While Houston is slowly reopening, your entertainment choices are limited, but there’s still plenty you can do to get out of the house and have fun. From escape rooms to zoo trips, here are nine amazing things you can in Houston this weekend:
Grab a Bite To Eat Outdoors
While indoor dining is limited due to occupancy restrictions, there are restaurants offering some spectacular open-air patio dining, perfect for social distancing. B.B. Lemon and B.B. Italia have comfortable patios and even cabanas for dining outside. The Hobbit Cafe‘s charming outdoor patio offers live music on their patio. Backstreet Cafe has had patio dining for years, so don’t miss their amazing brunch offering.
Go Green
While active programming is on hold, Discovery Green park is open to visitors. The Lake House and The Grove are open to provide food for a picnic or a sit-down meal on the patio. Or, explore the latest pop-up art exhibit, “House of Cards”.
Beat an Escape Room
Ready for the fastest 60 minutes of your life? Escape the Room has two locations in Midtown Houston and The Woodlands, each with a variety of themed escape rooms for you to try. And with new coronavirus safety protocols in place, it’s the best and safest entertainment experience anywhere.
Go Back in Time
The Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest of its kind in the country, will be open October 3rd through November 29th, though you’ll need to buy tickets in advance online. With 55 acres of land just north of Houston, 200 acres of camping, 400 shops, and 21 stages, there’s plenty of fun things to do and still remain socially distant from others.
See a Drive-In Movie
Rooftop Cinema Club’s Drive-In at Sawyer Yards offers the classic drive-in movie experience while remaining contactless. Concessions are available from food trucks and local breweries, or bring your own.
Take a Hike (or a Ride)
Buffalo Bayou Park is one of Houston’s most celebrated green spaces. The 160 acre park isn’t fully open, but there are plenty of spaces available to hike and bike and enjoy. On the weekends, you can rent bikes, kayaks, and canoes from local outfitters.
Bats!
In case you didn’t know, Houston has a large bat population. Unlike the bat colony in Austin, the bats under Waugh Drive Bridge do not migrate south for the winter. You can watch the bats from a special observation deck in Buffalo Bayou park, absolutely free.
Visit the Zoo
The Houston Zoo is open! You’ll need to make a reservation online, though in-person animal encounters and behind the scenes tours are currently unavailable. However, all the animal exhibits are open for you to enjoy.
Explore Science and Nature
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is open, but operating at 25% capacity to allow for social distancing. While the Giant Screen Theatre and the hands-on exhibition components are closed, all 16 permanent exhibitions are available for one ticket price.
