FAMILIES THINGS TO DO

Inside this guide, you’ll see our best shopping guides, lists, essays and features that bring you the best of what the area and KPRC 2 has to offer for this season.

A Cypress man has transformed his home into a dazzling, choreographed light display celebrating all-things spooky. There are strobe lights, multiple songs and oodles of Halloween cheer. The wholesome, family-friendly spectacle is perfect for kids and kids at heart. It’s the sort of heartwarming thing that makes you truly excited to celebrate Halloween

Float through the lazy river lights at the <a href="https://marriottmarquishouston.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=3" target="_blank"><b>Marriott Marquis Houston</b></a> in Downtown Houston!

Cinephiles, take your love of movies outdoors with a trip to one of the Space City’s coolest theaters: Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown. The popular open-air, rooftop venue reopened in September after closing in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Come October, the venue will screen several spooky favorites, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and The Addams Family.

Located in the bustling Hong Kong City Mall, Bakery Ngoc Lan serves steamed buns as adorable as they are delectable.

Electric trolleys first made their debut in Galveston back in 1891 and remained in service until 1938. Fifty years later in 1988, a heritage streetcar system, the Galveston Island Trolley, was opened and continued to operate downtown until September 13, 2008, when Hurricane Ike severely damaged all four of the vintage trolley cars.

“Dia de Los Muertos” or “Day of the Dead” will be the highlight this fall at Discovery Green.

As many Texans know, the summer’s heat tends to linger for a while. So for those who are looking for a place to cool off, there’s a waterpark in Waco, Texas that features an 80-foot waterslide and the world’s longest lazy river.

The Houston Zoo recently welcomed an otterly adorable new inhabitant -- <a href="https://www.houstonzoo.org/blog/new-resident-makes-a-splash/" target="_blank">Athena</a>, a two-year-old Asian small-clawed otter.

Battleship Texas, a beloved Lone Star State landmark, will once again welcome visitors aboard -- well, temporarily at least.

Can you dig it? At Katy’s new amusement park Dig World, the answer is an emphatic “Yes, yes, you can” -- well, almost at least.

The annual AIA Sandcastle Competition will liven up some sunset strolls along the beach this weekend.

Cinephiles, take your love of movies outdoors with a trip to one of the Space City’s coolest theaters: Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown. The popular open-air, rooftop venue will reopen Wednesday after closing in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Houston Zoo recently welcomed it’s newest bundle of joy -- an adorable, no name lemur.

The ringed planet Saturn, already one of the solar system’s most dazzling sights, will shine bigger and brighter this month. On Monday, August 2, at around 1 a.m. the planet will reach alignment with the Earth and the sun in an event known as “opposition.” During this event, the sixth planet will reach its closest point to Earth and wil shine at its absolute brightest.

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department will unveil the newly renovated Zurrie Malone Park on Saturday.

Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park will offer Houston-area residents 10 free performances during August. The lineup includes a slew of Shakespeare films and musical performances.

The Houston Zoo is named among the top Zoos in the United States.

Reeling in the catch of a lifetime at one of the island’s countless fishing spots, sipping a mojito while dining al fresco at the island’s oldest operating restaurant, grabbing a lot of beads at Mardi Gras! Galveston . . . and a bunch of other Galveston-centric things.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s pontoon tour boat, Spirit of the Bayou, offers one-of-a-kind rides through Buffalo Bayou.

Dinosaurs will walk the Earth once again. Well, sort of. On view Aug. 13 through Aug. 15, Jurassic Quest’s prehistoric spectacle will transform the NRG Center into an interactive experience.

Modern life comes with its conveniences but it’s also got its fair share of stress. Chances are your phone’s constantly buzzing with breaking news, work emails, traffic alerts and the like. And even if you’ve only occasionally peeked at your phone, the stress of so many alerts and updates may have left you feeling a bit burnt out. An escape from the hubbub of city living could probably do you some good.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine is holding its annual <a href="https://tpwmagazine.com/gosh2021/">Great Outdoor Scavenger Hunt</a> (GOSH) this summer.

Like one wildly popular Texas tune goes, “the stars at night are big and bright and the prairie sky is wide and high, deep in the heart of Texas.”

The spring-fed swimming pool and day use area at Balmorhea State Park will reopen to the public on June 26, the Texas Park and Wildlife Department <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20210614a" target="_blank">announced</a>. The beloved West Texas swimming hole, the world’s largest spring-fed pool, has been <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20180510a">closed</a> for the better part of three years.

Modern live comes with its conveniences but it’s also got its fair share of stress. Chances are your phone’s constantly buzzing with breaking news, work emails, traffic alerts and the like. And even if you’ve only occasionally peeked at your phone, the stress of so many alerts and updates may have left you feeling a bit burnt out. An escape from the hubbub of city living could probably do you some good.

Waxahachie residents Sandra and Charles McKee tooke their mutual love for the popular 60′s sitcom show “The Munsters” to an entirely different level. The pair built a life-size replica of the The Munster home, painstakingly recreating the fictional abode room by room by watching and re-watching footage from the show.

From Santa Claus figurines to toilet seats, unusual sights abound at these quirky Texas museums.

Like one wildly popular Texas tune goes, the stars at night are big and bright and the prairie sky is wide and high, deep in the heart of Texas.  But in Houston and the state’s other big cities? Not so much. Ironically, here in Space city, the solar system’s superior celestial sights elude us and Texas’s famous stars at night remain hidden behind some serious light pollution. Those who want to glimpse a meteor as it streaks across the night sky, gaze in wonder at the Milky Way, pick out a distant planet amid a twinkling sea of stars or simply trace a few familiar constellations, will have to motor a good ways away from as many bright city lights as possible. Basically, you need to find a locale with a low Bortle Scale. What is the Bortle Scale, you ask?

<i>This article first appeared on </i><a href="http://jillbjarvis.com/"><i>jillbjarvis.com</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://www.jillbjarvis.com/surfside-beach-an-alternative-to-galveston-beach-days/" target=_blank><i>Click here</i></a><i> to view the article in its original format.</i>

This month, a popular cartoon cat is rolling into town to offer fans and foodies delectable desserts and exclusive merchandise celebrating all-things Hello Kitty.

<i>This article first appeared on </i><a href="http://jillbjarvis.com/"><i>jillbjarvis.com</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://www.jillbjarvis.com/a-quick-guide-to-galveston-island-beaches-with-chevrolet-and-how-we-take-4-kids-without-going-crazy/" target=_blank><i>Click here</i></a><i> to view the article in its original format.</i>

Need summer plans for your kids? The Children’s Museum Houston is ready to welcome back families this June.

The nation’s second-largest canyon, Palo Duro remains almost completely hidden until you reach its rim, where the high plains of the Texas Panhandle drop away, revealing dramatic, caprock formations.

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Want to breathe in the fresh air, stretch your legs, and rejuvenate in the natural world sans a chaotic crowd? Skip some of the state’s more <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20210226b">popular parks</a> like Enchanted Rock and Pedernales Falls and opt for a less popular alternative.

These places get it right - from milkshakes to ice cream sandwiches to churros, there's something sinfully sweet at each spot that will make your kiddo's jaw drop and fulfill their...

First opened in the fall of 1989, the George Observatory has been closed since 2019. “We are so excited to welcome visitors back to the newly-remodeled George Observatory. While most are in remote areas, the George Observatory is uniquely placed within Brazos Bend State Park. The George Observatory will open to the public every Saturday at 3 p.m. The Gorge Observatory is located inside Brazos Bend State Park at 21901 FM 762 Rd.

Do you want to escape the hubbub of the city, maybe grab some fresh air and commune with nature but don’t have enough energy (or vacation days) to trek out to the middle of nowhere? Take a day trip or weekend getaway to one of the many Texas state parks in and around the Houston area.

Need a family night out and a semblance of normalcy in a period of social distancing? Screen on the Green, one of downtown Houston’s annual attractions is returning to Discovery Green just in time for Spring. Attendees will be given their own space on the lawn to ensure social distancing and are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Discovery Green is located at 1500 McKinney St. in downtown Houston. Visit our Things To Do page.

Discovery Green’s outdoor roller rink will open on Friday, March 5 and operate through Sunday, April 11. The roller rink capacity has been restricted to 50 percent capacity to allow for social distancing. Roller rink staff procedures have been revised to allow for social distancing and monitoring. PricesAdmission is $12 per person on every day but Monday (a.k.a Cheap Skate Mondays) when admission is $8 per person. AdThe roller rink is located in Discovery Green at 1500 McKinney St. in downtown Houston.

Nestled on 10 acres about eight miles outside the tiny Texas town of Round Top, the cottages are built in and around converted, vintage silos. With interiors that look like they’re pulled straight out of a Chip and Jo fixer upper, the three one-bedroom structures are the stuff of country living dreams. “My husband and I had a wonderful time during our stay at the silos,” wrote Renee, who stayed in August 2019. We would stay again!”On Vrbo, Joy boasts the title “Premier Host,” a designation reserved for rental hosts considered a cut above the rest. Why blab on and on about these one-of-a-kind accommodations when we can let these photos talk the talk for us?

At Houston’s Downtown Aquarium restaurant, you can dine and drink underwater -- no scuba gear requiredBuilt from the shell of an abandoned downtown fire station, the Downtown Aquarium’s restaurant complex consists of the 400-seat Aquarium Restaurant and The Dive bar and lounge on the second level, banquet facilities on the third floor and a 15,000-square-foot aquarium on the ground level. Houston's Downtown Aquarium Restaurant (Landry's)In the Houston Aquarium restaurant itself, enjoy an intimate dining experience unlike any other. The restaurant offers a varied selection including seafood specialties, steak, chicken, salad, pasta dishes and desserts. Located on the third floor of the Downtown Aquarium, the Nautilus Ballroom offers ample space for a socially-distanced meeting or small get-together. The aquarium restaurant in Houston is one of several such underwater adventure restaurants -- others are located in Kemah, TX, Nashville, TN and Denver, CO.Houston's Downtown Aquarium Restaurant (Landry's)Houston’s Downtown Aquarium is located at 410 Bagby St.

Enjoy a blast from the past well-suited for present circumstances -- the old-fashioned drive-in theater -- at Rooftop Cinema Club’s newest Houston location. The new drive-in movie theater officially dubbed the The Drive-In off Navigation is located at 2300 Runnels St. in Houston’s East Downtown Management District, commonly referred to as EaDo. During the event, the venue will unveil the largest drive-in screen in the city at 64 feet, according to a press release. The Drive-In off Navigation will open with Jurassic Park at 7:30 pm, followed by Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy at 10:30 pm. The Drive-In off Navigation replaces Space City Shows, a pop-up drive-in movie experience opened in September.

Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park in downtown Houston, welcomes skaters to its ice rink until Jan. 31. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands transforms into an ice rink through Jan. 18. Brazos Bend State Park has a variety of wildflowers: ten petal anemone, Texas frogfruit, coreopsis, Mexican hat, plains wild indigo, wine cup, and showy primrose. East Texas’ state parks at Daingerfield, Atlanta, and Caddo Lake are filled with red maple, sugar maple, and sweetgum trees that generally show their colors in late October. Resaca de la Palma State Park and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park are great places to observe the golden yellow fall color of cedar elm and sugarberry, and the orange-red color of anacua.

New York City-based Van Leeuwen Ice Cream will open its first Texas shop in Houston’s Rice Village next year. The cult-favorite ice cream brand will open its doors at 2565 Amherst St, in Rice Village, sometime in spring 2021. Van Leeuwen offers over 30 dairy and vegan ice cream flavors “made with only quality ingredients using only simple recipes,” according to a release. The Rice Village location is set to open with a new flavor created to celebrate Van Leeuwen’s expansion to Texas. With its established ties, walkability, and bustling community, we knew Rice Village was perfect for our first venture into the Lone Star state,” said CEO and co-founder, Ben Van Leeuwen.

Houston-area art fans and UFO enthusiasts, are you ready for a close encounter of the art kind? A new, interactive museum will soon touch down in Space City. The “technology-fueled experiential” art museum dubbed Seismique will pack its 40 exhibit rooms with extraterrestrials, artificial intelligence, immersive art, and dazzling light displays meant to inspire a sense of wonder, according to a release. The concept is the brainchild of Steve Kopelman, principal and COO of Escape the Room — the largest escape room company in the United States. The space will display works by over two dozen established and emerging artists -- many of whom are based in Texas.

One of the city’s newest holiday attractions will host a free, sensory-friendly day for children with autism and other sensory or cognitive issues. On December 17, from 11:30am to 2:30pm, Hou-Ville will welcome 100 children with sensory or cognitive issues , accompanied by a parent, to enjoy the whimsical H-Town Holiday City free of charge. “Families with special needs children often face a different set of challenges when it comes to exploring public exhibits and holiday events,” said Sherrie Handrinos, the co-owner of Hou-ville. “Kids have been having a ball exploring the life-sized sets, taking photos and playing the faux snow at Hou-Ville. We wanted to offer the same unique experience to children with special needs, free of charge, in a comfortable, welcoming setting and we are so grateful to BioTek reMEDys for helping us make it happen!”The Hou-Ville Free Sensory Day is open to any autistic or special needs child and an accompanying parent or guardian.

The year 2020 has been far from ordinary, so why not do something equally unexpected this holiday season? New destinations and novel attractions offer ways to break from tradition and try something different. Open Dec. 4-20, the show features more than 70 life-size animatronic dinosaurs roaming the parking lot of Katy Mills Mall. If you enjoy light shows but have had enough Christmas lights, head to Bee Cave just west of Austin for the inaugural Bee Cave Buzzfest, a free light spectacular presented by the Bee Cave Arts Foundation at Hill Country Galleria. The show runs Dec. 17-19 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and unlike typical holiday light shows, this one takes its inspiration from the glowing creatures of the deep sea.

Enjoy a blast from the past well-suited for present circumstances -- the old-fashioned drive-in theater -- at Rooftop Cinema Club’s new Houston location. As its name implies, the new drive-in movie theater is located in Houston’s East Downtown Management District, commonly referred to as EaDo. “We look forward to bringing more Love, Peace & Great Film to Houstonians in this much-needed time.”The Drive-In at EaDo replaces Space City Shows, a pop-up drive-in movie experience opened in September. “Rooftop Cinema Club shares a similar passion and purpose for outdoor cinema coupled with a unique experience, and as I work on my next venture, I’m excited to see where they take it.”During December, as Rooftop Cinema Club transitions into its new space, moviegoers will benefit from “soft launch” pricing. Community Screenings at the EaDo drive-in location will take place each Sunday during the second .

If you answered yes to any of these questions, weve found you the perfect weekend getaway. The Barndominium, a horse barn turned 5-bedroom home featured on the couples HGTV hit show, Fixer Upper, is up for grabs on Airbnb. Binge your favorite HGTV show while you live it up at this Insta-worthy Airbnb sitting on 16 acres in Lacy Lakeview, Texas. (Cue drum roll)Scroll below for a virtual tour through this fixer upper turned Airbnb. Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)Barndominium (Airbnb)

Typhoon Texas is getting ready to welcome back visitors on Friday, May 29. The waterpark will operate by reservation-only to ensure crowds are within capacity limits established by Gov. Typhoon Texas has created a simple online reservation system that allows guests to choose their date, arrival time and size of their party in advance. Typhoon Texas has also introduced a simplified ticketing where guests can purchase a day ticket for $44.99 per person and get the rest of the summer free with unlimited visits to the park, reservation required. All high touchpoints throughout the park will also be sanitized and disinfected and restrooms will be closed hourly for cleaning and disinfecting.

But some Houston-area summer camps have already announced they will move their programming online. We will update this list as more virtual summer programs and virtual educational experiences are announced. In lieu of its usual summer camp programming, the zoo is now offering a free virtual camp experience on its website, which includes education videos and activities. For more information, visit www.shac.org, email isd@shac.org or call (713) 659-8111The Houston Public Library has transitioned its summer camp programming into an online interactive camp. The creative writing camp is shifting its programming online this summer.

While some museums are already back in business, others are still evaluating when to open their doors. Here is a list of Houston-area museums open now, those with plans to open soon and those that remain closed until further notice. These museums are open or will open soon:The Art Car Museum reopened and resumed normal hours on May 6. For more information, visit www.thehealthmuseum.org/; 1515 Hermann Dr., (713) 521-1515The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston remains closed to the public. We are aware of the inclusion of museums in the states phase one plan to re-open, museum staff wrote in a Facebook post.