Houston might be stereotyped as a ritzy, expensive metro, but it can be the complete opposite if you know where to look. There are plenty of fun activities you can do for little to no money that are still incredibly fun! These eight places to see in Houston in particular are absolutely amazing and are definitely worth a visit.

  1. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park

Flickr/eschipul This isn’t just another stroll in the neighborhood park - it’s an unforgettable experience. Standing in the enclosure with the sound of water rushing all around you is a feeling unlike any other.

  1. Downtown Tunnels

downtownhouston.org There’s an awesome secret hiding underneath the Houston streets that office workers have been enjoying for years. Even if you don’t work downtown, you should still experience the plethora of restaurants and shops in the tunnels. Taking your normal activities underground is definitely an awesome way to change things up if you’re getting bored!

  1. JP Morgan Chase Tower

Flickr/sarath_kuchi You’ll get a panoramic view of the entire city on the 60th floor of the tower, where you’ll find an observation deck open from 9am to 5pm every weekday.

  1. The Houston Zoo

Flickr/jan buchholtz It’s simply not summer without a trip to one of the country’s largest zoos. They even give free passes on the first Tuesday of the month!

  1. Visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple

Flickr/thomashawk It’s in Stafford, which is just outside of Houston, but the drive is absolutely worth it to see an essential replica of the Taj Mahal.

  1. See bats underneath the Waugh Drive Bridge

Flickr/Patrick Feller Who said Congress Avenue was the only place to see bats? Houston has a colony of its own (250,000, to be exact) underneath that come out at dusk.

  1. Enjoy a day at Discovery Green

Flickr/Jerald Jackson This is more than just a park. It’s an experience that can take up an entire day if you let it. There are restaurants, interesting sculptures and other oddities to look at, and plenty of lawn to run around and play on - whether you’re five or fifty.

  1. Try some new fruits and veggies at Camino Market

Flickr/Patrick Feller This family-owned market has been open since 1958 offering samples of interesting Hispanic produce and hosting demos on the second Saturday of every month from 10am to noon.

With so many great things to do and places to see in Houston you could do something new every weekend for…well, ever. Have you ever been to any of these awesome places in Houston?

Flickr/eschipul

This isn’t just another stroll in the neighborhood park - it’s an unforgettable experience. Standing in the enclosure with the sound of water rushing all around you is a feeling unlike any other.

downtownhouston.org

There’s an awesome secret hiding underneath the Houston streets that office workers have been enjoying for years. Even if you don’t work downtown, you should still experience the plethora of restaurants and shops in the tunnels. Taking your normal activities underground is definitely an awesome way to change things up if you’re getting bored!

Flickr/sarath_kuchi

You’ll get a panoramic view of the entire city on the 60th floor of the tower, where you’ll find an observation deck open from 9am to 5pm every weekday.

Flickr/jan buchholtz

It’s simply not summer without a trip to one of the country’s largest zoos. They even give free passes on the first Tuesday of the month!

Flickr/thomashawk

It’s in Stafford, which is just outside of Houston, but the drive is absolutely worth it to see an essential replica of the Taj Mahal.

Flickr/Patrick Feller

Who said Congress Avenue was the only place to see bats? Houston has a colony of its own (250,000, to be exact) underneath that come out at dusk.

Flickr/Jerald Jackson

This is more than just a park. It’s an experience that can take up an entire day if you let it. There are restaurants, interesting sculptures and other oddities to look at, and plenty of lawn to run around and play on - whether you’re five or fifty.

This family-owned market has been open since 1958 offering samples of interesting Hispanic produce and hosting demos on the second Saturday of every month from 10am to noon.

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