Road Trip Edition: Southwest Houston with Kids

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear “Houston”? Is it NASA and its space shuttles? Or a sprawling cityscape with interstates weaving throughout? The beach in Galveston? The ever-expanding zoo? The medical center?

There’s no doubt that the city of Houston is full of hustle and bustle with endless sights to see and major tourist attractions. Most of the attractions cost a pretty penny or require competing with a crowd, especially during weekends, holidays, and the summer break.

I just took my nephew and youngest son to the Houston Zoo this week (in July) because we snagged free tickets, but it seemed that the number of people at the zoo at 4 pm on a blistering summer Tuesday was greater than the entire population of our hometown of Dripping Springs! The same was true when I took the kids to the Museum of Natural Science last summer.

While these attractions can be a lot of fun for the kids and are worth visiting at least once, I prefer exploring the less-busy and always-free playgrounds and parks that are abundant inside the loop in Houston.

Despite its size and reputation, Houston actually has a lot of green space and unique parks that can even entertain the kids who claim they’re too old for them. You could easily fill several days with parks and never get bored.

Here is a list of our favorite parks in no particular order, as well as our top choice for a nearby restaurant to visit before or after playtime:

1. Levy Park

📍3801 Eastside St, Houston, TX 77098

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

Gazpachos Mexican Bites (on-site!)

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2. Evelyn’s Park

📍4400 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, TX 77401

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

The Buffalo Grille or Betsy’s (on-site!)

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3. Discovery Green

📍1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77010

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

The Grove (on site!)

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4. Hermann Park

📍6001 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

Hungry’s Rice Village

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5. Loftin Park and Aquatic Complex*

*swim for a fee

📍7008 S. Rice, Bellaire, TX 77401

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

The ‘401

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6. Memorial Park and Arboretum

📍6501 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77007

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

Black Walnut Cafe

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7. Donavan Park

📍700 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

Local Foods – The Heights

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8. Hedwig Park

Fave Restaurant Nearby:

Ciro’s

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We hope this list can be a guide for your next trip to the southwest side/inner loop of Houston, especially if you’re looking to balance out the cost of tourist attractions often visited in the big city. With over 43,000 acres of green space and 382 parks, visitors can enjoy the slower and natural aspects of Houston while still having a ton of fun.