Planning a date night in Houston? You're in luck! There are dozens and dozens of fun things to choose from, whether this is your first date or 100th. Here are 27 things to do and romantic places to go for a perfect date!
For more ideas, see our articles, 23 Things To Do At Night in Houston and The Best 22 Attractions in Houston For Adults.
Top 10 Cool and Unique Date Ideas in Houston
1. Sunset at Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
Watching the sunset is one of the most romantic things to do in Houston. Make this experience unique by going to the beautiful Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, which is open to the public for free. This architecturally stunning structure was designed to project a light show onto the ceiling and through an opening onto the 72-foot square knife-edge roof at sunrise and at sunset.
The sunset light sequence starts about 10 minutes before sunset and lasts approximately 40 minutes. Though the sunset may be over quickly, Skyspace is also a venue that hosts music and other events that you are welcome to watch. The Skyspace is open Wednesdays to Sundays until 10 pm. Couples who are early risers will be happy to know you can also see the sunrise.
2. Play an escape room
If you are looking for a place to go for a thrilling and fun date, The Escape Game Houston is for you! You and your date will have to work together to find your way out of an escape room in under 60 minutes. Put your heads together to solve riddles and puzzles. Collaborate to crack codes and decipher clues! Choose from two locations, City Centre and The Galleria. Both locations have escape games with unique themes with different levels of difficulty.
Time travel between centuries to save the future. Rescue a priceless Monet painting from an evil mastermind. Investigate menacing goings-on at an abandoned laboratory at the very bottom of the ocean! Fix your spaceship granted on Mars before a solar flare collides with you! Put your love to the test at The Escape Game Houston!
3. Painting with a twist
You and your date can unleash your creative sides at Painting with a Twist, a company that's been inspiring people around Houston to try something new and artistic. They offer many types of classes and among them is their weekly “Date Night” where couples are given two canvases - one for each person. The canvases are outlined and ready to be painted and have romantic themes just right for couples like The Lion and Lioness in the Night and Love Trees at Night. When you’ve each completed your canvas, place them next to each other and it’s as if your individual paintings are one!
So what’s the twist? You are allowed to bring your own drinks in, including alcoholic beverages. Want to hold a nice glass of rose in one hand and a paintbrush in another? Painting with a Twist is for you! Date night sessions start at varying times with some starting as late as 9:30 pm to 11 pm.
4. Stir something up at a cooking class
If you are looking for first-date ideas in Houston, take a cooking class together! It’s a fun and engaging way for you and your date to get to know each other. Sur La Table’s Date Night Cooking Classes take place in a laid-back atmosphere filled with laughter and delicious food! Since you will be in a class with other couples, you won't feel the kind of pressure that you might feel if it were just the two of you at a table figuring out what to talk about.
For long-time couples, a cooking class is a way to try something new together. Learn to make rustic Italian food, elegant French food, sushi, and more. Get ready to cozy up in the kitchen for an unforgettable date night!
5. Have dinner in the dark
If you are looking for a unique date idea, look no further than Houston’s Dining in the Dark Blind Tasting Experience! Dining while blindfolded is definitely not the typical date experience, but it is certainly a memorable one! You and your date will enjoy a three-course meal while blindfolded. You’ll be seated in a dining room that’s romantically lit with candles. Then your waiter will blindfold you and then you’ll dine.
This isn’t some strange gimmick. When you can’t see what you are eating, your sense of taste and smell are enhanced, making your food even more satisfying. Plus, being blindfolded encourages conversation!
6. Watch a movie under the stars
For a great date night out in Houston, grab your honey, some folding chairs, and popcorn to see a movie outdoors. In the summer, the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park shows movies for free. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and your own popcorn for a great night out!
If you want a swanky outdoor movie date experience, the Rooftop Cinema Club has comfortable deck chairs, a big screen, and food and drink concessions. You can see all your favorite modern classics here, but does it really matter what's playing? It’s all about the person who's sitting next to you!
7. Try axe throwing
Bring some healthy competition into your relationship by spending that Friday night date at Houston Axe Throwing. If you haven't been axe-throwing yet, now’s the time! It’s one of the most popular recreational games around and it’s a whole lot of fun. You can book time with a private target that comes along with safety and technique training and 50 to 55 minutes of self-guided axe throwing. Houston Axe Throwing is open until 10:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
8. Go on a spa date
Spend a calming day at Trellis Spa, a luxury spa in a gorgeous European Villa-inspired space on grounds with lush gardens. Enjoy soothing spa treatments, like a couples massage. Relax in the outdoor Soaking Pools and Garden. Dine in the scenic treetop restaurant with a health-focused menu. You and your date will walk away feeling refreshed!
9. Attend a candlelight concert
For an intimate date, see a Candlelight Concert. This series takes place in some of Houston’s most romantic venues lit by thousands of candles. The concerts, performed by professional musicians ranging from classical to jazz, pop to familiar movie soundtracks, and more. There are two shows each evening, starting at approximately 7 pm and 9 pm.
10. Swing from the trees
For couples who like adventure and physical challenges, go ziplining and do a ropes course! Houston has a few great locations. Moody Gardens in Galveston has the tallest steel ropes course on the Gulf Coast. Texas Treeventures, about an hour from Houston, has 72 obstacles for you and your date to overcome together. Big Rivers Waterpark, has zip lines, a ropes challenge course, and a free-fall experience. Cool off afterward in the waterpark.
Houston for Art Lovers
11. Museum of Fine Arts
Open until 9 pm on Thursdays, Houston's Museum of Fine Arts is a great date place for art lovers. See impassioned works from the Italian Renaissance. Be mesmerized by Impressionist paintings. Converse with your date about fascinating works of modern art.
12. Color Factory Interactive Art Museum
This immersive museum is where guests are invited to feel the joy that color brings. Housed in a 20,000-square-foot space, the Color Factory has 14 immersive installations inspired by Houston-specific colors like the rich green of Hermann Park and the dark blue on the NASA logo. It’s one of the most fun date ideas you can find in Houston. The last entry time slot is 8 pm.
13. Cullen Sculpture Garden
This lovely garden is a space where nature and art meet. The garden is small but filled with wonderful works from the best artists of the 20th century such as Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, and Auguste Rodin. The Cullen Sculpture Garden is open until 9 pm on Thursdays.
14. Seismique
Located on Houston's west side, this 40,000-square-foot art museum provides an imaginative and exciting interactive experience with immersive exhibits and astounding displays. With the use of projectors, holograms, augmented reality, light mapping, motion tracking, and 9 million LED lights, Seismique boasts more than 40 vivid, perplexing displays. Seismique is open until 9 pm on weeknights and 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Daytime Date Ideas in Houston’s Great Outdoors
15. Biking
Biking in Houston is quite popular and there are some lovely trails you and your date can check out. Buffalo Bayou's Park bike trails are ideal if you are looking for an easy-paced ride. For some other trails, see this list of suggested biking routes.
16. Kayaking
The Buffalo Bayou Waterway is a great place to kayak in Houston. It runs through the city and you’ll paddle with the skyline as a backdrop. Paddle under bridges and pass by the city’s parks. Consider taking a kayak tour like a Houston Skyline Tour where your guide discusses some of Houston’s landmarks that are visible from the water.
17. Hiking
The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center has five miles of trails that weave through five habitats including native prairie, woodland, wetland, and meadow. The Arboretum has night events that make for an interesting date night. The “Sip & Stroll” event offers couples a quiet evening in nature along with an adult beverage. “Mystery on the Trails” sends visitors on a whodunnit hunt along the trails.
18. Beaches
On a hot day in Houston, drive to the beach just an hour’s drive from the city. A date at the wonderful beaches Galveston offers a lot to fill up a day and night! There are so many beaches that you can take your pick of the atmosphere. If you want a beach that’s adult-oriented East Beach has beach parties and live concerts. The Seawall Beaches are in proximity to restaurants, bars, the Pleasure Pier, and more!
19. Horseback Riding
How about riding horses for a romantic thing to do in Houston? Cypress Trails Ranch, just 25 miles north of downtown Houston, Cypress Trails is a beautiful ranch where you can ride alone with your date or join one of the center’s Adventure Trail Rides or Picnic Rides. If you haven't ridden before they offer lessons.
20. Waterparks
Given the hot weather in Houston’s summers, there are lots of water parks where you can splash around with your date. If you both like towering waterslides, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown has several, including the Banzai Pipeline, which is seven stories tall.
Big Rivers Water Park and Adventures has all the rides and features you want from a water park as well as a zip line course, a five-story climbing wall, and a seven-story bungee jump. If you want to avoid the family crowd, take your date out of Houston to The Cove in College Station, TX. You‘ll enjoy laid-back rides and a swim-up bar.
Get to Know Your Date and Houston Better
21. Try Houston’s foods
How about taking a food tour of Houston on your date? It’s a great way to discover different cuisines in the city. Astroville Tours’ Food Tour of Downtown Houston includes eight to nine samples from Tex-Mex to Barbeque and everything in between! On your next date, go back and dine at the place you liked the most.
The Howdy H-Town EADO Food Tour takes you through EaDo (East of Downtown). Try tacos, barbeque, and more. During the tour, you’ll learn about EADO’s street art scene and architecture.
22. Have a picnic at a Houston park
Bring a basket of gourmet foods to the beautiful Hermann Park Conservancy. Rent a pedal boat from the boathouse and explore McGovern Lake and its beautiful environs. Hermann Park is open until 11 pm.
Discovery Green is a 12-acre urban park with loads of fun things to do, right in Houston’s downtown. There’s a full line-up of free events, like outdoor concerts and movies. Discovery Green is open until 11 pm every night (and midnight in the summer).
23. Root for Houston’s sports teams
Take your date to cheer on one of Houston’s many sports teams. See the Houston Astros play baseball at Minute Maid Park. The Texans play football at NRG Stadium while the Houston Dynamo plays soccer at the Shell Energy Stadium. See the Houston Rockets shoot hoops at the Toyota Center. If the forecast calls for a rainy night in Houston on your date night, don't worry -- both Minute Maid Park and NRG Stadium have retractable roofs to keep you dry!
24. Chill out in the Market Square Historic District
This enclave in Houston’s downtown is a charming and lively neighborhood. The district has lots of restaurants, pubs and bars, and entertainment options all within walking distance of each other. At the heart of the district is the laid-back Market Square Park. Hang out and dine on the grass and enjoy a full roster of events from movie screenings and festivals until 11 pm nightly.
25. Stargaze at George Observatory
What could be more romantic than a date under Houston’s stars? Ideally, to get a good view, you’ll need to head out of Houston, but not too far. Brazos Bend State Park is the best stargazing spot less than an hour’s drive from Houston. You can combine your stargazing with some time in nature.
Within the park is the George Observatory, a part of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Visit on Saturdays year-round for evening stargazing with real-time camera feeds from the telescopes. You’ll also get to interact with the astronomers who provide a laser tour of the sky.
26. Ride the Ferris Wheel at Kemah Boardwalk
Kemah Boardwalk, just 20 miles from Houston, will provide a few hours of fun on your date. The Boardwalk is open free to the public to walk along Galveston Bay. There’s a fee to enter the 42-acre megaplex with amusement park rides, restaurants, and bars. Enjoy classic rides like a 65-foot-tall Ferris wheel, a wooden roller coaster, and a tower drop ride. Kemah Boardwalk is open all year and stays open late. On Mondays to Wednesdays it is open until 10 pm and until 11 pm on Thursdays to Sundays.
27. See a show in Houston’s Theater District
Houston’s Theater District has many theaters to see performances of all kinds. The Hobby Center has Broadway shows. The Wortham Theater Center has the distinguished Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera. Jones Hall is home to the Houston Symphony and the Society for the Performing Arts. The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts has it all! Musicals and plays, comedy, dance - you name it, the Hobby Center’s got it!
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!
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