Houston Texas Tourist Attractions

Let’s take a tour of the fourth largest city in the United States. The Houston Texas tourist attractions were many, but the time that I had allotted was not enough. Seriously, if you come here with your family, ensure that you stay here for more than a week and that you spend enough time at each of the below attractions. Now, I will tell you about the Houston Texas tourist attractions that I visited.

My Visit

I first explored the major one among the Houston Texas tourist attractions namely, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centre on the NASA Parkway. Located at the Clear Lake some 20 miles southeast of city center, the centre offers several fun and informational marvels such as a model of a space shuttle, an IMAX theatre, and interactive displays. The centre is associated with the headquarters of the human space program, NASA Mission Control, which guides the space shuttle plan and the new astronauts. With an entrance ticket of $19.95, take up every 30 minute tram tour via which you can see the Rocket Park hosting the retired spacecraft, Mission Control, and training astronauts.

The Orange Show at the Munger Street is somewhat unusual of its kind that exhibits how fascination is converted into an art. Explore the series of strange, but beautiful items fitted into a maze of orange passages and staircases collected since 26 years by the former postman. Its entrance fee is $1 and note that it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Next, I headed towards the Sam Houston Historical Park located close to the visitor center on Bagby Street. Explore the history of the city in this park holding seven oldest buildings that are restored. The most ancient one is a small 1826 cabin and the most recent one is the house of 17 rooms erected in 1905 for oil field leader Henry T. Staiti. There is also a museum gallery here. For the tour, you need to pay $6.

In the same area, the Houston Downtown Aquarium offers different natural habitats to explore the marine wildlife. There are five aquaria encompassing five themes such as a Louisiana marsh, the Amazon River, and a ruined ship. The main highlights here are the observation tower, a 90-foot Ferris wheel, games, a helipad, restaurant, and an acrylic train tunnel via a giant shark tank. Do come here, this is in no way a simple aquarium, but a unique one in itself!

The Bayou Bend is the glorious pink house in the marshy dig of Buffalo Bayou in the River Oaks region. This was the residence of the most loved woman in the settlement – Miss Ima Hogg who died in 1975. Now preserved as the cultural heritage site along with the cordial gardens, the mansion offers an amazing exhibit of Americana and thousands of objects in the 28 period room backdrops. The woman herself planned for the gardens that today are really considered as a green peace area full of local species as well as exotics including azaleas, camellias, and magnolias. With admission fee of $13, take up a guided tour (not there in August).

I could also explore the National Museum of Funeral History at Barren Springs close to the International Airport. It is a bizarre private museum managed by an important funeral organization in the continent. Devoted to funeral related facts, you can learn about all possible customs, rituals, and traditions of the funeral observation right from the ancient times of Egypt. The main attractions here are the horse-drawn and typical automobile hearses and a bizarre Packard funeral bus of 1916. Besides this, there is a zone where you will come across the funerals of the popular personalities such as Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy, and Rudolph Valentino. The admission fee is $10 for adults and $7 for children.

The Houston Downtown Discovery Park is a 12-acre park where the visitors are offered a small lake, playground, interactive water exhibits, amphitheater stage and slope, small and large dog runs, public art works, Houston Public Library Express, lawns, and restaurants (The Grove and The Lake House). Herein, the Kinder Lake holds water gardens, a mock-up boat zone, and a shallow pool hosting a watercraft operated by a remote-control.

Now, it was the time to see how China is showcased on the American land of Houston. Yes, visit China here itself and take some memorable discoveries without going to the country. This magic is experienced via the Forbidden Gardens on the Franz Road in Katy. It is the interesting open air museum that reveals a few vital historic memories of the powerful Southeast Asian country. Take up a guided tour and enter the world of the 3rd century BC. Marvel at the stunning 6000 piece terra-cotta force of the first Emperor or take a tour to the complicated miniatures of the wonderful Forbidden City of Beijing that was a complex of palaces and temples for nearly 500 royal years.