I recently moved to Jacksonville, Florida, after living in Houston, Texas, for just over a year. In that year, the COVID-19 pandemic started and I moved out of the state, so I never got the chance to visit a few places on my bucket list.
So, what are those places? In no particular order, here are the top 6 places in Houston, Texas, that I really wanted to visit but never got the chance to:
I’m a huge museum and arts fiend (as you’ll notice by this list), and visiting the Museum of Fine Arts was near the top of my list. There are nearly 64,000 amazing art pieces that spans more than 6,000 years of history from 6 continents (according to their website). They even have Van Gogh paintings in a few of their collections / exhibitions! Tickets can be pretty pricey, with the highest price being $19 for general adult admission. I believe that, at the time of posting this blog, the museum is open for visitors.
I know that zoo’s are can be pretty controversial because they are animals in cages, and I’m always conflicted when visiting zoos. However, I think that zoos bring an amazing opportunity to raise awareness for conservation and inspiring younger generations to go into STEM fields.
The Houston Zoo is a 55-acre park near downtown Houston that has over 6,000 animals from 900 species. It is the second most-visited zoo in the United States, according to their website. The zoo is currently open, but due to the pandemic, you must reserve tickets in advance for specific times and they’re on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are $23 for general admission adults, without any special discounts. If you go now through the new year, they’re having their evening “Zoo Lights” celebrations, which I always love to go to.
The water wall is definitely a must-see for most Instagrammers in Houston. Nearly every person I know has some sort of image on their Instagram at the water wall. Its official name is the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, located near the Galleria mall. It’s essentially a multi-story sculptural fountain of beautiful cascading water. Admission is free, since it’s a park, and it has remained open during the pandemic. It does, however, have special hours throughout the week (typically 8am-5pm), so be sure to check before you go.
Smither Park is another Instagram-worthy photo location. It’s essentially an urban greenspace with a collection of quirky mosaic sculptures, all created by local artists. A few of my friends have gone here and it looks so cool, and I’m so bummed that I didn’t get the chance to go. I believe that admission is free, since it’s a park, but they always accept donations to help fund the artists and for maintenance. They remain open throughout the pandemic since it’s a park, but they do have special hours depending on the year (typically dawn to dusk).
The Holocaust Museum Houston will definitely tug on your heartstrings. The one in Houston is the fourth largest in the United States, and opened in 1996. It is open with very limited hours during the pandemic depending on the day, and tickets are $19 for general admission, with parking costing $5 for 4hrs. Be sure to bring the tissues.
I know that cemeteries aren’t for everyone — I get it. They’re a little (okay, a lot) morbid. But for some reason I really love them and they bring me peace.
The Glenwood Cemetery was developed in 1871 as the first “professionally designed” cemetery in the city, according to their website. It is open and free to visitors of all kinds, and their website is amazing, by the way. You can search for people and reserve historical tours of the cemetery (however, tours are temporarily suspended due to the pandemic). There are some very notable founders of Houston buried there.
Have I convinced you to visit a new place in Houston yet? If so, you’ll beat me to it!
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Thank you for reading! Have you ever visited any of these places? Let me know in the comments below and like this post if you want more like it!
Xoxo’s
Emmalee
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Emmalee Mauldin 