If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly activity in Houston, look no further than MATCH Theater! Their children’s plays are always entertaining and engaging. But if this is your first time visiting, it can be a little daunting trying to figure out what to do. Lodgeur’s team brings their children to MATCH performances fairly often, so we’ve put together this guide to help make the planning process easier for you.
MATCH is the Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston. MATCH has three different theater venues:
Make sure you know which theater is hosting your event!
This post is about the Midtown Theater, which seats 200 people and is located at 3400 Main Street in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood. It’s a multi-use facility that houses several theaters, performance spaces, and art galleries. In addition to plays, it also hosts other events such as music concerts, comedy shows, dance performances, lectures and workshops.
MATCH offers children’s plays year round and tickets are available to individual plays or in season packages. The theater typically performs 5-7 children’s plays each year, with some performances designed for children who have sensory needs.
Every January, MATCH organizes a free Family Fun Day. Taking place from 1-5pm on January 14, 2024, the 7th Annual Family Fun Day offers live performances, bounce houses, stilt walkers, balloon artists and face painting. This event is at the Midtown Theater, next to Lodgeur at Mid Main Lofts.
MATCH is a casual theater experience, so there’s no need to dress up. However, if you’re planning on seeing a play in the Main Street Theater, it’s recommended that you dress a bit nicer as that theater is considered the most formal. (Some children wear costumes when attending children’s plays that are specific to the play.)
You have two options for parking at MATCH. Some street parking is available for a fee, but it fills up quickly. Download the ParkMobile app to pay by phone.
A better option is to park in the parking garage at Mid Main Lofts, 3550 Main Street, with two entrances on Travis Street, and a third on Holman Street. It’s across the street from MATCH and we’ve never seen them run out of parking spaces. You will receive a ticket when you enter and the fastest way to exit is to keep your ticket with you and use the machine near the elevator to pay before you drive out.
MATCH is located in Midtown, Houston’s most walkable neighborhood. A great way to turn a theater outing into an experience is to add on a meal before or after the play. MATCH operates a concession stand and sells books, toys and other items tied to each children’s performance.
Across the street from the theater are Daley’s, Holman Draft Hall and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. Walk to the other side of the parking garage and you have Winnie’s and Home Slice Pizza.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is popular with kids for its playful food delivery technology. Robots bring the drinks to your table. A conveyor belt lets kids see small dishes of different foods to try (under $4/plate), that guests can pull off the belt. Each table has a screen that takes orders as well. Once you order a dish, it comes whizzing to your table on a second conveyor belt and stops right at your table.
Choose food from the bottom conveyor belt or order it on the screen for delivery on the top conveyor belt. Deposit your plates in the slot on each table as you finish.
Brass Tap is a popular weekend brunch destination known for its signature brunch boards and mimosa flights. It gets busy on the weekends, so make a reservation if you’re visiting then. In good weather, the Brass Tap will open up the dining space to provide a patio-style vibe.
Holman Draft Hall serves brunch from 11am to 3pm on weekends. It has covered and open-air seating, along with fire bowls for cold weather. Brunch boards should be ordered by 2pm the Thursday before your visit. Kids love the swing chairs outside. Order at the bar.
Winnie’s offers sandwiches, fries and cocktails, with indoor and patio seating. The sandwiches may be a big for most kids, but we always see plenty of families at Winnie’s.
Home Slice Pizza recently opened up its first Houston location of this popular Austin pizzeria. This funky pizza joint has NY-style thin crust pizza with enough of a mix of fresh salads and sandwiches to feed the pickiest crowd. Indoor and covered patio seating.
Spicy Girl is a Lodgeur favorite, known for its dumplings and bao. They serve up fresh Chinese food and the service is always friendly.
The Midtown neighborhood has so much to explore that we recommend staying a night or two to make a weekend of your theater outing. We offer fully furnished studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments in Mid Main Lofts, in the apartment community above the parking garage. With its gorgeous pool and outdoor grills, Lodgeur at Mid Main Lofts is popular for Houston staycations.
When you stay with Lodgeur, you can enjoy all the amenities of Mid Main Lofts while having easy access to MATCH Theater and parking included. Plus, you’re in a great spot for sightseeing and exploring Houston’s most walkable neighborhood. We offer 24/7 check-in to keep things easy. We want you to feel relaxed and ready for a fun weekend of theater and more.
Check out our Houston City Guide for more info on places to eat, sleep and play. Top picks for families coming to see a production at MATCH are the posts on brunch and lunch in Midtown, places to eat and drink within walking distance of our furnished apartments at Mid Main Lofts, and places you can access from Mid Main Lofts on the METRORail. Read about more family-friendly activities in Houston here.
