium
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston Zoo
The Chidrens Museum of Houston
George Historical Ranch
The Health Museum

Space Center Houston

No place on earth addresses space travel like the exhibits at Space Center Houston. Your family will appreciate getting to peak inside several classified areas that will give them a historical and futuristic look at manned space flight.

The Space Center has a variety of exhibits to edu-tain you about man's adventures in outter space. It has theaters, galleries and a module everybody loves, that simulates life onboard the International Space Station.

Kids are enthralled by the Mockup Space Vehicle Facility and the Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park. Some of the other components of the tours your family will enjoy are:

Mission control tour.
A tram tour of the JSC facilities.
Interactive exhibits and about the manned space program

Mission Control Tour

This unique Houston attraction provides tours of some of the actual working areas where astronauts train from upcoming missions.

It's high tech equipment allows them to see activities happening at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in space and other NASA facilities around the country.


Skylab Space Station


Components from the original Skylab Space Station were recovered and are now on display at Space Center Houston.

Other equpiment includes a versitile Rocket Pack that snaps onto the space suits. It's is what allowed astronauts to fly freely around space while outside of the space capsule!

Other parts of the Space Center displays that your family will enjoy are:

Astronaut Gallery
Feel of Space
Kids Space Place

Access to Space Center Houston's multitude of permanent exhibits, attractions, and theatres are all available using the Houston CityPASS plus you'll save money on tickets to 5 other must-see attractions without the hassel of waiting in long lines everywhere you go.

SCH always has something fresh and new created exclusively so visitors can get up close to some of the massive history-making machines used for manned space flight.

		Houston Networking To energize your career and attract more business view the top business and professional networking events in Houston.			Houston Attractions Get discounts tickets for your family or group on the exhibits and events at many of the fun places to visit in Houston.
		Midtown Houston Apts Find deals on move in specials, rebates and pricing on renting apts and lofts in Midtown and other great places in Houston.			Festivals In Houston Here is a list of the many family friendly, exciting nieghborhood and city-wide festivals that you should know about.
		Museums in Houston Located near Midtown Houston in the Museum District, there is plenty of things to see and do at any of the great museums in town.			Houston African American There are lots of events in Houston where you can experience its rich African American cultural heritage here's a look at a few of them.

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Houston CityPass®

We want to welcome Houston CityPass® to Midtownlive. You can now access their site to buy your pass. It won't cost you anything extra to get in on the huge discounts, the popular pass to Houston attractions offers on 6 of the top places to visit in Houston.

It's an important advantage for visitors to our blog to be able to partake in the best deals on all of the great things to do in and around Houston.

If you're unfamiliar with CityPass® , it's a booklet you buy online with 3 important features.

It saves you time- you'll be chilling-out instead of standing in long ticket lines
It saves you money - the deep discounts off the everyday prices will leave more cash in your pockets
It saves you from researching- you can start having fun instead of trying to track down good attractions to see

Another good good thing about the discount tickets is that the booklet includes actual tickets to Houston attractions, information about the venue and driving directions.

Free Events In Houston, May 2010

Some of the best free events in Houston happen in May. Many are on tap at Miller Outdoor Theater. It has Cinco De Mayo celebrations, Dances of Asia and the Houston Ballet on this months schedule of events. Three diverse works by several of of today's most sought-after choreographers alongwith an extravaganza exploring the rich cultural heritage of India will all be showcased at the outdoor theater.

Cinco De Mayo In Houston

The party for this year's Cinco de Mayo starts Sunday May 2, at Miller Theater. Get a reservation or arrive early if you want a seat in the covered pavilion. The weekend performances feature Pee Wee, Las Fenix, Mariachi Azteca, Monique Galvan, Ballet Folklórico México y Danzas and more.
Booths open at 3:00pm
Concert kicks-off at 6:00 pm

Houston Ballet

Later this month, you can catch the master of contemporary dance Twyla Tharp's "In the Upper Room". The iconic work seamlessly melds the best of modern dance and ballet during a spectacular night of dance on the outdoor stage.

Houston Metropolitan Dance Company

Learn fun historical tidbits as you swing in to the 30s, tap to " Singin' in the Rain ," Hand Jive through the 50s and Electric Slide into today! We will want to join in the moves and steps when you feel the energy of the hour of dance and music.

Free Events Around The State

If you're looking for the things to do on daytrips around the state? You can find lots more free events happening around Texas in our events lister on the right.

You'll find listings for arts and craft shows, festivals and more. It's the best place to discover fun and exciting things to do. If you're planning to travel soon, you can search the events lister for events in other states around Texas.

Books

Art/Theater

Attractions

Parks

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