Houston is a fantastic city to visit where adults can take advantage of all the terrific things to see and do here. You can experience uniquely Texan activities, world-class museums, outdoor activities, and much more.
Here are 22 awesome things to do in Houston for adults!
Top Fun And Exciting Things to Do in Houston
1. Go to a Rodeo
Texas is known for its rodeos and seeing the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the best things to do if you are in Houston, TX when it’s on. Held every year from late February until the third week in March, it is one of the biggest rodeos in the U.S. drawing tens of thousands of people daily. Not only will you see a premier rodeo, but also top musical performers of many genres. If you are in Houston that time of year, don't miss this incredible thing to do!
Alternatives for other times of the year are the week-long Galveston County Fair & Rodeo held annually in mid-April and the Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo during the last week of September every year.
2. Unleash Your Inner Sleuth
Playing an escape room at The Escape Game Houston is a terrific thing to do, especially with a group of adults. The mission: to find a way out of a ‘locked’ room by cracking codes and deciphering clues. The catch? You’ll have just 60 minutes to escape. Enjoy the thrill of racing the clock in one of The Escape Game Houston’s six unique escape rooms.
Recover a Monet masterpiece from an evil art thief. Investigate menacing activities in an abandoned laboratory at the bottom of the ocean! If you are up for the most difficult game, play Prison Break, where players are split into two different prison cells and work together to escape a 1950s-style prison!
3. Discover the World of Astronauts
By far, Space Center Houston is one of Houston's top attractions, and with good reason. Guests gain deep insight into NASA’s operations on the NASA Tram Tour which provides a behind-the-scenes look at space exploration.
The tour includes a walk along an elevated path through the Astronaut Training Facility. You'll also visit the actual Mission Control from which NASA led Apollo and Gemini missions. The interactive exhibit, Mission Mars, covers what it takes to get to Mars. Simply put, the Space Center is one of the coolest places in Houston!
4. Try Skydiving
If you’ve been thinking of skydiving, Houston is just the place! The aerial views of the city’s dramatic skyline and the Gulf of Mexico are spectacular. Houston has some excellent skydiving operations like Skydive Houston and Skydive Spaceland Houston. If you aren't ready to take such a big leap, try iFLY Houston where you’ll be able to defy gravity inside a man-made wind tunnel.
5. Watch the Astros Play Ball
From April to October, Houston’s baseball team the Astros play baseball at Minute Maid Park, right in the heart of downtown. Baseball fans can catch batting practice about two and a half hours before game time. Better still, tours are offered of Minute Maid Park.
On non-game days, you can take “A Minute in Minute Maid Park”, a 10 to 15-minute walk of different areas of the field. Tickets are $10. On game days, you can take a one-hour Pre-Game Tour with visits to the Upper Deck, the Astros Suites, and the bullpen seats to watch 30 minutes of batting practice. Tickets are $45.
FYI, if you are planning a work party or corporate event in Houston, going to an Astros game is a great idea!
6. See Houston's Bats
If you are seeking a uniquely Houston experience, this is it! Texas is very popular with Mexican free-tailed bats and Houston’s colony is estimated at 250,000! They reside under the Waugh Drive Bridge. At dusk, the bats fly out from under the bridge to go look for food. It's a stunning sight to see hundreds of thousands of bats streak the Houston sky.
The Houston Waugh Drive Bridge colony is largest between summer and early fall, though there are still enough bats to entertain in winter. Note that when sunset temperatures are at 50 degrees or below or when it is raining, the bats do not emerge from under the bridge.
7. Brave the Boardwalk Bullet Ride
A popular and fun attraction near Houston is Kemah Boardwalk, an amusement park located on Galveston Bay. The park's highlight ride is the one-of-a-kind wooden coaster, measuring nearly 100 feet tall that reaches speeds of over 51 miles per hour! Test your courage on the Drop Zone, a 140-foot free-fall. Enjoy the scenery of Galveston Bay from the Boardwalk Tower ride or the 65-foot tall Century Wheel. Stroll the boardwalk and enjoy waterfront dining.
8. Cool Off on a Hot Day
Looking for something to do in Houston on a hot day? Head to a waterpark! Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown is one of the biggest waterparks with several towering water slides, like the Banzai Pipeline, which is seven stories tall! Big Rivers Water Park and Adventures has more than just awesome water rides, it also has aerial attractions like a zip line course, a five-story climbing wall, and a seven-story bungee jump.
Both these waterparks are family-friendly, but if you aren’t with family, you may prefer The Cove in College Station, TX. It’s 90 minutes from Houston and with relaxing water rides like a lazy river, and a swim-up bar, it’s a great attraction for adults.
9. Catch a Broadway Show
One of the best things to do at night in Houston is to see a show. Houston’s Theater District is one of the top districts in the country to see an array of performances including Broadway shows. The Houston Theater District spans 17 blocks and has multiple theaters and performing arts centers. For Broadway shows check out the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, as well as the Wortham Theater Center, Jones Hall, and the Alley Theatre.
10. Go to the Beach
An hour’s drive from Houston will get you to Galveston’s 32 gorgeous miles of beach along the Gulf of Mexico. While many beaches are geared toward both adults and families, you might enjoy checking out East Beach at the far eastern tip of Galveston Island. Here alcohol is allowed, and there are beach parties and live concerts. If you want to learn how to surf, go to Seawall Beach for lessons with Ohana Surf. A day at the beach, surfing, sunning, and chilling is an unbeatable thing to do when you visit Houston in the summer!
Things to Do Outdoors in Houston for Active Adults
11. Kayaking
Kayaking is a popular thing to do in Houston since the Buffalo Bayou runs through the main parts of the city. Paddling on the Buffalo Bayou lets you see the city from a different perspective. You’ll pass by the city’s green spaces, paddle under bridges, and get a nice view of the Houston skyline. Look into rentals from Bayou City Adventures.
You can learn more about Houston by taking a kayak tour. Bayou City Adventures also offers tours, including a Houston Skyline Tour where you’ll learn about Houston’s past as your guide points out some of the city’s significant landmarks visible from the water.
If you are looking for a unique thing to do for your "date night" or "girls night out" in Houston, consider kayaking!
12. Golfing
One of the more relaxing outdoor activities to do in Houston is playing golf. There are some nice golf courses right in the city so you won't have to travel far to get in a round or two. The Hermann Park Golf Course was built in 1922 and is one of the most scenic 18-hole golf courses in Houston. Grab some food or drink on the veranda of the historic clubhouse. Memorial Park Golf Course is a 250-acre, 18-hole golf course built in 1936. It has some great history and golf greats such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Niklaus played here.
13. Biking
Another popular Houston activity is biking. Houston is bicycle friendly and even has a bike share program, Houston BCycle. For a small fee, you can grab a bike at any docking station, use the bike and then return it to any other docking station. Check out this suggested biking route and the closest docking stations.
Perhaps the best place to bike in the city is on the Buffalo Bayou Park bike trails. You can take a leisurely ride and enjoy the surrounding natural environs as well as Houston’s skyline as a backdrop. You can rent bikes from Bayou Bike Rentals.
14. Horseback Riding
Hey, you’re in Houston, Texas, so what could be a more natural thing to do than to go horseback riding? If you know how then There are loads of places in Houston that offer horseback riding and if you're new to the sport, you can take an adult horseback riding lesson. Look into Cypress Trails Ranch, Bay Area Equestrian Center, and North Houston Horse Park.
15. Hiking
The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is one of the nicest and most interesting places in Houston for a hike. The Arboretum has five miles of trails that meander through five distinct habitats including native prairie, woodland, wetland, and meadow. If you are looking for adult things to do in Houston at night, the Arboretum’s night hikes are perfect as you can encounter nocturnal creatures while enjoying adult beverages.
If you are looking to hike away from the sights and sounds of the city, Lake Houston Wilderness Park is 32 miles from Houston. It’s a 5,000-acre park with more than 20 miles of trails.
Houston Museums And Art Spaces
16. Museum of Fine Arts
Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts is one of the 10 largest art museums in the United States, with a mammoth collection of almost 70,000 works of art from antiquity to the present day. Its strongest collections are its French Impressionist and Italian Renaissance paintings, European and American decorative arts, and a noteworthy collection of pre-Columbian gold.
The Kinder Building of the museum is splendid with over 1,200 works of modern art spread across three floors. Just a small representation of the masters whose paintings hang on the museum’s walls are Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and so many more.
17. Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most visited museums in the country, so it must be one of the best things to see in Houston and should be on everyone’s list. This huge complex covers everything from prehistoric times up to the space age.
The Hall of Ancient Egypt is impressive as are the Paleontology Hall, the Cabinet of Curiosities, and the Hall of Gems and Minerals. Also part of the museum is the Burke Baker Planetarium, the Cockerell Butterfly Center, and the Wortham IMAX movie theater.
18. Holocaust Museum
Houston’s Holocaust Museum has a somewhat different approach to educating visitors about the Holocaust, Rather than placing a heavy emphasis on those who perished, the museum focuses on survivors. Their stories are told by exhibits and short films.
The museum also addresses the peril that societal prejudice can cause by using examples from the Nazi regime in Europe. Two fascinating items in the museum are an actual small Dutch fishing boat that transported Jews to safety and a railcar that transported victims to their horrific fate.
19. Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
One of the most interesting things to do in Houston is to see the light show at the Twilight Epiphany Skyspace by artist James Turrell. Located on the Rice University campus, this pyramidal structure is acoustically engineered for musical performances. But there is more to Skyspace than hosting musical events. It was also designed to showcase a LED light sequence that takes place before sunrise and sunset. The lights are projected onto the ceiling and through an opening in the roof at sunrise and sunset with a magnificent result. Visitors can sit inside and enjoy the show. The Twilight Epiphany Skyspace is free and open to the public every day.
Houston Tours
20. Houston Bus Tours
Taking a sightseeing bus tour of Houston is a great thing to do if you want a quick overview of the city. They are also ideal when its raining in Houston since you can see the city and stay dry. These tours last between one to two hours and take you to the major sights of Houston. A live guide will talk about the history of the city as well as its present day.
Alternatively, hop-on-hop-off bus tours make it possible for you to experience the attractions you are interested in up close. Just get off the bus at the sights you want to see and get back on any bus along that route when you are ready to move on. Look at options from Texas City Tours.
21. Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern Tours
One of the more interesting Houston attractions is the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a gigantic subterranean former water reservoir that was rescued from demolition in 2010 by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. The BBP saved the cistern so that the public could witness its incredible architecture.
Through the use of rotating art installations including colorful lights and projections, the cistern becomes a magical place. There are a few tours to take, including an Experiential Tour with an introduction, followed by time to explore the Cistern at your own pace.
22. Houston Food Tours
Houston has incredible food, from Tex-Mex to Barbeque, and everything in between! Houston food tours are an awesome way to learn about the city while sampling its cuisine. The Astroville Food Tour includes 8-9 food samples and also has private limited access to Houston's downtown tunnel system, the largest building-to-building system in the U.S.!
The Howdy H-Town EADO Food Tour takes you through EaDo (East of Downtown) and includes a bakery, a taco stand, a BBQ restaurant, and more. During the tour, you'll learn about the neighborhood’s street art scene, architecture, and wonderful green spaces. Note that most food tours are between 2.5-3.5 hours so if you are an adult traveling with children, these tours might not be the best thing for you to do in Houston.
Explore more of Houston with our article, 30 Fun and Interesting Things To Do In Houston.
For suggestions on how to organize your time in Houston, see our Houston 2-day itinerary!
See our other articles on:
- Family-friendly activities in Houston
- Things to do in Houston that your teens will love
- Houston for solo travelers
