Just because we’re all staying apart, doesn’t mean there aren’t fun things to do around the city. Our Summer has mostly consisted of bike rides, books and board games. BUT I’ve been researching something fun to do before school restarts (whatever that might look like) and found some great hidden gems around houston!
Best Things to Do in Houston While Social Distancing
Go to the Drive-In: We have a rooftop cinema in Houston that I’ve been dying to go to. In fact, it was on my bucket list for this Spring before everything got turned on it’s head. Since the rooftop cinema can’t safely happen right now they opened two drive-in theaters. One at Sawyer Yards and one at SplashTown. So you can find the one closest to you. They play kids movies earlier in the night and even play date night films later at night. And, there’s been lots and lots of Jurassic Park. Check out their movie schedule here.
Safety Precautions: These have fluctuated a bit lately and they seem to be staying on top of the latest safety announcements from our county. Masks are required if you exit your vehicle for the bathroom or concessions. You can order food and drink and use contactless pickup, which is a nice feature. Currently, you must watch the movie inside or on your vehicle, but previously they’ve allowed people to bring lawn chairs, so be sure to check the latest guidelines before you go.
Go on a Street Art Tour: Houston has so many amazing street murals, and they’re great spots to take photos outdoors. Hop on Instagram and use the hashtag #HoustonStreetArt to find the latest installations and go on a tour around the city taking fun photos at each spot.
Tip: Start at 1513 St Emanuel Street. There, you’ll find the famous zipper wall, and a whole block of epic murals all around. You can have an entire photo shoot on this block alone, and several of the murals change out regularly, so you can always find something new along with the long-term favorites like the zipper! Some of my favotie family photos have been taken at St. Emanuel Street!
Safety Precautions: There are no official rules for the street art around Houston, and the number of people at each location may vary. If you go on a weekday, you’re likely to be the only people around so you could snap some photos without interacting with any one else.
On weekends the spots can be a little bit busier, so you use your best judgement about if this is the right activity for you.
Find the Lock Bridge: Houston may not be Paris, but we do have our very own lock bridge! This bridge is near the Buffalo Bayou trails and is a fun spot to check off your Houston bucketlist! You’ll find the bridge at 500 Allen Street.
Safety Precautions: This is a public space and the foot bridge is not very wide, so you’ll want to check that the bridge isn’t already occupied with people before climbing up the stairs to see the locks for yourself, or leave your own.
Hike the Bayou: Buffalo Bayou Park has long been one of our favorite Houston stops, and it’s still a great socially distant Houston activity! Be sure to note that a few of the popular spots along the Bayou such as the visitor center, and skate parks are closed. The Cistern tour closed for most of the Summer but is set to reopen August 1st.
Even with the stops closed, it’s still fun to walk or bike the bayou, and it’s a large enough space that you should be able to stay pretty distant from most other people.
Levy Park: My kids dubbed this park “the ultimate park” years ago, and it’s still a must-see in Houston. However, most of the fun things about the park are not socially distant and so they’re closed. Levy Park usually hosts a lot of fun activities throughout the Summer and they’ve made a schedule of “at home” crafts and things for kids to do, while tuning in on their YouTube channel.
They’re also starting to bring back select programs in the park, so be sure to check their event calendar to see the latest and check the safety measures they have in place for each activity.
The Water Wall: Another outdoor Houston activity! Visit the Gerald D. Hines Water Wall park. Snap some photos, and just stand and enjoy the gorgeous waterfall! It’s a must-see on your socially distant tour of Houston!
Safety Precautions: This is another great outdoor spot, so simply find some street parking, or use the Galleria parking garage one block over and walk over.
Grab a Donut: While you’re exploring Houston, don’t forget to grab a coffee and donuts from Morningstar. This is our favorite local coffee shop. Every weekend they serve and fun and creative donut which is always fun to check out. Grab yourself a few donuts, and some great coffee and enjoy them in the car or at one of the fun spots mentioned above.
Have you found any fun socially distant activities in Houston? Let me know!
Hayley Banks says
Oh man, our family misses going out on weekends, but what choice do we have but to be on the safe side, this pandemic is not a joke and definitely something to be taken seriously. The drive in idea sounds perfect, it is a contained space, that you can trust is clean and without any foreign / outside interference. Now, I got to search our city if we have one nearby. Thank you for this!