Updated: March 19, 2025
Planning a fun-filled vacation is easy to do if you're planning to visit Houston, which offers more attractions, activities and places to eat than you could possibly fit into one trip. Traveling on a budget? No worries. Here are a few of our fravorite free and cheap things to do in Houston.
Location: 6003 Memorial Dr., Houston, TX
The former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg is the centerpiece of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Filled with a collection of American antique furnishings, decorative arts and paintings, it is surrounded by eight formal gardens and acres of wooded areas. While there is an additional fee to tour the mansion, you can opt for the cheaper gardens-only admission. A cellphone audio tour is available to guide you past the flowers, plants and trees throughout the grounds, or you can listen to classical music chosen to complement the gardens.
Location: 105 Sabine St., Houston, TX
If you like to get in some exercise during your vacation but can't face that dreary hotel gym, or if you simply want to get out and enjoy some fresh air, head out to Buffalo Bayou Park. Just minutes from downtown, this 160-acre green space features miles of walking and biking trails along Buffalo Bayou, as well as other free things to do in Houston. Go for an art walk and look for the sculptures scattered throughout the park. If your visit happens around sunset, stick around to see the bats fly out from beneath the Waugh Drive Bridge. Family or pets in tow? A nature play area, skate park and a dog park offer fun for everyone.
Location: 4501 Woodway Dr., Houston, TX
Escape into the outdoors without leaving the city on the trails of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, a cheap thing to do in Houston. Here you'll find more than 5 miles of scenic trails through meadow, pond, wetland and woodland habitats, along with themed gardens including the Pollinator Garden and Display Walk. Observation decks and a platform offer prime spots for viewing birds and wildlife. Kids will enjoy exhibits in the Nature Center's Discovery Room.
Location: 1533 Sul Ross St., Houston, TX
Art lovers won't want to miss The Menil Collection, a serene museum comprised of five buildings that house a diverse collection of more than 20,000 works of art ranging from antiquities to early and mid-20th-century works by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso as well as pop and contemporary works by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock. The collection isn't limited to the galleries — major works of sculpture are on display around the grounds surrounding the buildings.
Location: Waugh Drive
The Waugh Drive Bridge is located in Buffalo Bayou Park but is a special attraction in itself, as it's home to a large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. Arrive at the bridge before dusk and you'll be treated to the spectacle of thousands of bats as they emerge from beneath the bridge and take to the skies in search of insects. Unlike other bat colonies in Texas, the Waugh Drive Bridge colony doesn't migrate for the winter, so no matter what time of year you travel to Houston, you can witness this unique sight that's also a free thing to do in Houston. Look for the observation deck overlooking the bridge, where you'll find signs with information about the bats.
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