July 10, 2015 FREE…read moreday at Houston museums so today was this one. we also watched a short film that was told by 4 survivors; horrific and powerful.

Got charged 12 times on my card till the bank finally locked my card down!…read more We came in on Sunday to buy 2 adult tickets ( $44 ) to the museum. At the ticket counter the staff member asked if we bought our tickets online already and when I said "No, but can we just buy them here from you now? " We were told by the staff member at the ticket counter "No, but you can just help yourselves by using the iPad on the counter to buy them." As I tried to purchase my 2 tickets on their iPad, I informed them that something wasn't right. That each time when I tried to complete the purchase & hit the "Confirm & Pay" button it wouldn't proceed to the next screen to give me the QR code for the 2 tickets. I received Zero assistance from them and they just sat there doing nothing. Finally my card got locked down by my bank, it turns out I was charged 12 times! The staff member (Angela - who claimed to be the manager) wouldn't even document for me that I was only buying 2 tickets for the two of us so as to help me fight this with my bank later on Monday. Needless to say, I Will Not be coming back to this museum, regardless of how it goes with my bank. What a waste of time here when there are so many other great museums in Houston to go to!

The Museum of Illusions is located at the Galleria mall in Houston. Cost for the museum is $27 and…read moreon average it should take one from 1 to 1.5 hours to fully enjoy the experience. Tickets are timed so that the experience is not crowded. The museum is a fun and interactive experience. It consists of holograms and optical illusions. A vortex tunnel that you have to walk to that definitely made me lose my balance. Brain teasers, infinity rooms, trick photography and other cool ways to challenge one's perception could be found throughout the museum. Overall, the museum isn't very big, but it's definitely entertaining and a unique way to spend the afternoon, especially on a rainy day. I definitely enjoyed the experience.

I took three kids ages (3,7,11) for a first time impromptu visit. I liked how there were later…read morehours compared to traditional museum hours. It is located in The Galleria, 1st floor near Gap. It is little hidden but it didn't take long to find it after lookin at the directory. We didn't book tickets ahead of time but it was easy to scan the QR code and purchase them on the spot. Age 4 & under are free. It is a self paced museum and there are several staff throughout which help you with various installations & how to position for the best photo op. They even have stools for the little ones. The exhibit is fun for all ages which is nice when you have kids at various ages & definitely enjoyable for adults! Our favorite were astronaut picture mirror illusion, spinning tunnel & life size 3D pin art impression wall. There are a lot of fun photo ops in an upside space shuttle room and when you flip the picture upside, it creates a cool effect. There are a lot of cool things we also picked up in the gift shop at the end. I highly recommend this museum for families! My kids were already wanting to go back as we were leaving!

The Cockrell butterfly center is a part of the Houston museum of natural science, but requires…read moreseparate admission tickets ($15 per person). We bought tickets in advance as it is timed entry to control traffic flow within the exhibit and conservatory, which I think really improves the experience. I recommend going earlier in the day to avoid crowds. Tickets include admission to the Hall of Entomology / a kid friendly exhibit. My kids really enjoyed the interactive elements of this area and learned a lot about insects. They were even able to touch and feel a millipede. But the main attraction is the Rainforest Conservatory, a 3 story glass enclosure which feels like a tropical rainforest. There are several species and thousands of butterflies in this stunning space. My kids enjoyed spotting and identifying them. They also enjoyed seeing a green python, which was a cool bonus. We had an amazing time here and highly recommend it as a family friendly activity for all ages.

Very cool place. Very well designed and obviously lots of butterflies. Having grown up in South…read moreFlorida with a place called butterfly world, this was still noticeably better. I cannot say enough about how cool it was for what it is. It's exhibits about bugs and then a ton of moths and butterflies. My only hesitation is that that is all that is. The museum it's attached to is odd in that so many things are add on tickets. They should just charge more and combine it all and then it would Be five stars...it just ended up being a very expensive day as we added things on.

I don't understand why google states this is the best planetarium in Texas. I don't mind the size…read moreor seats it's great in that sense but the graphics/visuals are horrid, you can see better quality at home on a bad TV. The museum overall is meh but the butterfly exhibit is cool.

I normally don't leave reviews for something unless the experience was really good or really bad…read more My family saw Starry Night Express on Saturday August 9, 2025 (3 tickets x $12 for a total of $36). I was hoping to see a presentation about Astronomy, but it was 90% about Astrology. Almost all the time was spent telling historical mythological stories about the different "constellations", not about the science of the planets, stars, galaxies, or nebulae, or even something simple like why we have seasons on Earth. This scientific teaching tool, in the form of the planetarium, was totally wasted by the museum. At least the presenter had a general script they were working from and they knew how to operate the equipment, but the content was very poor. One would think going to a science museum would expose them to science in every part of the building, but this fell flat on its face. I would recommend that people save their money and skip this!

I tried to visit lucky land last weekend and was disappointed to find that it's still temporary…read moreclosed. The parking lot was open to the flea market, but Lucky Land itself wasn't accessible. It was a bit nostalgic driving up, because I visited 12 years ago and remembered how fun it was. The displays and atmosphere really made me feel like i had stepped into China for a moment. I really hope they reopen soon.

A hidden gem. The place isn't too big, buts it adorable. Hopefully they can expand it in the…read morefuture. Tickets are $10

This is sort of an open public art space where they have events from now and then and it's…read moregenerally made to look nice. I was there for their opening and along with hundreds of other people a few months before that helped paint a few of the strips of wood that went on the Trumpet Flower sculpture so there is really a sense of community about it. Having said that, I was a bit disappointed when I went there recently because while I was there, I kept getting approached by panhandlers asking for money or yelling at each other which kind of makes the area not feel that nice. I mean this is downtown in a major city so like every city it's expected but given that not that it's not that busy of an area, it kind of feels isolated so just be aware of your surroundings and especially watch out for the trains.

Interesting and nice walk. Not a lot of art works but there are some pretty interesting things to…read moresee. Best part is that it's free entertainment

Nothing over the top but a good way to spend 30-45 minutes learning about the HPDs history. Some…read morecool artifacts and pieces displayed.

The Houston Police Museum is a quick, informative visit in the downtown Houston area…read more The museum is free of charge and is only located on the first floor of the building. There is a good amount of street parking and parking lots. Since this visit can be concluded fairly quickly, I would recommend looking at other potential experiences nearby such as Discovery Green, which the kids would also enjoy.

If in the Houston area, don't miss this small but focused museum on the contributions made by the…read moreblack soldiers through American history. Easily viewed in an hour, start with the introductory film in the room under the Buffalo head.

"If you know your history Then you would know where you…read morecoming from" -Bob Marley (Buffalo Soldier) Great, tiny museum jam-packed with American history! I love it when knowledge acquisition is short, sweet, and to the point. It took us about 45 minutes to get what we needed and feel like we learned a few things on a fine Saturday afternoon. It was $10 well spent to appreciate the contributions of black soldiers to the United States Army from 1866 on! Salute!