Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Houston Arboretum is a hidden gem and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s incredibly peaceful and surrounded by beautiful wildflowers and trees in every direction. The trails are well-maintained and great for hiking or a relaxing walk. It’s also very family-friendly — there are tons of activities and nature programs for kids. Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to unwind or an outdoor adventure, this place has something for everyone. Highly recommend visiting! Required No fee or tickets 🎟️ only pay for parking 🅿️ through there QR code also some days are free parking call them for more details.

Great place for walking. The trails are great for walking. Loved enjoying the flowers and trees. Everything was very well kept. Will definitely be back.

This was a great place to take our 3 kids. There are seemingly miles of nicely groomed trails and wood plank paths. We saw a variety of birds, bull frogs, many water snakes, butterflies 🦋 and other wildlife while exploring.

Definitely recommend for people looking for a long walks or a good run ! The trails are fun to walk and explore, you can easily get lost due to the fact that it has many trails. Also has a kids playground and pet friendly environment.

Fantastic gem of ecology and biodiversity in the urban sprawl of Houston. Great things happening here! Awesome trails with excellent native plant viewing.

Would recommend this place for a nice stroll in the early morning. Around 7:15, so you are still early but not waiting in your car for the gate to open. Not much space for too many vehicles until the gates open. Once inside, there are many paths to choose from, a nature center for learning, and a kids area that looks pretty cool. The kids area is like a learning playground. Several sections with active participation, while hanging out in nature. I walked the outer loop and it is a nice longer trail. I did it in about an hour and 45 minutes with side quests along the way.

This place was great. Me and my fiance were in town and looking for something to do before leaving. We found this online. We had an awesome experience. Definitely great to go to for a quick, low cost, fun experience.

This was my favorite experience in a recent trip to Texas. It’s an extremely beautiful arboretum with a variety of biomes: fields, forests, prairies, and more than one picturesque pond. You can wander aimlessly through all of this rehabilitated nature, follow a single trail, or grab a biome map from the visitors center which charts a path along several trails in the same environment. As varied as the trails was the wildlife. Many birds, bugs, lizards, turtles, and the absolutely highlight—armadillos! Although they are nocturnal, they were out in the daytime in the woodlands section. For nature lovers and nature neutrals alike, this is a must see park.

This 155 acre urban park provides an experience like no other in Houston. It's an impressively planned feat by nearly all criteria: Is it beautiful? Yup, especially since I came directly from the eyesore of I-69 back from the Bush airport. The trails take you through flat grass, marshes, ravines, and more. I love the various paths that the planners designed; they scream modern urbanism while only intruding minimally on the natural environment. Is it educational? Check. The McGovern indoor museum lies close to the entrance and displays several live creatures from both aquatic and dry environments (snakes, toads, a bearded dragon... you get the idea). Near one wall, they even have built in microscopes and sample bottles of pond water so that people can view life on a cellular level! In additional, several tables are dedicated to kids learning about conservation and environmentally conscious activities. Is it fun for kids? Oh yeah. The park has a plot dedicated to creative, nature-themed playgrounds such as the spider web, grass climbers, and balancing bridge. I'm jealous. I can't help but think that if this existed in Pearland, maybe I wouldn't have had a triple chin as a toddler. Is it accessible? Yeahhhh kinda... this is the one criterion that somewhat takes away from the experience of a public resource. Admission is free but parking costs $6 (free on Thursdays only). I suppose it encourages carpooling while incentivizing other modes of transportation. Spacious bike lanes/sidewalks surround the perimeter, and bus routes lie within walking distance of the entrance. The beauty of this park compels me to ignore paid parking on a nonprofit nature center. Bring headphones for a more immersive experience. As much as I love this park, it's next to the loud I-610/I-10 interchange which starkly reminds you that you're still in Houston.

My family and I decided to come here after having missed it for few years during their remodeling. My mom's memorial bench is here so we wanted to have lunch and reminisce. The help desk person was unfortunately not helpful. She was on her phone score long, barely made eye contact with me when I asked her for a guide or map of where my mom's bench could be located after the remodeling. She said she didn't know and to call back during normal workday. She then proceeded to ignore me. So rude. We ended up walking around the loop but without the guide would not be able to find my mom's bench that we paid quite a bit of money. Anyway, will be calling this week to get more info. The area is ok, little but unkept since last time we've been here. The bathroom was clean though.

Definitely a great area to take a walk. Can be kind of confusing to find the right trail but there are plenty of maps and signs to find your way around. Will definitely be back !

Love this place . I've been there since I was a little girl . Started of as school trips and now go for a walk or run with my dog. It's pet friendly ! The only thing that you have to pay here is for parking which is in the entrance of the establishment . Other than that they have a gift shop inside and also you can find any drinks and snacks . They have really clean restrooms there just in case. I absolutely love the trails they're long and you'll see a lot of nature around , A lot of wildlife .

A beautiful escape from the city within the city. I enjoyed a short nature walk through the Arboretum. I enjoyed watching the children and seeing all of the beautiful plants and murals along the way. I look forward to returning to as the education center was closed by the time I arrived. I was told there was a butterfly exhibit which is exciting. There were also lots of fall themed activities for folks to enjoy. I cannot believe it was free to visit.

Hidden oasis in the middle of Houston! A friend invited me to go walking with her family out by the galleria. Her description of the place did not do it justice!! There are many trails to walk with great views. We passed butterflies, huge crickets, different types of birds, ponds filled with Lily Pads and turtles, bunnies, armadillos, and I'm sure there are more. I've been back 3 times and recommend to anyone who will listen.

Free Thursday parking are great and my dogs loved the Inner Loop Trail plenty of shade also. Highly recommended!

This is a great place to take a hike or stroll to see wildlife, the beauty of Houston and how they're conserving the area and Houston's water ways. Parking is $5.50 but on Thursdays it's free! There's lots of parking (parallel and lots) and you can either at the meter or scan the conveniently located signs to pay by your phone. Since I had my dog with me, I wasn't able to take a look inside the buildings but it's quite nice to see that they offer events like an Upcoming Tapas event, and they have events for children to learn about nature conservation. I walked a few trails Buttonbrush, Ravine, and some parts of the out trail. There were people birdwatching, families walking the trail, dog walkers. I enjoyed how peaceful it is, how it's not for joggers or bikers, and how clean it is. I want to return to venture on to other trails.

This is a lovely little spot. It's not huge but enough to feel like you're away from the city, surrounded by trees and birds and flowers. A lot of the area is pretty uniform and looks similar. This isn't a bad thing necessarily -- you're surrounded by the tranquility of trees! My favorite area however was the meadow and the meadow pond. It was obviously different from the rest of the space and very peaceful. I'd highly recommend checking it out. +It's free to enter and $5.50 to park. You can pay at the meter but it's super easy if you have the ParkMobile app. +If you've got kids, they have a pretty cool playground area here as well as an educational Nature Center. +It's stroller-friendly. Only portions of the trails are actually paved but that doesn't matter since the dirt terrain was very smooth. +Plenty of benches. -I found some of the trail signage a bit confusing. At some of the crossings, the trail sign only indicated one direction (meaning it was only relevant if you were already on that trail and aware of it). However, there is a map on their website and I recommend using it for back-up. MAP: https://houstonarboretum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Map-Image.png -I really found myself wishing there were tree markers. They did have general informational signs in regard to the flora/fauna of the region but I wanted to know what trees I was looking at. I know it's not a botanic garden but it would have been nice. I think the arboretum really shines as a spot for parents who reside nearby (playground, Nature Center, proximity) but if you're just looking for a spot to get away, I'd recommend the Edith L. Moore Sanctuary. It's just as lovely (if not more), feels even more isolated, and totally free.

Nice place with some shaded trails and a few ponds and a play area and nature camp for kids. $6 for parking

Came here for the first time with my family. Not too bad of walk in the woods. There's a small little Nature Center mainly for kids, but it's still cool to look at because there were spiders, hissing roaches, lizards, etc. The woods were a bit confusing, but it was a beautiful windy day making it a beautiful little stroll in the woods. There were inner and outer trails to include multiple little trails within. You would come upon some beautiful ponds with turtles and frogs. There was a sign for gators, but saw none. It's purely woods, trees, and plants. It's not a botanical garden or anything so don't be upset not seeing any flowers in the area. Parking is a bit tight and cluttered. You have to pay for parking which was about $5.50 for the day. Staff whom I've only encountered while in the Nature Center and gift shop, are friendly.

Huge space to walk, spend time with nature , and your dogs. Lots of trees, different animals, birds, plants, and butterfly greenhouse coming soon. This is NOT a place to let your dog off the leash especially because there are snakes lurking near the water and some bushes. Really pretty scenery ! Wear good walking shoes! Parking is pretty easy.

I visited the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center as a way of eating up sometime before my flight back to New Jersey. After a weekend of professional meetings, this was a good way to unwind for me. The grounds and trails are open from 7am-dusk, seven days a week. There Nature Center building is open from 8am-4pm. Admission is free to both the Nature Center and the 13 trails within the arboretum.. Trail maps are available online. Self-guided habitat hikes have educational stations periodically set-up along the trails. The arboretum and nature center suggest that you stay on the trails for several reasons: 1) posionous copperhead and coral snakes inhabit the area, 2) native plants need to be protected and 3) the terrain can be problematic. Other wildlife abounds in the arboretum and nature center like armadillos, turtles, lizards, birds, butterflies and bees. The Nature Center building has restrooms, a nature shop, classrooms for instruction and a discovery room. Drinks and snacks can be purchased as well. You are welcome to take photos and a leashed dog. There are two entrances to the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center,Woodway and the 610 entrance. Parking is $5.50 per vehicle and payment can be made by credit card, meter or through the Houston Park app. Thursdays offer free parking.

Winter is not the time to visit - bleak and not too green at all. The trails are wonderfully maintained.

Wow what a peaceful place. I try and come here as often as possible it's like a home to me now. There are so many trails that take you on very different adventures and all have their own special features. There are many areas with creeks or ponds that are so beautiful. I usually always try to hit those up on my trip. There are a lot of types of plants and fungi to see and even some critters! Id advise going and catching the sunset if you can and just taking a break from your phone while you're here. I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do!

Just beautiful! * parking fee $5, pay through the app or there's a parking meter by the entrance to parking lot. * come early, it gets HOT quick * we saw a bunch of turtles and i saw a snake * there's no jogging allowed signs everywhere but i saw a bunch of patrons doing the opposite lol. * it's a beautiful trail, wish we had more of this in my hometown. Fell in love with this outdoor space. Will def come back!

When it come to my subjective, completely bias Houston parks ratings, it's important to state the obvious - I am a single, semi active adult without children. Therefore, the perfect park for me does one of 2 things: Remains consistently manicured to aesthetic perfection (completely disregarding the nature aspect of the park itself (ie Menill or McGovern or Levy). OR Completely embraces the "wild" in wilderness, providing a natural and authentic escape in direct contrast to the city. Instead of choosing one, this park attempts to combine both. Honestly, not perfect, but so long as you're ok with the $5 parking, this is a park that's great for walking (not jogging), dog walks, bird watching, kids, goats (apparently), education, graduation & wedding pictures.

H-Town trees! This place is a fun place to get out in nature, take in a hike, a stroll, or just a leisurely walk. There's several paths that take you around to see Houston's natural side. Among the trees and lakes, you'll be sure to see birds, armadillos, and there's supposedly even an alligator in the lake among the water lillies! Be careful with little ones. The nature center HQ has a gift shop, thoughtfully painted nature murals, some displays of things like beetles and butterflies, some snake skins, and other natural artifacts. The bathrooms were clean, and it's safe to let kids run amok in the center, as there were volunteers and park rangers all over the place doing field trips or whatever. There's maps everywhere if you need to find where you are. The admission is free, but you have to pay to park (carpool!) Parking is challenging, as on a weekend, everyone wants to go here, and park. Stay on the trails please!

I would definitely recommend everyone to come out with family and friends and support our community by volunteering and keeping the place clean and safe for everyone.

Great place to go for a 5 mile hike to enjoy some nature within the city and explore the outdoors without having too far of a drive from home. Parking $5 charge except on Thursdays Trails: Well marked and short enough that you will not get lost . Wildlife: Turtles , many types of birds Ages: There is a playground that is closed due to Covid precautions. They do have an indoor area for the kids with small exhibits .We choose to stay outside due to wanting to get some exercise. We saw very young kids and lots of families of all ages so this park is a good place to walk no matter your age.

Decided to pick up a lunch from my favorite Turkish place Istanbul and come here for a short nature walk. What a cool little gem of a park centrally located in the city. As a runner I had heard about Memorial Park but never knew this area existed. With many trails and wood bridges to cover mud trails, there are plenty of places here to catch some wildlife or get your steps in There is a charge for parking however on Thursdays it is gratis . No charge on Thursdays. Come check out this quiet ,safe and nature oriented park, you might even catch a little bit of wildlife here too.

would recommend checking out this spot! cool ambiance. fun trails with nice scenery & some bridges & boardwalks.

This was a lovely spot for a carryout picnic and to soak in some nature and fresh air. Located only 15 minutes from downtown, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is free and great for all ages. Note that parking is $5 for all day. A few standouts included the dozen plus turtles hanging out on a log sunning by the parking lot, dog/human combo water fountain , lush tree covered walkways and pond with a bench overlooking it. We sat and enjoyed our carryout ears on a bench and soaking in the sounds.

Hidden gem in Houston, love this place! Free parking on Thursdays, the goats are a treat to see, beautiful landscape, hard to believe you are so close to the city!

This morning I went bird watching in the Houston Arboretum (located near Memorial Park) it was interesting and fun environment to learn more about the native bird species here in the Houston area. Kelsey Low was our director and she was amazing on giving details on how to spot the birds and how she could identify them and the diffrences between female and male. Modt to say male birds are very very colorful. Would reccomend for anybody wanting to connect with nature and want to see what #houston has to offer ‍

The Houston Arboretum is a non-profit nature center located inside Memorial Park. Sitting at 155 acres, there are plenty of trails to walk here. We usually spend about two hours walking a couple of trails here. We love all of the greenery here! There are flowers, ponds, and unique ecosystems here. A lot of great photo ops! It used to be free to attend, but now parking is $5. The parking lot is large, but it can get full on busy days.

This was a lovely place to take a nice, relaxing walk. There are multiple trails you can pick from that are well marked with a distance of how long that trail will be. There are benches every 50 yards or so that are usually a nice shaded areas. We really enjoyed our walk here

I love it here! This is such a beautiful place to visit. It's perfect on a Sunday afternoon or Saturday Morning. If you are looking for a nature retreat in a city setting this is definitely a great place. The walking trails are wonderful and there is so much to explore. It can get crowded and parking is limited so it's best to plan to visit during off hours. There is usually a wedding or event here because it's popular but that's understandable. This place is perfect for a solo walk or family outing! Bring your pets too! There are so many areas to explore here. My dog loves it! There is a water feature with live animals everywhere. You can spot turtles and all types of birds here. It's great for kids and adults alike. Put on your walking shoes and get out in nature! Your root chakra will thank you and you will feel great after getting a little exercise in a beautiful setting.

Absolutely great place to visit if you are from ho or just visiting. Lots of great trails to walk and enjoy nature here. I am shocked I have only been here like twice. I guess because it's so close to all the 610 traffic it's easy to forget that this amazing spot exists. This is probably my first time here in about 10 years or so. I will make it a point to visit this location much more. I went here to walk with a friend and we got in some good miles and really enjoyed the scenery. Really great place to relax and enjoy mother nature and soak in the energy. Lots of shade so you don't have to worry about getting burned up during the summertime or spring. I really enjoyed the trails that we walked on. There seems to be quite a few options as far as trails are concerned. I will probably go back again this weekend. One thing I noticed is that they do not allow bicycles. So you got two options either walk or run. This is definitely a must stop in and try out

Beautiful! It was a l peaceful and relaxing walk. Nature is so soothing. I'm from California and this was so comforting while missing home. Truly a gorgeous place. My puppy loved it!

For a small fee of $5 parking (free if you're a member), you get to enjoy nature in the middle of Houston. Unlike close by parks such as Memorial Park and Buffalo Bayou Park, you're actually surrounded by tall trees and nature and not seeing any type of traffic (you can still hear them, but close enough). If you enjoy being outdoors and you enjoy nature, this is a must-go place for you. There are benches all over the park where you can just sit down and just breathe in the nature, or maybe if you want, you can find a secluded spot and do some meditation to calm your mind.

Every single Saturday they are doing some kind of children's birthday party and they intentionally shut down the ENTIRE PLAYGROUND It's absolutely ridiculous They only use a quarter of the park Not the entire thing Totally unfair and rude to the children who are there to play a little bit before walking a trail So for 10 children and 10 adults, who use 20% of the park, they close 100% of the playground Terrible!

Connect with nature while in Houston. Peaceful natural walk, with lot of trail. Very good place for walking, and reflection. Scenery full and birds and vegetation. Highly recommend.

The Arboretum is a wonderful hidden gem of trees, walking paths, ponds and interesting landscapes. There are a good deal of shady paths which are so nice in the summer. You have to pay for parking except on Thursday (nights, I think) but it isn't a lot and you can easily pay via the Park Houston app. It's a very peaceful place and leashed dogs are allowed.

Attachment to Memorial Park near 610/I 10. The paid parking is a big turnoff. There's really nothing special about the park compared to Memorial Park next door that warrants paid parking. The lake here is comparable to Eastern Glades and the trails are very beginner friendly. Again, paid parking is a turnoff here

Had some time for touristing while in town for a wedding and enjoyed this place. I came here on recommendation of my friend. I've been to a lot of arboretums so I didn't have the most high hopes for this, but it was good. There are many pros and so few cons for coming here. Noteworthy elements (pros) : - The walking paths have loops so you can loop back and take an as long or short walk as you need. - There are fun areas for kids. While I have none, I can appreciate that they were well maintained and sufficiently invested in... if for no other reason than it meant there were less kids on the trails and ones that were, were docile, probably tired out. The trails were serene and peaceful even on a Saturday, when I visited. -Frog pond. I think this was far underrated if I'm honest. Most people just took a look at the green water with lily pads, which was beautiful, Many snapped photos and kept going. However if you get down on the dock and really peered into this pond(whose water is shockingly not opaque) you'll be rewarded. There were tons (and I mean tons!) of tadpoles in EVERY stage of metamorphosis.... From fish looking to four legged with a tail. Truly amazing natural phenomenon that in action. -Lake. Also beautiful. The photos others have left say it all. I need not say more. -Armadillos. If you're an animal lover and like me you have the unfortunate experience of finding the live exhibits to be closed on your visit, don't fret. Definitely go seeing tadpoles. After that, you will find more creatures if you follow the sounds of rustling leaves. This place is healthily populated with armadillos which are most adorable!!! Cons (none come to mind, but to make a fair pro/con list): -The nature center and butterfly garden was closed without reopening date, nor estimation (weeks, months, years?). Ha. But given what can be seen through the windows and the facilities that were open, I can imagine they'll be excellent improvements & good quality. -"Arboretum" makes me think there will be tons of of trees and there will be unique trees with little placards in front of them having a description. This may be in a section I missed, but I did not see it. There's a lot of non-tree vegetation, and trees are not the bulk of the scenery nor focus on the trails at this arboretum. It's a very pretty place nonetheless. I would definitely recommend this gem to anyone in Houston.

My son loves coming here!! So much free fun for kids. Just pay for parking and leave a tip in the building!! Free parking is on Thursdays only!

A beautiful, well maintained sanctuary in Houston. Our local friends introduced us to the Arboretum and we spent a whole morning for the kids to play in the Naturescape (aka playground space) and then went back for another half day to walk the trails (too flat to call it hiking) and enjoy the worthwhile visitor center (with plenty for our kids to explore/enjoy). It was hard to get away from the sound of the closest freeway which is a bit distracting when you're trying to enjoy the quiet - but it is natural consequence of being so easily accessible.

The arboretum was super clean and had so many nice places to take pictures! Though, when I came (May 2021), the plant life was a little dead. Definitely try coming later if you want nicer pictures. I didn't interact with the stuff but they were kind enough to show smiles and respect our personal space as we explored the arboretum!

This area is SO pretty!!! There was just so much to see and beautiful lakes. There's also a duck pond here. We saw turtles and this huge frog! It's very dog friendly too. My pup enjoyed the walk. I really liked that the trails didn't have any cement so I didn't have to worry about his paws stepping on anything too hot. We came in at 8 and we weren't too exposed to the sun. There's trees almost everywhere so they're always an ample amount of shade here. I personally like my pup to run when we go out because he loves to run. So I was a little down that he couldn't run here. But honestly the walk alone was enough to tire us out. We walked for a long time. We were probably in here for almost two hours when my pup started to slow down. Nothing too crazy either. Just a nice place with a flat land you can walk around and sight see. We gazed at the water together while I tried to find some wild life. We also went with my nephew and he loved being here. It's very dog and toddler friendly. Something the whole family can enjoy. And there's indoor restrooms which is a nice bonus. We didn't see everything so I'll need to come back and looks around again.

Very lovely and relaxing place. Wished we lived closer and could come here more often. Even after the heavy rains from the past few days, trails were accessible. Some areas were wet, but not flooded. Which was still easy to walk on or around. The area is pet friendly, but I did notice the lack of trash cans in the outer loop (not sure if that's how they have it labeled). If you pick up your dog's waste, which I hope you do. Be ready to walk with the bag for a while. It was our first time here, we logged in about 4 miles, and I am sure we didn't even see half of the place. Can't wait to return!

We took our kids to the playground today and they could've stayed all day. What a neat place!

Both entrances are now open but if you haven't been here in a year or so, parking is quite a bit different than the old days. In the old days, the Woodway entrance would take you to the center and from there you'd go to the loops. That's not the case now. Now, it's the 610 entrance that takes you to the center and the Woodway entrance takes you to the new area of the park. The new part is nice but will need a few more years to get settled in. Personally, I like the old part better as it's more secluded. On another note, people suck. In particular, people with rude kids. I was there on Sunday, when the weather finally became a little nice and there were kids running and screaming on the boardwalk and bumping into me and their parents did nothing. One of them also threw a Caprisun container in the water while the parents were lagging behind right in front of me. I don't know, I think the park is a little too accessible now.

Beautiful nature walk - great way to make a quick exit from the busy city to quiet nature- even saw an armadillo!

Came out to see the goats clear out the land and walk the dog. The story behind the goats is pretty cool with more information at the center available. Parking cost but well worth the experience. Its currently under construction but a lot to look at. Great for a walk with beautiful sites. They have a lot of stuff for kids to do and for them to explore. Turtles, bird watching and an information center for kids to experience. Its dog friendly and on certain days local farmers come out with freshly harvested crops from their local farms. The natural land here brings about a lot of butterflies and a variety of birds to gaze at. Photographers were everywhere taking family photos using the natural wildlife as a beautiful fall background. There were a lot of tree stumps set up around the area where people would commonly take the family photos. Perfect picnic place for the family.

What a beautiful place! $5 all day parking all day on the weekends. You can being your dog but they ask you clean up after them. Very nice trail and has a spot you can have a little picnic at. If you feel like releasing some negative energy and taking a nice long walk I definitely recommend this amazing Arboretum. Especially during this pandemic, it's nice to get out and enjoy nature at its finest.

They need security guards patrolling the parking lot. Be careful of thieves! Lock up your valuables. Some masked thieves smashed my wife's car and took off with a diaper bag!

Fun place to walk and hike! Def recommend for a weekend outing! Love it! I went with some coworkers and had a blast on the trails. They are super inviting and you really can't get lost at all. I can't wait to come back!

This is an awesome park, the trails are beautiful and Its great to have a nice walking trail with plenty of trees and squirrels around. It was about to rain so we just went for a short walk but will definitely be back! Parking is $5 for 11 hours and it didn't allow me to pay for less time on the app.