Hermann Park is a Houston treasure with tons to see and do

In celebration of Hermann Park’s 100th birthday in 2014, a 15-acre site adjacent to the Museum of Natural Science was transformed into the beautiful McGovern Centennial Gardens

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most popular museums in the US with 2+ million guests each year visiting the IMAX theater, planetarium, butterfly center and 4 floors of exhibit space

Sam Houston Monument (1925) greets visitors to 445-acre Hermann Park; the Park is bounded by the TX Medical Center, Rice University, Museum District and Hermann Park Golf Course (in 1954, one of the first public golf courses in the US to desegregate)

The peaceful Japanese Garden, designed by world-renowned Japanese landscape architect Ken Nakajima, was added in 1992 to Hermann Park; entry is free and, in the spring, be sure to see the gorgeous cherry trees

In 1943, a large chunk of the southern part of Hermann Park was used to found the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest medical complex in the world; TMC employs 100,000+ people and sees 10+ million patients annually

One of Houston's oldest public parks, Hermann Park was created on acreage donated to the City of Houston by oilman and philanthropist George H. Hermann; the land was formerly the site of his sawmill

The Houston Zoo was the second most visited paid-admission zoo in the country in 2016 (behind San Diego Zoo), with 2.5+ million visitors; long-time Houstonians remember when it was free

The Marvin Taylor Trail, a former carriage trail, offers runners and walkers a picturesque two-mile path, much of it under the shade of historic live oaks around Hermann Park

The Hermann Park Railroad has been a favorite with children for 50+ years; it has an MD Anderson stop near the Medical Center as well as a stop near the Hermann Park light rail station (cost is $3.50)

Japanese Garden; in the 1980's, due to insufficient public resources, Hermann Park became rundown; the non-profit Hermann Park Conservancy was founded which has since leveraged $120+ million of public and private funds to make the park world-class

Opened in 1994, the Cockrell Butterfly Center is housed in a three-story glass building at the Houston Museum of Natural Science filled with tropical plants and butterflies (including the migratory Monarch)

Prairie dogs are so cool!; the Houston Zoo has a flexible ticket pricing model (about $25 base) with tickets cheaper if you buy them in advance and more expensive during peak times

The 1936 Pioneer Memorial Obelisk (honoring Houston's founding men and women and the city's centennial) lies at the far end of the gorgeous Jones Reflecting Pool which is lined by mature live oaks

Miller Outdoor Theatre offers a wide range of free performances including classical music, jazz, ballet, Shakespeare, musical theater, and classic films, running March through November

The McGovern Centennial Gardens has a traditional rose garden, along with new areas to explore such as a family garden, an arid garden, a 30-foot garden mount, and a sculpture promenade featuring public art donated by countries around the world

The Zoo's reflecting pool, built in 1926, was meant to emulate the Jones Reflecting Pool in Hermann Park; for the Zoo's Centennial in 2022 a huge exhibit dedicated to the Galapagos Islands will be opening