The best things to do in Houston right now

What started as a small collective of artists in 2008 has grown into the immersive multimedia experience known today as Meow Wolf. The company opened its Houston location in later 2024, bringing multi–sensory, immersive exhibits connected through an interdimensional radio station storyline. Representing more than 100 artists—half of whom hail from the Lone Star State—Meow Wolf invites visitors to discover new dimensions. After exploring every nook and cranny, guests can head to beloved spot Cowboix Hevven, Meow Wolf’s first functioning honky-tonk dive bar, for a drink and casual bite. This month, Meow Wolf's Adulti-Verse returns—a twice-a-month, 21+ playground featuring music, drinks and mechanical bull riding. Catch it on May 8! 

On the edge of downtown, a large mail processing center has been transformed into a culinary and cultural hub with Instagram-worthy views to complement your experience. In the food market, don’t miss ChopnBlok, where chef Ope Amosu serves up West African cuisine, from smoky jollof jambalaya to beef patties. POST is also home to Art Club, a part-museum, part-nightclub that opened in 2024. Spanning 28,500 square, each room is filled with a series of connected galleries, including a lounge with cutting-edge AV equipment for experimental DJs. On the roof of POST, the Sky Lawn is a five-acre urban park and a sustainable organic farm for those seeking a peaceful retreat. There's plenty of happenings in May. Don't miss the jazz concert on the 7th, the AAPI celebration on the 10th and free Pilates on the 11th. 

Houston is no stranger to the oh-so-trendy sport of pickleball, with multiple places to play throughout the city. PKL Social is a 21+ pickleball sports bar located in the vibrant Washington Corridor. Expect good vibes, a dog friendly patio, over 20 big screens and a food and bar menu featuring handheld sandwiches and health-conscious options like the coconut shrimp bowl. 

A Houston staple—and a favorite of Simone Biles and other celebs—chef Kiran Verma is known as the godmother of Indian fine dining. She’s self-taught, and her eponymous restaurant offers one of the most unique teas in the city. The menu is just as exciting, putting a fun spin on Indian dishes like curried crab and tandoori chicken finger sandwiches. Plus, tea service starts with Verma’s very own eponymous chai tea brand.

Houston is hot enough, but if you’re looking for an extra sweat session, there’s no shortage of options. Opening early 2025 in Uptown Park, Ritual One offers a mixture of hot pilates, power vinyasa and inferno HIIT—all taking place in a state-of-the-art infrared-heated studio designed for a killer workout session. 

Located inside La Colombe d’Or hotel, Bar No. 3 offers craft and seasonal cocktails surrounded by fine art and stunning architecture. In addition to the 425 pieces of art, this historic home-turned-hotel has a sculpture garden, a private park and a cozy cocktail lounge. It’s an art lover’s paradise! 

The first word spoken on the moon was "Houston," so it is fitting that the city is home to one of the finest interstellar museums on planet Earth. NASA’s Space Center Houston boasts masses of permanent displays and attractions, including a flown SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket over 156 feet long, over 400 out-of-this-world artifacts, an immersive show narrated by Tom Hanks and a NASA tram tour that takes visitors behind the scenes at Johnson Space Center. This month, don't miss the camping experience on the 24th, an opportunity to sleep in a tent under the Falcon 9 rocket. 

Houston boasts the second-largest Indochinese population in the U.S. (after Los Angeles), so it is only fitting to visit Chinatown, which (authentically and deliciously) brings together delights from all over Asia. Head to the thriving district in the southwest for an epicurean adventure. Savor the rich (and tempting) tastes, sights, and smells of the bustling Hong Kong Food Market. After that, head to Nam Giao, a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, for Hue cuisine. We recommend ordering the steamed rice cakes with pork rinds and chives. Finish your afternoon with a peaceful stroll around Jade Buddha Temple's serene lotus ponds, statues and gardens. 

The Houston Museum of Natural Science boasts several world-class exhibits, including wildlife dioramas and artifacts from ancient Egypt. Most major paleontology exhibits feature dinosaur skeletons lined up one after the other, but this museum tried something entirely different; it recreates actual encounters between dinosaurs as they might have occurred millions of years ago. The results are fantastic, with skeletal dinosaurs eating, chasing and fighting. The special exhibits—Fabergé Eggs and Timeless Treasures and Matter & Motion—are also not to be missed this month.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston is one of the largest museums in the United States, so expect exhibitions and installations galore. On Thursdays, admission is free all day. Bonus: Happy Hour Thursdays means you can check out everything from Renaissance art to rare African sculptures with a cocktail in hand before enjoying the resident DJ and grabbing a bite from one of the curated food trucks usually parked outside. 

While you're there, make it a point to stop at the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Formerly home to 20th century art collector and philanthropist Ima Hogg, it showcases American furnishings, silver, ceramics and paintings from around the world. Since the property sits on 14 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, there's plenty of space to explore and wander.  

When temperatures rise, head to The Marriott Marquis to check out its Altitude Rooftop and Pool. The 550-foot lazy river in the shape of Texas is flanked by your choice of lounge chairs, cabanas, pergolas and day beds. A festive bar and live music create a party atmosphere, but the giggles of kids ensure that the space is family-friendly. Set the kids up by the poolside grill Hive Dive and enjoy a mahi mahi sandwich. Be sure to check out the infinity pool, where you can snap photos of yourself swimming with the Houston skyline as your backdrop.

This non-profit showcases Houston's thriving performing arts scene with a mission to expand the city's reputation as a world-class center for culture. The complex has two performance chambers and an upscale restaurant for those looking to make an evening of it. If you're looking for the perfect excuse to dress up and see some performing arts, think of The Hobby Center as Houston's own Broadway—all of Broadway squeezed into one building, that is. Featuring hits like Mamma Mia! and Hamilton, not to mention drag shows, parodies and seasonal goodies, this place has it all.

One of the most significant art assemblages of the 20th century, the Menil Collection, is housed in a magnificent purpose-built gallery designed by none other than Renzo Piano (the same architect behind NYC's Whitney Museum of American Art). Displayed in spacious, naturally lit white-walled sections, the superb works are the collection of John and Dominique de Menil. The more than 20,000 pieces range from Paleolithic carvings to Surrealist paintings, and many prominent artists—including Picasso and Rene Magritte—have entire rooms to themselves. With free admission and parking, it would be a crime not to spend time here.

Austin may have South Congress Bridge for bat watching, but Houstonians have the Waugh Drive Bridge in Buffalo Bayou Park. Every night at sunset, 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from their slumber. Even the locals who have witnessed this site countless times still gasp at the flaps of the wings, the chirping and squeaking and the sheer mass of the blanket of black as the bats head out to explore the city. It’s the perfect way to end a day at the park or kick off an evening in the city.

Considered Houston's most significant natural resource, Buffalo Bayou has hundreds of acres of parkland and running trails. One of the finest ways to enjoy the bayou’s beauty is from the water, starting downtown at Allen’s Landing and working your way west. Rent a kayak from the Buffalo Bayou Partnership or join one of the tours: cistern, boat, walking or self-guided. 

Visitors can discover everything from the mysterious traditions surrounding the burial of a Pope to the recreation of Abraham Lincoln’s state funeral at this morbidly curious museum. Alright, a trip to this museum may not be the most upbeat adventure, but it is certainly engaging. Learn about the history of cremation or explore the extensive display of artifacts from burial services of former American presidents. 

One of Houston’s brightest cultural gems, Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, has staged free outdoor performances since 1923. With eight months of free arts programming every year, the sloping lawn in front of the stage gets packed with locals toting blankets and picnics. Where else can you enjoy everything from drama to the symphony, free of charge? Just check the event calendar before your visit (and book tickets in advance, if necessary). Besides, it is a great way to lay back and enjoy toasty Texan weather without being accused of laziness. Check the website for 2025 season tickets. 

"Inspired, hip, tasty, funky, savvy" shouts the famous mural at 520 Travis Street, which has become a photographic flag-bearer for the city. This wonderfully vibrant, colorful image is more than just Instagram bait; it is an homage to local pride, drawing attention to Houston's best characteristics in the heart of the Market Square District. Its message is clear: Houston, we don’t have a problem.

Towering over the Houston Ship Channel, the San Jacinto Monument is the tallest war memorial in the nation, standing 15 feet higher than the Washington Monument. The 570-foot obelisk—topped by a massive 220-ton Lone Star of Texas—pays tribute to those who fought for Texas' independence from Mexico in 1836. The outstanding San Jacinto Museum at its base contains several fascinating artifacts from the Texas Revolution and subsequent Republic and serves as the access point for the all-important elevator to the summit. The San Jacinto Museum also houses the Albert and Ethel Herzstein library, where you'll discover rare books and delicate manuscripts.

Gerald D. Hines Waterwall is one of Houston’s most popular spots to relax (naturally, it is also one of the most photographed sites in the city). A dramatic 64-foot semicircular fountain, it recycles a ferocious 11,000 gallons of water per minute in what has become liquid Instagram gold. Once you’ve taken your mandatory snap, grab some lunch to-go from the neighboring Galleria before returning to the oak glades in the Waterwall’s nearly three-acre park for a picture-perfect picnic.