9 Free Things to Do in Houston

You can bring your own food and beer or wine, hit the concession stands beside the hillside lawn and join the crowd as live bands perform on stage at the auditorium of the Miller Outdoor Theatre.

This is Houston's main community venue, with all sorts of gigs that you can enjoy for free throughout the months of March through October. Their playlist is diverse, ranging from classical orchestras, jazz and world music to ballet, Shakespeare plays and even retro film screenings. It’s a relaxed, fun time for all, without having to pay a cent. If you'd like to sit under the canopy, check online to see if you need to reserve seats.

The non-profit Discovery Green Conservancy partnered with the City of Houston to create this 12-acre urban park in Downtown Houston. It hosts various annual programmes, mostly promoting active lifestyles, which are totally free to the public. Your kids will adore the unique play area, and the Gateway Fountain is the perfect spot to cool off when the sun shines.

There are hundreds of community events held here each year. Among these are kayaking on Kinder Lake, circus arts, Zumba, core-focused yoga, dancing the tango and parkour workshops. In good weather, you can expect a monthly flea market held every 3rd Saturday night, featuring handmade goods and vintage items.

The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is one of Houston’s large and most beautiful green spaces. You can enjoy pleasant scenic walks throughout this botanical garden, with a great variety of trees and flowering plants along the way. You’ll come across water habitats where native birds and aquatic life thrive.

There are well-shaded sections where you can take a rest, enjoy the views and enjoy the occasional animal sightings up in the foliage, down on the lawn and in the water. We recommend taking a guided nature hike on selected Saturdays. They're free and you'll learn all about the area's ecosystems from an expert.

Taking place every Saturday off the Buffalo speedway, the Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market features a wide variety of vendors showing off their rich assortment of local products. These range from fruits and vegetables to cold cut meats, cheeses, poultry, eggs and more. Starting with just 7 vendors, this huge market now has over 100 stalls for you to peruse.

Head here earlier to sample the best and the freshest. As well as produce, you'll discover live music and plenty of different food trucks offering snacks and refreshments, which add to the lively vibes. There's free parking available, and the location is on many bus routes. 

This 84-acre burial site is most notably the final resting place of Howard Hughes, a billionaire industrialist, aviator and philanthropist who is considered the real-life inspiration behind Marvel’s Tony Stark, and subject of Martin Scorsese’s biopic The Aviator.

Glenwood Cemetery also features monuments and ornate headstones of some of Houston’s past mayors and governors. It’s beautifully laid out and is well-maintained. Wander along the peaceful pathways and see what names you recognise and try to find the oldest grave. If you'd like a closer look at the architecture and learn more about the cemetery's interred, register in advance for their 2-hour, free guided walking tours, held on Saturday mornings.

Houston has a fabulous collection of museums and art galleries that offer free admission or features. The Houston Museum of Natural Science on Hermann Park has selected permanent exhibitions, such as its palaeontology collection, that are free on Tuesdays, from 5 pm to 8 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is free to visit on Thursdays from 11 am to 9 pm, so be sure to take advantage of their incredible, and huge, collection of galleries. If you've kids in tow, you can also enjoy hands-on learning exhibits at the Children’s Museum Houston during its free family nights on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm, but tickets are popular so be sure to book in advance.

There are plenty of vast green spaces to explore in Houston, and the 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park has fun and scenic trails that allow you to enjoy the city’s riverside and great outdoors. Pathways and bridges lead you to all sorts of amenities and lawns, and you can rent bikes from stations around the park.

The main rental company here is the Bayou Bike Rentals, found conveniently at the Water Works. However, you can hike or jog around without spending a dime. Don't miss marvelling at the public art installations, and make sure you check their online calendar for community events like sound meditation, choir performances and walking tours.

You can easily find these action-packed skate bowls right next to the Buffalo Bayou’s Sabine Street bridge. It’s where the local skater community gathers for fun hours. The Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark features 30,000 sq ft of in-ground skating bowls, with sections for every skater skill level. This means you can show up as a total novice and learn to balance and cruise or go hard and show off your ollies and kick flips.

Admission to the park is free but helmets are always required. The skatepark is located in the Eleanor Tinsley Park, which is a beautiful urban green space that's lovely for relaxing after you've perfected your grinds.

Houston is rich with impressive landmarks, and one of the stunning sights that’s free to enjoy is the James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at the Suzanne Deal Booth Centennial Pavilion. You can find this massive pavilion near the Shepherd School of Music on the Rice University campus.

Rice’s music students usually jam on scheduled events here, making good use of its well-designed acoustics. Head down here before the sun sets for the stunning LED light show, with its amazing play of colours against the evening sky. Alternatively, arrive an hour before dawn for a spectacular morning show. Docents are on hand at every performance, and you'll also find a myriad of public art and free events around campus.