Hermann Park and Miller Outdoor Theatre

Hermann Park is Houston's great shared lawn, a few hundred acres of oaks, ponds, gardens and playing fields that sits right beside the Museum District and Rice University. It was given to the city by the businessman George H. Hermann in 1914, and it has been where Houstonians go to breathe ever since. We use it as the green counterpart to a morning of museums, and as a practical way to get out of the air conditioning without leaving the centre of the city.

Walking in from the Red Line

The easiest approach is by METRORail. The Red Line has a stop named Hermann Park and Rice University, from which you walk straight into the park beneath the trees. Our rail guide explains the line, and we rarely bother to drive here, since parking on weekends fills up fast around the zoo and the golf course.

Sam Houston at the gate

At the main entrance on Fannin Street stands a bronze equestrian statue of Sam Houston, the general who led Texas to independence in 1836 and for whom the city is named. A long reflecting pool, the Mecom Fountain, stretches out behind him, and it is the classic spot for a photograph. We like to begin here, pause for a photograph in the shade of the oaks, and then wander towards the gardens at an unhurried pace.

McGovern Centennial Gardens and the Japanese Garden

The McGovern Centennial Gardens add a pleasing hill, a spiral path and a rose collection, with skyline views from the top. The Japanese Garden is a calm, compact corner with a pond, stones and bridges, and it works well when the day has already been busy. On hot afternoons we prefer the shade of the oaks along the main paths.

Miller Outdoor Theatre

Miller Outdoor Theatre, in use since the early 1920s, is a covered stage with a large sloping lawn, and its programme of music, dance, opera and theatre is offered to the public without charge. The Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera all perform here in the warmer months, and the Shakespeare Festival brings plays to the lawn. We bring a blanket, snacks and insect repellent, and arrive early for good lawn space. Evening performances can be cancelled by storms, so we keep an eye on the forecast. For indoor performances, see our Theater District guide.

Rice University next door

The park's western edge meets the shaded campus of Rice University, and we often cut across the oaks to the brick arcades of the university and on to the shops of Rice Village. It is a gentle walk of around twenty minutes, and the leafy route avoids main roads almost completely.

Herons, egrets and turtles use the ponds, and spring brings azaleas and fresh green. Houston is flat, which helps tired legs, but the lack of hills also means little breeze, so summer visits need a hat and regular breaks beneath the trees.

Trains, boats and playgrounds

Families will find a miniature railway that loops through the park, pedal boats on McGovern Lake and a large playground. The park also contains the Houston Zoo and, on its northern edge, the Museum of Natural Science, which gives us a handy fallback if a summer shower arrives. For wider ideas with young travellers, we point to our family guide. Fill a water bottle before you set out, because the summer humidity makes even a short walk feel long. Our usual plan is a slow loop past the statue, the gardens and the lake, then a picnic on the grass before the Red Line carries us back downtown.