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Half Day in Houston: Ride a train, pedal a boat, take a trip through Japan & play at Hermann Park!

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Having fun with the family and exploring Houston can be easy! If you have a few hours, we have ideas on how to spend them with the kids.

In this Half Day in Houston series, find a place to park, play, explore and eat… all in one spot. Pick what you like or combine with another Half Day post!

In this adventure, ride a train, pedal a boat, take a trip through Japan and play at the park!  Head to Hermann Park for enough fun to fill a half day (or a day)!

Look below for a map of the walking route. You can also combine it with the (very close) walking trail and Houston Zoo adventure HERE.

 

Cherie Flores Garden Pavillion at Hermann Park Centennail Gardens from Parking Lot
Park or Ride:  Find a parking spot in Hermann Park’s free lot by the Centennial Gardens (Lot C, accessible on Hermann Drive by the Health Museum)… or make the trip more fun by taking METRORail to the Hermann Park Stop.

 

Explore:

Hermann Park Centennial Garden
1. McGovern Centennial Gardens – 1500 Hermann Drive, Houston, TX 77004 – Free

Start the day with a walk through the beautiful Centennial Gardens. Climb the mound or meander through the gardens! Read more about it HERE!

 

Hermann Park Japanese Garden Bridge
2. Japanese Garden – 6000 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030 – Free

Once you are done at the Centennial Garden, cross the street towards the big Miller Outdoor Theatre. Leisurely walk past the theater, by the reflecting pool and to the Japanese Gardens.

This fenced-in garden is right in the middle of the park and free to enter. Walk right in to be amazed by the waterfalls, bridges, paths and trees.

Take a stroll through the lush gardens and let the kids run through the paths and play on the bridges.

 

Hermann Park Bigger Playstructure
3. Buddy Carruth Playground for All Children – 6001 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030 – Free

After your trip through the Japanese Garden, get ready to play at the playgrounds. Walk to the edge of the park, near the medical buildings, and find several sets of equipment for all ages.

 

Hermann Park Train at Kinder Station1
4. Kinder Station –  6104 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 – $3.25/person for Train Rides, $10 for Pedal Boat

Finish up your trip with a walk back towards Miller Outdoor Theatre and the Zoo. Here you will find the train station, pedal boats and Pinewood Cafe!

Tickets for the train and boats can be purchased in Kinder Station!

 

View from Pinewood Cafe
5. Pinewood Cafe – 6104 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030 – Reasonable

Finish up the day with a trip to Pinewood Cafe! Build your custom grilled cheese or find other cafe items.

Sit in the air conditioned building or on the patio overlooking the lake!

If you are up for more fun, add in a walking trail and the Houston Zoo. Details are HERE.

Filed Under: All, Half Day in Houston, Hermann Park, Things to do October 1, 2015

About Jill Jarvis

Jill Jarvis is the owner of JillBJarvis.com, a BigKidSmallCity.com and Things to Do in Houston, with Kids, blog!

She is the mom of 4 and started the website years ago... when she was tired of constantly cleaning up the same mess in the family room.

Another mom showed her that you could just go do fun things in Houston, without hours of planning.

This inspired the blog and changed everything about how she enjoyed life in Houston, with kids!

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jill-jarvis-bigkidsmallcity-circle-300 Welcome!  JillBJarvis.com is the go-to blog for things to do in Houston with kids!  It is upbeat and dedicated to making our big city feel small.   START HERE!    

On this website you will find a full list of Houston weekly events, things to do around the city, travel ideas and resources for parents.

I know just what it’s like to be overwhelmed by work, life and family. I spent a lot of years traveling for work, missing big milestones for my kids and feeling bad about everything.

I started this website to make a list of all the events happening around Houston and then pick one to enjoy with my kids. And instead of thinking of all the things I was missing, I started to enjoy the things we were doing together.

If you are a parent that is feeling overwhelmed by all the things you could be doing in Houston… please just use our weekly lists and daily posts as suggestions. Pick one thing to do with your family and intentionally ignore the rest!

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