Lodgeur Guide: Visit Houston Museums and Zoo for Free
Visitors enjoying free Thursday at MFAH, Houston. The Museum District is a walkable hub of Houston’s best free cultural experiences.
Explore Houston’s Museum District without spending a dime. Many of the city’s top cultural attractions—including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Zoo, The Health Museum, and the Menil Collection—offer free museum daysthroughout the week. While Thursdays have traditionally been the go-to for free admission, several museums now offer free entry on different days or during special hours.
The Houston Museum District stretches from Downtown Houston through Montrose and into Museum Park, making it easy to discover some of the best free things to do in Houston. Some museums are always free, while others waive admission on specific days or times.
Free Museum Days: Tuesdays
Houston Museum of Natural Science: Free Tuesdays, 5–8 p.m. Always free for children under 3. Tip: Don’t miss the interactive Matter & Motion exhibit and its hidden Alchemy Hall—free with admission. Special exhibits, the Cockrell Butterfly Center, and Planetarium require extra tickets.
Houston Zoo: Free on the first Tuesday of each month. Reservations required. Tip: Free tickets are released online the week before—book early!
Free Museum Days: Thursdays
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Free Thursdays, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Tip: Special exhibits and screenings may have fees. Library card holders under 18 and students with art assignments get free weekend entry.
Children’s Museum Houston: Free Thursdays, 5–8 p.m. Tip: Parking is tight for this popular night. Arrive early and stop first at the kids-oriented Health Museum next door (free from 2 p.m.). Don’t miss the SECRET Spy Mission Game for kids ages 8–12.
The Health Museum: Free Thursdays, 2–7 p.m. Best for children under 12. Reservations required.
Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens: Free on Family Days, usually the third Sunday of each month. Tip: Check their calendar for exact dates. Parking is limited. Kids can enjoy self-guided detective hunts for ages 6–9 and 10–12.
Free First Weekend of the Month – Museums on Us
Bank of America, Merrill, or Bank of America Private Bank cardholders enjoy free entry to select museums during the first full weekend of every month.
Houston’s world-class museums always have something new on the calendar. From hands-on family explorations to adults-only soirees, creative workshops to scientific talks, there’s no shortage of engaging experiences awaiting across H-Town.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
Cockrell Butterfly Center
Up-close access to butterflies
The new Alchemy Hall at HMNS
HMNS and the Cockrell Butterfly Center have a full calendar this spring:
Weekends in June and July – Touch Tank Feeding Experience: Assist staff with morning feeding and care of sharks and stingrays. 8:00 AM, 50 minutes, ages 6+. Members $50, Non-members $65.
June 4, 2025 – BTS – Flashlight Paleo Tour: Experience dinosaurs and fossils in the Morian Hall of Paleontology by flashlight. Led by Curator of Paleontology David Temple. 6:30 PM, ages 15+.
June 5, 2025 – Movie Night: The Good Dinosaur: Screening of the animated film in the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre with snacks available for purchase. Doors 6:30 PM, film 7:00 PM.
June 6, 2025 – Mixers & Elixirs – 90’s Night: Adults-only event featuring 90s music, themed cocktails, food, and classic games. Includes film screening and planetarium visuals. Museum exhibits open exclusively for attendees. 7:00 PM.
June 12, 2025 – Class – Carnivorous Plants: Learn about Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and their unique adaptations. Includes take-home plant. Supplies provided. 6:30 PM, ages 15+.
June 14, 2025 – Second Saturday: T. rex: Members-only early museum access with dinosaur-themed activities. 8:00-10:00 AM.
June 21, 2025 – Summer Solstice Celebration: Educational event on the astronomical and cultural significance of the year’s longest day. 1:00-2:00 PM.
June 26, 2025 – Class – Fossil Embroidery: Create textile art inspired by fossil patterns. No prior experience necessary, all supplies provided. 6:30 PM, ages 15+.
Museum of Fine Arts
June 13, 20 & 27 – Happy Hour Fridays: Live music and $5 drinks in the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building from 5–8 p.m.
Through July 6, 2025 – Picturing Nature: The Stuart Collection of 18th- and 19th-Century British Landscapes and Beyond: Journey through the golden age of British landscape art at MFAH’s stunning new exhibition “Picturing Nature.” Discover over 70 masterpieces from the Stuart Collection, showcasing how artists like Turner, Constable, and Gainsborough transformed landscape painting in 18th and 19th century Britain.
Through Sept. 1, 2025 – David Hockney: The Four Seasons, Woldgate Woods: Step into an immersive video installation where nature meets innovation. David Hockney’s “The Four Seasons, Woldgate Woods” transforms a simple Yorkshire country road into a mesmerizing year-long journey through time and perception. Using nine cameras to capture different angles and exposures, Hockney creates a unique viewing experience that mirrors how our eyes naturally wander and explore. Watch as one road tells four distinct stories through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Find the full list of current and upcoming exhibitions and galleries on MFAH’s Now on View Page.
The Children’s Museum Houston
The Children’s Museum has a full slate of special events planned. Lodgeur’s little ones are most excited about these events (included in admission):
June 7, 2025 – MindFest Challenge: Interactive competition featuring “STEMotions” where children create emotional graphs and custom emojis, and “Spider Web Engineering” where participants design and test human-sized spider webs. Located in Kids’ Hall.
June 17-19, 2025 – MAKER CREW MAKE Series: Three-day workshop running Tuesday through Thursday, 9:15-11:15 AM daily at the Chevron Maker Annex. Children 8+ design and build inventions using woodworking tools, 3D printers, and more. $50 registration fee.
June 25-27, 2025 – MAKER CREW MAKE Series: Second session running Wednesday through Friday, 1:00-3:00 PM daily at the Chevron Maker Annex. Three consecutive days of hands-on maker activities. $50 registration fee.
For more events in the Houston Museum District and beyond, check out our Houston Events guide.
Where to Stay and How to Get to Houston’s Museums
La Colombe D’Or is a 5-star boutique hotel in nearby Montrose, with a beautiful upscale restaurant and cocktail bar. Their 32 rooms start at $500 per night.
Lodgeur is the largest “hotelier” in Midtown, with 64 furnished apartments in Mid Main Lofts starting at $79 per night. Lodgeur sits next to the METRORail Red Line, so you can visit the Museum District without a car.
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