10 Things to Do Off the Beaten Track in Houston

Lucky Land is a Chinese culture museum just 20 minutes north of city centre spread across 2 acres and offering a deep dive into Chinese history throughout the ages. As you walk through the exhibits, you'll see a large-scale reproduction of the famed Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang. You can explore smaller-scale replicas of traditional Chinese villages and gardens, exhibits honouring kung fu and pandas, and even koi ponds.

This entire museum is beautiful and serene, and it honours one of the most ancient cultures in the entire world. It's completely family friendly, and you're sure to make some amazing memories in this hidden gem of Houston.

The Orange Show Centre for Visionary Art transforms an East End lot into a maze of architectural wonder using nothing but common found objects and building materials. Here, you'll wander through arenas, balconies, walkways, mosaics, statuary, and other exhibits made from bricks, fencing, tiles, and even farm implements. The exhibits are brightly coloured, hand-placed, and hand-painted and cover 3,000 square feet of space.

The Orange Show Centre features an oasis, wishing well, and pond, and it has an on-site stage, museum, and gift shop for souvenirs and additional entertainment. The family-friendly site is the brainchild of former postal worker Jeff McKissack and celebrates the orange, McKissack's favourite fruit. It's now maintained by local patrons who keep his dream alive.

The Art Car Museum features rotating exhibits of vintage cars with a unique twist on the construction, from brightly coloured paint jobs to stainless steel panels. The autos on display change every few months, so you can visit the museum every time you come to town and see different displays. You'll also find drawings and plans for how the cars were constructed.

One of the highlights of the year is the annual art car parade when the operators drive their art car down the Allen Parkway. This parade draws thousands of visitors every year. The museum, which is located in the heart of city centre, is also free to enter.

The Beer Can House is an entire home covered in beer bottles, tins, caps, and other brew-related items. The house has stood since the 1960s and has become a local landmark. It started when the artist, John Milkovisch, started creating fences, patios, and flower boxes with inlaid marbles, brass, and other metals. Over time, he moved towards using recycled beer tins on the house itself, and it now contains more than 50,000 beer containers and caps.

Today, the house is owned by the Orange Show Centre, another pop art installation in the city, and is open to the public. Kids under 12 get in free, and it is right in the heart of city centre.

Smither Park features a one-of-a-kind stretch of walking paths and green space with an amphitheatre, swings, meditation area, sculptures, and artwork made from recycled materials. This is a place that really exemplifies the idea of "reduce, reuse, and recycle," and it also offers live shows, serenity, and a great place to get away from it all. Over the years, it's been used for events, art workshops, and other leisure activities.

Many people come here to get a look at the unique public art installations, take photos, and even see the artists in action, maintaining existing pieces and creating new works. It's an escape from the hustle and bustle right in the heart of city centre Houston.

The National Museum of Funeral History is a unique museum offering hundreds of artefacts and exhibits from the entire history of the nation's funeral industry. Amongst the biggest attractions are accounts of the funerals of presidents, film stars, and other celebrities. The collection is vast, authentic, and unusual, and it's more fun to visit than you might think.

In addition to the memorabilia and artefacts, you can take in a talk by a guest speaker or educational presentations about the history of the industry. Children under 5 get into the museum for free, making it a good money-saving family outing. It's located just 20 minutes north of city centre Houston.

The Museum of Health and Medical Science offers the opportunity to actually walk through a giant-sized human body and see unique exhibits focused on physiology, health, and medicine. You can see an intestine that measures over 27 feet long, walk through a gigantic brain while playing memory games, and walk into an eyeball to learn how your eyes work. You can see an enormous beating human heart and even a skeleton riding a bicycle.

The museum draws nearly 200,000 people every year and is popular for visitors and locals alike, especially for class trips, drawing over 40,000 schoolkids annually. Best of all, it's easy access because it's right in the heart of city centre.

James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyspace hosts musical performances and live entertainment shows all year long and serves as a school of music laboratory. Six days a week, you can see a vibrant choreographed LED light sequence display. This amazing light show occurs at dawn and sunset, and to catch it, it's recommended you show up about an hour beforehand.

This family-friendly event space is located on the campus of Rice University and is renowned for the incredible acoustics that result from the sleek architecture and shape of its roof. It's only about 20 minutes south of city centre Houston.

The Houston Is Inspired Memorial covers an entire building on the corner of Preston and Travis and is dedicated to art and unity throughout Houston's culture. It was created by iconic local graffiti artist Mario E. Figueroa, Jr., known as GONZO247. It's been a staple of this corner for nearly 10 years and shows the skyline of Houston surrounded by bright and abstract colours.

Graffiti and street art are enjoying a rise in visibility and popularity and becoming appreciated by art critics and the public alike, and this is a fine example of this medium. It's also right across the street from a beloved local restaurant, so you can grab a bite to eat after viewing and photographing the mural.

The Houston branch of the Colour Factory offers an immersive and meaningful engagement with colour through experiential art and hands-on experiences. It's dedicated to engaging your inner child's imagination and expanding your perception and understanding of what colour means. The museum covers more than 20,000 square feet of colours gathered from all over the city that invite play, discovery, curiosity, and experience.

The colours were drawn from some of the most iconic local artists, designers, and creatives and tell dozens of unique stories. It's located in the Upper Kirby area, about 12 minutes southwest of city centre.