Children's Museum of Houston

West University

view website

1500 Binz
Houston, 77004
713-522-1138

You have successfully saved this Thing To Do.

See it in My Wishlist

Rate Children's Museum of Houston:

Babies

Toddlers & Pre-K

School-Age Kids

Pre-Teens & Teens

Children's Museum of Houston Description

It's not hard to see why local parents flock to this institution -- the roster of exhibits reads like a wish list of children's museum wares, with two floors of the brightest, splashiest stuff, including a beautifully designed Mexican village that looks like it's directly out of a storybook, a lovely outdoor cottage for eco-activities like identifying animals via poop (ewww), and an economy-teaching grocery store where kids get a "credit card" and a shopping list -- and a "job" if they overspend on goodies. Each exhibit is more fascinating than the last.

Kid Tips

Babies: Sensory stimuli abound here, particularly for crawlers in the Tot Spot. Cordoned off expressly for the under-two set, it's also a nice spot for mom and dad to catch their breath. Even better: Everyone wears sterile shoe covers to keep the place clean.

Toddlers & Pre-K: Kids love, love, love the Paint Your Own Faces in the main hallway, where kids are free to apply their own facial decor (it washes off easily). It's an attraction you'll either want to run to or from, depending on how comfortable you are with creatively decorated kissers. Hint: For those who'd like to avoid it, it's at the far end of the hallway.

School-Age Kids: How Does It Work includes the Phone Zone, with pay-style picture phones kids can use to talk to other people in the exhibit room. They probably have phones in their pockets they can use just easily, but this is more fun.

Planning Notes

CityPass. The museum is one of the attractions included as an option for Houston's multi-day admission ticket.

Get in free. Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. are free family nights. The trade-off: It's crowded.

Kid-friendly eats. The cafeteria has all the kid-loving staples plus food that will appeal to mom and dad. It's so quaint, you could mistake it for one of the exhibits.

Related Vacations