All children will love a visit to Houston Space Center. There, they can tour Mission Control or see a show about what it's like to be in space. At this show, an officer shows kids what it's like to live in space using humor to show how simple things such as eating are much more complicated in space. At the Starship Gallery, a film gets the exhibit started. Afterward, see a variety of artifacts displayed that trace the history of space exploration including the Gemini V spacecraft and the Skylab Trainer.
At the Downtown Aquarium, children can explore a sunken temple that includes lionfish, scorpions and tarantulas in a lost Mayan civilization. Children can also explore a rainforest and see the birds and water creatures that inhabit it. Shark Voyage will also thrill children as they ride a train and view all types of sharks.
Visit the Houston Museum of Natural Science and catch the many exhibits on display, ranging from dinosaurs to space travel. The Challenger Center lets children turn into scientists and explore a simulated space mission. Learn about sharks or mummies in the IMAX theater. The museum also operates the George Observatory, located in Brazos Bend State Park. There are three domed telescopes at the observatory, including the 36-inch Gueymard Research Telescope.
At Moody Gardens, visit the Aquarium Pyramid to view sharks, penguins and tropical fish. Explore the Discovery Museum or watch movies on the IMAX screen. Ride on the Colonel Paddlewheel Boat or play on beaches and in the lagoon at Palm Beach.
Head to Splashtown and try out the Texas Freefall, which will take visitors on five stories of free falling. Also at the waterpark, ride the Big Spin, which takes riders on a spin around and down a funnel-shaped slide. The Zoom Flumes lets two buddies tandem tube slide. The Wild Wave Pool is more than half a million gallons of water letting everyone ride the waves.
Head to Minute Maid Park for a ballgame if you visit in the spring or summer. The Astros baseball team plays at this park. If it's fall, the Texans football team plays at Reliant Park.
