All Places to Visit

Terry Hershey Park Terry Hershey Park in Houston TX offers 10 plus miles of hike and bike trails along Buffalo Bayou, which provide a nature retreat within west Houston’s bustling “Energy Corridor.”   Terry Hershey Park is a 500 acre Harris County park, a majority of which consists of a network of walking/biking trails that run parallel to a stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Highway-6 to Beltway-8 in west Houston.   Over 40 different neighborhoods border the park on both the north and south side of the bayou.  The park is a popular destination for these local neighborhood residents and is also widely used by visitors from the surrounding Houston area. How to Find Terry Hershey Park Parking Lot off of I-10 feeder at Terry Hershey Park Convenient parking lots with recreational/picnic facilities can be accessed from the I-10 eastbound feeder road between Hwy-6 & Eldridge Parkway and from Memorial Dr just west of Eldridge Parkway.   Trail parking is also available at Hwy-6, Dairy Ashford Rd and Beltway-8.   Link to Park Map Terry Hershey Park Features The park amenities include paved and dirt trails, a boat/canoe launch to Buffalo Bayou, picnic and exercise equipment areas, drinking & runner’s shower facilities, restrooms, gazebos, playgrounds, a sundial where your own shadow tells you the time, a memorial fruit orchard,  and a butterfly garden.   Various water access locations exist along the existing trail and the “Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail” extends beyond Terry Hershey Park for a total of 26 miles to Allen’s Landing Park in Downtown Houston.   Link to Map of Paddling Trail Buffalo Bayou at Terry Hershey Park The park is owned by Harris County and occupies a Harris County Flood Control (HCFCD) right-of-way.  The park’s planning started in the mid 80’s and is named after a conservationist in recognition for her role in the preservation of Buffalo Bayou.  Mrs. Hershey remained involved in park improvements including tree & wildflower planting and the Memorial Orchard Grove located adjacent to the parking lot along Memorial Drive.  Link to Map of Molly Pryor Memorial Orchard Photo Gallery of Terry Hershey Park We have put together a complete Photo Gallery of Terry Hershey Park in Houston Texas with descriptions of where the photos were taken and the what the photos depict.

100 Acre Wood Preserve Creek at 100 Acre Wood Preserve The 100 Acre Wood Preserve is a little known and somewhat hidden public nature preserve in the Cy-Fair area of Houston TX.  The 100 Acre Wood Preserve is owned by Harris County and is named for the size of the donated tract of land and the commitment made to keeping it a nature sanctuary.  Beyond the 1 mile long paved path through its’ center, few man-made alterations have been made to the Park’s natural setting.  Visitors enjoy a rustic retreat hidden within the highly developed Jones Rd area of northwest Harris County known as Cy-Fair. How to Find the 100 Acre Wood Preserve Entrance to 100 Acre Wood Preserve Parking Lot The 100 Acre Wood Preserve is located in northwest Houston between Jones Road and SH-249.   It is bordered on the north by Cypress Creek and on the south by the Norchester Subdivision along Cypresswood Drive.   The park can be accessed by car from the D. Bradley McWilliams YMCA off SH-249 or from a recently constructed parking lot at the very northern end of West Cypress Forest Drive, which is off of Cypresswood Dr.  The park’s main trail connects with the 9 mile long Cypress Creek Bike Path on the west side at Jones Rd and with the YMCA’s trail system on the east side.  Link to Park Map 100 Acre Wood Preserve Features Hiking Trail within 100 Acre Wood Preserve In addition to the 1 mile ADA accessible paved main path, the park is intermingled with numerous dirt trails.  Hikers and mountain bikers find the challenging hills particularly appealing.  However, most of the trails are easy to do.  The only apparent improvements include clearing of brush and of trees that have fallen across the paths, and erosion control measures to make the path more walk-able.  A few benches have been built along the trails out of tree stumps and the remains of fallen trees.  A single port-a-potty is located at the gravel parking lot on the east side of the park. While the land was donated by a Houston Endowment in 2013 to Harris County, the Bayou Land Conservancy holds a conservation easement over the land and its’ features limiting it to its current use as a nature preserve.  The intent is to preserve the natural habitat.  The County’s goal is to balance the needs of the community with nature. Photo Gallery of the 100 Acre Wood Preserve We have put together a complete Photo Gallery of the 100 Acre Wood Preserve in Houston Texas with descriptions of where the photos were taken and what the photos depict. This article was authored by and all photos were taken by the staff of Houston Prime Realty.  Houston Prime Realty serves the Greater Houston Texas area and can help real estate buyers and sellers to purchase and sell properties near the 100 Acre Wood Preserve in Houston Texas.  Please Contact Us if you need an experienced Houston real estate agent. You can find more interesting places to visit in the greater Houston area in our Places To Visit in Houston Texas Directory.

Memorial Park is the largest urban park in Houston Texas.  The park is composed of 1,503 acres inside Loop-610, making it one of the largest urban parks in the United States.  It is located at the Northwest edge of Loop-610 which forms its western border, with Interstate-10 on the north, and Buffalo Bayou forming its southern border.  The neighborhood of Houston known as Memorial begins at the park’s western border.  Memorial Park is known for its wild unimproved expanses with miles of hiking and mountain bike trails along Buffalo Bayou.  Buffalo Bayou is the boundary between the park and Houston’s most expensive inner loop neighborhood River Oaks.  Hikes along Buffalo Bayou have a view of some of the more exclusive homes in River Oaks.  Memorial Park is owned by the City of Houston and managed by the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with the Memorial Park Conservancy. Memorial Park Features The park features a public golf course, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, croquet courts, sports fields, volleyball courts, smooth running paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, and hiking and bike trails.  The picnic areas offer tables and spaces for grilling with their streets being used primarily by street cyclists.  The Memorial Park Picnic Loop runs through the picnic area south of Memorial Dr. and reserved exclusively for road bikers, in-line skaters, traditional roller skaters and hikers during regular park hours.  Automobiles are allowed on it from 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM weekdays and on weekends and holidays allowing families to reach the picnic areas.   The wooded trails are used by both hikers and mountain bikers. The Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail is a 2.93-mile crushed granite trail located north of Memorial Dr.   Leashed dogs are welcome in the picnic, hiking, and running areas of the park.  The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway Dr on the far western grounds of Memorial Park.  The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center features a visitor and education center and improved walking trails throughout its grounds. Photo Gallery of Memorial Park We have put together a complete Photo Gallery of Memorial Park in Houston Texas with descriptions of where the photos were taken and what the photos depict. This article was authored by and all photos were taken by the staff of Houston Prime Realty.  Houston Prime Realty serves the Greater Houston Texas area and can help real estate buyers and sellers to purchase and sell properties near Memorial Park in Houston Texas.  Please Contact Us if you need an experienced Houston real estate agent. You can find more interesting places to visit in the greater Houston area in our Places To Visit in Houston Texas Directory.  

Discovery Green is a 12 acre urban park located in the heart of downtown Houston Texas across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center.  Discovery Green hosts over 600 events and community gatherings a year.  Discovery Green features many different attractions.  Some of the best seasonal attractions include kayaking and paddle boarding  on Kinder Lake, ice skating in the winter ice rink, and summer concerts on Thursday nights.  Check out the Discovery Green calendar for a list of upcoming events. Discovery Green Features The park features jogging and walking trails, butterfly gardens, a dog park, playgrounds, putting green, Kinder Lake, a splash pad, fountains, restaurants, sculptures and displays of Art in the Park.  The many faceted park is also improved with tree covered sidewalks with benches for people watching, multiple landscaped gardens, picnic lawns, and large grassy lawns perfect for laying in the sun.  The grassy lawns have been known as gathering places for flash mobs.  Park visitors looking for a more sedate visit, should check out the Houston Public Library’s HPL Express location and the Morgan Reading Room and Powell Foundation Outdoor Reading Rooms adjacent to the Lake House restaurant.  HPL Express offers free WiFi and other library services.  Typical library rules apply to these areas. Dining in Discovery Green If you don’t plan on bringing a picnic lunch, you can dine at one of the two restaurants located in Discovery Green.  The two restaurants located in the park are The Lake House and The Grove.  The Lake House serves fast casual Texas cuisine such as burgers, tacos, hot dogs, and salads along with beer and wine.  The Grove is more a upscale restaurant serving what they call “modern Texas cuisine”.  The Grove’s menu includes appetizers, steaks, seafood, rotisserie meats, salads, and deserts along with beer, wine, and cocktails. Parking and Access to Discovery Green If you know how to find the George R. Brown Convention Center, you can’t missing Discovery Green as it runs the length of the convention center across the Avenida de las Americas street.  If you are coming from Interstate -45 South take the McKinney St Exit and follow McKinney St until you run in to the park.  The park is built on top of an underground parking garage with entry from Avenida de las Americas.  There is metered street level parking and numerous private parking lots.  Unfortunately, there is no free parking in the area. Behind the Scenes of Discovery Green Discovery Green opened in 2008.  The park is a public – private venture of the City of Houston, the Houston First Corporation, and the Discovery Green Conservancy.  The Houston First Corporation is a City of Houston exclusively owned corporation that owns and runs the George R. Brown Convention Center and other public venues and theaters in the City of Houston.   The Discovery Green Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded to finance and run the operation of the park and events it hosts.  The Discovery Green Conservancy is funded by the donations of visitors and friends of the park.  Find out here on how to give a gift to the Discovery Green Conservancy. Photo Gallery of Discovery Green We have put together a complete Photo Gallery of Discovery Green in Houston Texas with descriptions of where the photos were taken and what the photos depict. This article was authored by and all photos were taken by the staff of Houston Prime Realty.  Houston Prime Realty serves the Greater Houston Texas area and can help real estate buyers and sellers to purchase and sell properties near Downtown Houston Texas.  Please Contact Us if you need an experienced Houston real estate agent. You can find more interesting places to visit in the greater Houston area in our Places To Visit in Houston Texas Directory.  

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most visited and largest museums in Houston Texas.  It is located in the Museum District of Houston Texas on the northern edge of Hermann Park next to the Houston Garden Center and across the street from the Miller Outdoor Theatre.  The Museum of Natural Science stated mission is to preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain and promote a museum of the first class. Houston Museum of Natural Science Features and Exhibits The museum houses the Burke Baker Planetarium, Wortham Giant Screen Theater, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center along with many other permanent and visiting exhibits.  The Burke Baker Planetarium is the large domed structure on the southwest corner of the building.  The planetarium is a large theater where visitors can view presentations, feature length films, and short videos on astronomy and space that are projected on to the inner curved surface of the dome.  The Cockrell Butterfly Center features an amazing self paced walking tour of a fully stocked butterfly habitat.  It features dozens of different species of live butterflies along with other live insects on display.  According to the Houston Museum of Natural Science website, the museum “features a variety of permanent exhibit areas that examine astronomy, space science, Native American culture, paleontology, energy, chemistry, gems and minerals, seashells, Texas wildlife and so much more.”  Some of the most impressive permanent exhibits are the Hall of Paleontology and the Hall of Ancient Egypt.  The Morian Hall of Paleontology was opened in 2012. It is the largest permanent exhibit area of the museum with 230,000 square feet of exhibits featuring over 60 major fossil skeleton displays.  The Hall of Agent Egypt opened in 2013 and displays many ancient Egyptian artifacts and recreations of Egyptian temples and mummies. History of the Houston Museum of Natural Science The Houston Museum of Natural History was founded in 1909 and has been financially supported by its members and benefactors ever since.  The museum name was changed to the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 1960 and has experienced phenomenal growth in membership and attendance since the completion of its first permanent location adjacent to Hermann Park in 1969.  The museum now has two satellite facilities, the George Observatory in Fort Bend County, which houses one of the largest telescopes in the country for public viewing, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land, which has exhibits of dinosaurs, mineralogy, exotic frogs and more. Houston Museum of Natural Science Membership Membership prices start as low as $60 for an individual and  $95 for a family of four.  Members receive unlimited free admission to the permanent exhibit halls.  Members receive discounted admission to visiting exhibits, the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, and the Burke Baker Planetarium.  Non-Members must pay admission to all general exhibits and purchase full price tickets to any premium exhibits.  If you plan on visiting the Houston Museum of Natural Science more than once in any year, the price of a membership is well worth the cost.