Looking for a few fun things to do in Houston Texas? Many people think of Houston as a city full of oil companies… oh, and NASA, but there are lots of other fun things to do in Houston too.

It’s a great destination for family fun!

I’ve already mentioned NASA, and I’m planning to tell you more about it, but what about other things to do in Houston?

I will tell you about other great Houston attractions, like Discovery Green Park, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Houston Zoo, and several more.

Here are our favorite… 

Things To Do In Houston

1. NASA

NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston is where astronauts are trained. The famous Mission Control, seen in several movies and from where space flights are controlled, is also located here.

That makes it a very exciting place!

Space Center Houston is the official visitors’ center. It has several fun attractions, like Space Center theater, Blast Off theater, Feel of Space, and more.

We even took a tour to Mission Control, which is open to public tours whenever there aren’t any space missions.

2. Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is another cool place that I like a lot. It is a very interesting place where one can learn a lot about the world we live in, and have fun while doing it.

My youngest son loves dinosaurs, which makes the Paleontology Hall a great place for him to hang out. My favorite is the Energy Hall and African Wildlife exhibit.

There are many other exhibits, some permanent and some on display only for for a fixed period.

HMNS has something for everybody.

3. Children’s Museum of Houston

The Children’s Museum of Houston is within walking distance of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, so it’s easy to spend a whole day in this one area and visit both museums.

The Children’s Museum has some very cool, interactive exhibits for kids. Among many others, How Does It Work? is a science exhibit that shows kids how interesting things work. Moneyville teaches kids about finances and how money works.

I think the Children’s Museum is truly a great place for kids!

4. Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo is also within walking distance of the Houston Museum of Natural Science… another reason to visit this area.

With more than 4000 animals, the Houston Zoo has it all… all kinds of apes and monkeys, lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants, bears, birds, snakes, and much more. They even have a white alligator!

Kids like the Children’s Zoo where they can pet animals too (the non-dangerous kind).

The Houston Zoo is one of the coolest things to do in Houston! Don’t miss it!

5. Discovery Green Park

Discovery Green Park is a huge park near downtown Houston and is a great place for families to hang out.

It has huge lawns, a children’s playground, dog runs, a jogging trail, a large lake, water features, two great restaurants, and even an outdoor ice skating rink.

There is even wireless internet available if you need it!

To me, Discovery is a nice place to hang out for a more quiet day or afternoon.

6. Splashtown Waterpark

Any decent water park will have a variety of pool, slides, and raft rides. SplashTown Water Park in Spring, just north of Houston, is no exception!

Can you imagine being launched through a dark tunnel, accelerating down steep, arcing turns that takes you into a bowl, and then end with a splash into the pool below? Well, that’s the RipQurl, and that’s only one of the many rides!

I won’t try to describe every fun activity here, but I can tell you that kids and parents alike ought to have a lot of fun at SplashTown!

With all these fun things to do in Houston, you should have a memorable time in Houston. I know we do!

Among the things to do in Fort Worth Texas are a few fun things that truly bring the “Texas experience”.

For this reason my family and I especially like to take our out-of-state visitors on a trip to Fort Worth.

Our favorite Fort Worth attractions are the Fort Worth Stockyards, Billy Bob’s (a honky tonk bar), the Fort Worth Zoo, and Sundance Square.

Here’s more about them… 

Things To Do In Fort Worth Texas

Fort Worth Stockyards

The Fort Worth Stockyards was the first place we ever visited in Fort Worth. I like to go back there from time to time.

We saw our first rodeo ever in the Cowtown Coliseum in the Stockyards! We also saw a Wild West show and a mock gunfight! My kids enjoyed the CowKid Roundup a lot. The Stockyards Station has many shops and restaurants where we hang out if it gets real hot outside.

If I had to pick only one of the things to do in Fort Worth Texas, the Fort Worth Stockyards would be my pick!

Billy Bob’s

Billy Bob’s must be the most famous bar in Texas. It is known as the world’s largest honky tonk bar, and is quite an experience.

There is live bull riding every Friday and Saturday. There are also regular music concerts where famous Country stars, like Willie Nelson, The Bellamy Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Lee Ann Womack, and many others have played before.

They also have a great dance floor, and if you don’t know how to dance, there are free dance lessons on Thursday evenings.

Don’t miss out on Billy Bob’s, but as my experience has taught me, try to go without the kids!

Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo is another of the fun things to do in Fort Worth Texas that my whole family enjoys.

They have several great animal exhibitions, like the World of Primates, Cheetos Cheetahs, Meerkat Mounds (think “Timone” in The Lion King), and several more. You can even do overnights and hold kids’ birthday parties there!

Zoos always seem to be a hit, especially with the kids. The Fort Worth Zoo is no exception. My family and I love to go!

Sundance Square

Sundance Square is downtown Fort Worth’s shopping and entertainment area.

I find the shopping to be quite casual, and there are many different types of stores in Sundance Square in Fort Worth. There is also great entertainment. I like the street acts. The kids like them too. You can also catch a movie, go dancing, listen to live music, and so on.

We all enjoy Sundance Square and like to go there!

Be sure to take a camera or camcorder along on your visit to Fort Worth!

El Paso Texas is a city of borders… On its western side it borders with Mexico, and on its northern side it borders with New Mexico.

El Paso is also a city from the old West and has made numerous appearances in Western movies.

Because of its colorful background, I think El Paso Texas is a very interesting city to visit.

Here are some of our favorite… 

Things To Do In El Paso Texas

Franklin Mountains State Park

Franklin Mountains State Park is a massive mountain park in El Paso. I think it is great for an outdoors experience.

There are several picnic sites and two hiking trails along the Trans-Mountain Road, and the Parks service is expanding the trail network. You can also do rock climbing in McKelligon Canyon.

If you like primitive camping, there are some camping sites in the Tom Mays area (off the Trans-Mountain road), but keep in mind that it is really primitive, i.e. no water or electricity. There are some RV sites as well.

Franklin Mountains can be a lot of fun for families with older kids, but it might not be best for the little ones.

Wyler Aerial Tramway

If you go to Franklin Mountains State Park, you may as well also go on the Wyler Aerial Tramway, which is in the park. It is an aerial cable car that goes up the mountain to Ranger Peak.

The view of El Paso Texas and the surrounding area is simply amazing from up there, and there are telescopes at the top to make the experience even better.

I think it is a good idea to plan your visit to get to the top about 30 minutes before sunset. That way you get to see the El Paso area in daylight, but you also see a beautiful sunset, as well as El Paso at night.

El Paso Zoo

While Franklin Mountains might not be quite suited for small children, I think the El Paso Zoo definitely is!

It has a variety of animals from Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the cute little meerkats, lions, elephants, tigers, spider monkeys, various types of birds and reptiles… all in all, enough to make it a fun experience for everyone.

I think a visit to the El Paso Zoo is worthwhile, especially also if you have small kids. If you go in the summer, it’s probably a good idea to go early in the morning before the heat sets in.

Bob-O’s Family Fun Center

Bob-O’s Family Fun Center is a great place to take the kids. My kids love video and arcade games, so Bob-O’s is high on their list.

In addition to the arcade games, Bob-O’s has a great laser tag facility, batting cages, go-karts, bumper boats, and 3 rides for the little kids. Bob-O’s also has a great miniature golf course that is great fun for adults and kids alike.

I think Bob-O’s is a fun place to hang out with the kids. My kids will definitely agree with that!

Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterworld

Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterworld is a water park with enough water rides to keep the whole family cool. (It is located about 30 miles north of El Paso in Anthony, TX.)

My kids are older now and like thrill rides, making the Alien Vortex perfect for them. They also like Price’s Treehouse, which is a slide with many twists and turns. I like Raging Rapids, a bumper ride down a stream.

If your kids are small, Toddler’s Cove will be great for them. There is also The Old Woman & The Shoe, which is a slide for infants and toddlers.

On a hot summer day, Wet ‘n’ Wild is definitely the answer, and El Paso Texas has plenty of hot summer days!

U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Museum

The U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Museum is an indoor & outdoor museum that shows various air defense systems used by the US Army.

The museum has air defense weaponry that stretch as far back as World War I up to systems as modern as being used to launch nuclear warheads.

The Air Defense museum will be popular with boys, in particular. Admission to the museum is free, which is a bonus.

I hope you have a great time in El Paso Texas!

Amarillo Texas is located in the Texas Panhandle. Like Fort Worth, Amarillo is another of the places where you can get a taste of “Old West” Texas, which my dad is a big fan of.

There are several fun things to do in Amarillo that we like. I think the canyons are simply beautiful. You can see real cowboys buying and selling cattle, just like in the old days!

The kids can also have a good time in Amarillo.

Here are some of our favorite Amarillo attractions… 

Things To Do In Amarillo Texas

Amarillo Zoo

The Amarillo zoo might be smallish, but it costs only a couple of dollars to get in, and kids under 2 get in for free! They have more than 60 species of animals.

Right by the entrance is an exhibit of spider-monkeys that are a lot of fun to watch. They also have an exhibit showing some of the native wildlife, like coyotes and gray foxes.

I think small kids especially have a great time here! Happy kids, happy parents!

The Amarillo Zoo is also right next to Thompson Park where there is lots to enjoy.

Cadillac Ranch

Cadillac Ranch is an attraction in Amarillo that you probably won’t find anywhere else in the world! It consists of 10 Cadillacs from the 50s buried upright in the ground, with a little more than half of the car sticking out above the ground. Each car is covered in graffiti… artwork left there by previous visitors.

Before you go, stop at a local hardware store and buy a couple of cans of spray paint. Then you and the kids can make your own unique addition to the artwork.

We didn’t spend a whole bunch of time there, but it’s a lot of fun for at least 30 minutes.

Don Harrington Discovery Center

The Don Harrington Discovery Center is a great place to take the kids. It is a hands-on science museum that not only keeps the kids happy for hours, but they also learn something in the process!

The have several exhibits, like the Hunters of the Sky that teaches a lot about birds of prey. The Space lounge is all about… space! Kids love that! Other exhibits include Amazing Bodies, Kinder Studio, and more.

If you’re in Amarillo Texas with kids, don’t miss the Discovery Center!

Amarillo Botanical Gardens

If you like plants and gardens, the Amarillo Botanical Gardens is just a little bit down the road from the Discover Center. They have a tropical conservatory containing many exotic plants. The gardens are beautiful and well-maintained.

They offer guided tours for kids, but it’s best to call them at (806) 352-6513 for their tour schedule.

Splash Amarillo

Splash Amarillo is a water park with several water slides, a wave pool, and one of those “rivers” where you get on a tube and float along in a big circle.

On a hot summer day, that is just what any family needs. I don’t need to tell you your kids will enjoy it because you already know that. I know mine do!

It isn’t very expensive to get it. If you go after 3pm, you can get a half-day ticket. You can take a cooler in, but they charge a small fee for that. Kids under 4 enter free.

I hope you have a great time in Amarillo Texas!