Perfect place for hiking, its totally free just pay for parking around $5 dollars (it last all day). You can enjoy the nature and its pet friendly. Also there are a nature store and bathrooms. The weekend there its busy so I recommend using face mask.

I “herd” some special lawnmowers had been brought in to help clear out the underbrush at the Houston Arboretum. This is another point of interest in our beautiful city I had been wanting to visit. I had a sure reason to make it there by Saturday, October 10.There is some thing that makes me happy about watching goats. And they are indeed some of the best lawnmowers around!! There were approximately 150 (from what I read).We enjoyed a great stroll through the woods (taking the Outer Loop path followed by the Ravine path) after watching the goats for a bit. A walk in the woods is always meaningful.

We love this place, has a lot walking trails, bike and runners routs. Very well maintained, a lot of restrooms, water fountains and benches. On Thursdays it’s free. We’ve seen several armadillos and beautiful colorful birds. It gets really busy on weekends so might be difficult to find a parking place. The staff is very professional and always willing to help. Highly recommend, especially if you have kids or dogs. And don’t forget the repellent, cause you’ll be eaten alive!

Born and raised in Houston and this is the first time Ive ever visited this spot. Its a really nice area, especially considering its in the middle of huge city like Houston. I love that even though youre surrounded by major freeways, it feels like your out far away (when you dont hear the traffic noise). Its amazing how many different species of plants, insects and reptiles you spot by just taking your time and observing. I really liked it here and I plan on coming back during the fall when it cools off to see if any animals might stir around when its not so warm.

Such a beautiful and serene pocket of nature in the heart of a bustling city. A great place to unplug and enjoy the scenery, run, or even just rest and watch nature on any of the many benches they have around the area. Be prepared to see numerous wildlife and Texas native plants. A great place to spend time!

This is one of my favorite places in Houston. The trails are well kept and never crowded. They are mostly shaded so its nice to walk year round. In spring, the wild flowers make this a magical place.They do charge parking per car.

Very beautiful and peaceful! Always fun to get out and explore the outdoors right in the middle of such a big city! We have seen so many things here while visiting. My little boy loves coming here!

I had no idea that the Houston Arboretum was free! (Parking is $5 using the Park Houston app.) I will definitely be going here as often as I can now. The nature center is open, requiring masks of course - very nice, a few different animals, a lot of skulls and plants and things. There are a bunch of trails to walk on and all of the native plants are so pretty! It wasnt too crowded for a Sunday afternoon, but still a good number of people and families out. Cant wait to go back and read a book on one of their many nice benches!

Beau and I went here for a picnic. It was easy to find a spot to park. Please note that you do have to pay $5 for parking(which is reasonable) There are multiple ways you can walk, we walked by the nature center. Its a pretty path, smells like trees and there are a lot of flowers. We sat down on a bench and ate there enjoying the scenery and each others company. There was a section that was under construction, which will most likely be very lovely once its complete.One of the things that os nice about this park since the temperature was still very hot even though its October, is that there are many mature trees which give you many shady places to enjoy with a nice breeze

A real treasure in a busy city. Nature set aside in which to enjoy the many paths. Ponds, bogs, meadows, some enormous pine trees. A moment to breathe.

Trails were nicely marked. Still adding attractions. Did not visit any of the buildings. Goats were a nice touch

Awesome hidden trails as well as very well mapped walking trails. Reasonable parking and parking is free on thursdays.

Had a Great time with the family. During the pandemic its a wonderful way to keep from going stir crazy

Great place to commune with nature in the middle of Houston. Is only for walking, not biking or running. Dogs are welcome on leash (and you must pick up poop if it happens). This has been a place of peace and calm for us during the pandemic.

Came here to take a walk and enjoy the nice weather. Saw a big bull frog and watched the goats eating non-native vegetation.

This morning I visited the arboretum for a photography session. I had my back car window broken into and two bags stolen out of my truck. I wanted to leave this note to remind others that they really do mean HIDE ALL VALUABLES AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS. Better yet, do not bring any with you in the first place if you will be leaving them inside your vehicle.Beautiful place and loved the scenery but definitely not how I had anticipated to begin my day at 10:30AM.Stay safe Houston!

This peaceful place lets me escape the busy city life and be surrounded by nature. I love seeing all of the native trees, plants, and flowers. And I always enjoy spotting wildlife!

Definitely a beautiful and hidden gem. Theres so much to see!! Will definitely be coming here a lot more often!

If you enjoy walking and nature and the combination of both, this is a perfect place for you! It is pretty much untouched and has been kept in its very natural status, making you feel you are taking a walk in an actual forest far from the city. I specially love the dirt tracks covered with gravel... will definitely go back.

The arboretum is a fantastic place to take a walk with a special someone or your family. The trails are mostly shaded so even in the summer its relatively comfortable. Theres a pond in the center with plenty of fish, turtles, and frogs for the kids to spot.Theres still construction going on as they expand and improve, but it didnt take away from most of the experience. Parking is only $5 for the day and you can use the ParkMobile app.

Beautiful and serene place. Cant wait til the weather cools down a bit to come back and walk more trails. And they have goats!

This place is one of the best-kept secrets in Houston. It is truly a gem, with several cumulative miles of clearly & well marked trails to wander. The drought in 2010 took a horrible toll, but it has rebounded and been improved with different micro but connected habitats. Leashed dogs are welcome (just please pick up their poop), and please carry any trash out with you! and it is one of the best places in the city for playing Pokemon. LOL

Such a neat place in the center of Houston. Its a necessity too because I had a hard time finding places to walk a dog in the city. Houston is just not pedestrian friendly. The Arboretum was wonderful though.

Nice to get away from the house. Rough estimate: we were part of the 30-35% that wore masks. It’s not possible to walk paths and stay 6’+ away from people, right? Hope Houston can quickly adapt to mask use so we all can leave home more. (Can parks like this require all guests wear masks?)Camera:2014 iPhone 6 Plus that’s been dropped often including into a bucket of mop water. :P

Beautiful area. Dog friendly. Get there early to beat the crowds.

A free location and well worth a visit. You will have to pay for parking. There around 40 goats in the middle of the garden mowing the lawn. I power walked around the walkway and it took me 1.5 hours

I got married here last week and it was absolutely magical. The scenery was amazing, Carol was amazing, the chairs they provide when you rent the area are very nice, great photo opportunities all around. I’d rate it higher if I could !

The arboretum and nature center is a great place for families to explore and learn about nature. I enjoy the outer loop trail for mild exercise. I like that the trails are dog friendly and the informative signs and features. theres usually construction but it doesnt interfere with experiencing the arboretum most of the time.

Such a beautiful gem in the middle of the city. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Nice trials ! Has a nice little pond where tons of turtles live and rich in natural lives. Not as pretty as right after the rainy day but still the nature was bright and restful!It’s definitely an oasis in the busy city like Houston!! If you feel tired of being the city, go get out of it and spend some beautiful nature time there!! And you’ll find that your feeling is much better than before!Anyways, bring your family and friends and have a nice hiking time! :)Cheers

Pretty cool place for a mini in town adventure! Also good to being your pet pal! My doggy seemed to enjoy herself with nature, just make sure to check the weather! Lol

Good for a short nature walk in the city. Plenty of shade in most of the walk

Nice trails. Map of trails moderately easy to follow. Lots of vegetation and shaded areas. Lots of walkers at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, but everybody trying to respect 6 ft. distancing. Plenty of benches along the way to rest if needed.

The arboretum is one of our favorite places to go with our dog. He loves it so much because theres so much to explore. I love that every time I go, I notice some different kind of plant, or discover a new trail. Its a nice and relaxing place to get away from the busyness of the city without having to drive outside of the city. The nature center is so fun, and a great place for kids to learn. And I love that they have a fun sensory garden where they teach you about different plants either through their scent, look, or taste. Its a great place to spend a short or long amount of time, and theres always something new to discover no matter how many times you go there.

We held our wedding on the Event Lawn and the whole experience was amazing. Carol was so great to work with and she makes sure that your wedding is awesome. I highly recommend The Houston Arboretum for your wedding.

Great place to take the family and dogs. Newly upgraded offering more trails with low wooden walkways.

Easy walking trails, ample parking (free on Thursdays!) Multiple paths to take and poop bags to encourage people to pick up after their doggies. Cant wait until the new section in the nature center opens!

Great place to get some nature. Plenty of trees and diverse environments. Wooden walkways, tucked away benches and lush greenery make it for a refreshing experience.

Good place to take a long walk.

Awesome trails and beautiful flowers. But lots of mosquitoes. You HAVE to use bug spray before going on the trails. Other than that its an awesome time.

We went to the Autumn Scavenger Hunt, it was so fun, the kids really enjoyed and the place is very pleasant.

The worst arboretum Ive ever seen. Weeds, weeds and more weeds. Like the ones on the side of the highway. The islands in regular houston streets have better plants and flowers. Dont waste your time or your money on parking!

The renovations are great! Love the new tall grass prairie and multitude of pins and a small lake. Sadly, you do have to pay for parking. They have meters or the apps, 5$ for all day parking. Thursdays are free to park though.

So many great trails with lots of intermittent shade. Park is always clean, price for parking is $5 for 12 hours per car. Pet friendly but leashes of course required.

Great 155 acres non-profit arboretum, and nature center located in Memorial Park, open daily with free admission.Just one section of Memorial Park.Fantastic place for a walk, and enjoying nature.Programs for kids, and adults, classes, rentals for weddings, corporate events, etc., special, and night events, volunteering, and membership opportunities.First conceived by Robert A. Vines, in 1951 land was set aside by the City Council for the Houston Botanical Society.The childrens botanical hall, and nature centers were funded in 1966, and 1967 respectively.The organization was renamed in the 80s; donations in the 90s provided for major renovations and expansions.Today it contains over five miles (8 km) of nature trails, with forest, pond, wetland, and meadow habitats. Specialty gardens include a Hummingbird & Butterfly Island, Sensory Garden, and Wildlife Garden.

It was great to get outside and enjoy nature. We saw turtles, a ribbon snake by the pond. Best part was that my 14 year old son loved it too.

A great place for long walks. It almost feels like youre not in Houston anymore. Theres lots of tree cover so it doesnt feel too hot. We saw lots of beautiful plants and flowers. The turtles in the lake are really cool to see as well. Definitely a place worth checking out!

It was a wonderful day ️ They are still working on the trails but enjoyed itYou have to pay for parking. Thursdays are free. Enjoy

This place is absolutely magical. Take a look at the photos I posted. There is so much life here at the Arboretum. The volunteers and community members take such great care of the place. This is a great spot to sit and meditate or even do a walking meditation. I love taking photos here and getting a nature bath. Will come back tomorrow

Paradise for nature lover that too in the center of the city.Blissful and serene.Nice trails.Worth visiting to surrender in the calmness of mother nature.

This is a hidden nature gem that I am glad we can access. Ive been coming to the Arboretum on a regular basis and I absolutely love the solitude of wondering in the nature and away from the city noise. The insects, plants, and wildlife that are part of this ecosystem are so amazing and I have enjoyed spotting them!

The best place to take beautiful photos! Especially for macro photography. Follow my page on ig, digikai_studios to see some amazing shots I took here. I absolutely LOVE this place! So serene and peaceful. The staff are all very nice also.

Currently under construction! Still had a good time. Good trials, but I would love to come during the summer so more plants and trees were in bloom. Geocaching is available! We got to see a lot of turtles and even a small alligator. Can’t wait to see what they do with the construction/renovations. Very kid friendly place!

Wonderful paths. Stroller friendly. Great place to walk around for the afternoon. Always something new to see even if youve been there before.

It was good for the most part but the nature needs some work, theres a lot of dead trees. But understandable, theyre building a playground of some sorts

Great place to visit. It was a bit crowded but if you go early that should not be a problem. Lots of trails to do and see. We saw large snapping turtle, redeared turtle, a cardinal, picked wild blackberries.

Good place for a long walk into the woods. Lots of wild flowers. There is a beautiful pond. Lots of paid parking($1.20).

This is great place for walk in the nature. It’s beautiful spring with all flowers and natural sounds. Check out the photos I took for this place. There is free parking. Get out and enjoy the nature.

What a beautiful place to explore and enjoy nature! Parking is free on Thursdays. Any other day $5.

We love all the recent updates to the park! Very excited to see the playground get finished hopefully by the end of this year. This park is always clean and great for families. We love the Girl Scout workshops they offer.

Enjoy walking and theres great areas to take pictures.

Perfect place to get out of the house and enjoy some walking and nature trails.

*Free parking on Thursdays*This is a gem of Houston. Beautiful and peaceful. You can easily get lost in the magic here.

Great place to get out and escape busy life. Very pleasant place to visit.

The paths are open, but they still have a lot to do,buildings to complete, plant ID signs to post, etc. Nice and relaxing place to spend a couple of hours walking. No entrance fee, but $5 for a day pass to park.

Really nice trails, nothing too fancy, just some calm and peace and a little pond that makes you forget youre in a big city. Very nice!

My husband and I spent a weekend in Houston in January. It was a little chilly but we really wanted to be outside. This is a simple and beautiful park. We took a couple of paths. The longest path was about a mile and a half. I really enjoyed the way they have keep the natural feel of the park and haveny over constructed it. You really get a good feel of nature in the middle of this beautiful city. And its really great because its FREE to get in.

I love this hidden gem! I used to come here a lot before I moved away 4 years ago so I had to come and visit when I was in town 2 weeks ago. Well lots of things have changed .. some for the good.. new playground .. new paths.. new building.... some not so good like Pay Parking. I was so sad. It doesn’t feel like my beautiful hidden gem anymore. Feels more like a corporation.. a nature corporation but a corporation..

Very calm and serene. Typically, its not super busy. Nice trails to hike. Good chance to see different wildlife like birds, turtles, and armadillos. Decent amount of parking. Good for kids and adults. Great variety of trees and plants.

Great walking on very nice nature trails.

The Houston Arboretum is a beautiful spot to escape from the city and enjoy nature. They are still renovating parts of the Arboretum, but most of the trails are open for hours of exploration, exercise, and relaxation. There is always ample parking on location, and the visitor center is easy to find before you embark on one of the many walking trails. The trails are always clean and well kept, with plenty of signs and places to sit along the way. I also love the occasional signs describing the flora and fauna around us.

I absolutely love this place its a great and amazing place to take the children so that they could get one with nature and get a lot of education on their surroundings I highly recommend this to families that would like to spend quality time with their children

Possibly one of the most breathtaking ‘parks’ I’ve been to in Houston. I wouldn’t have even guessed it’s right in the middle of the city. I recommend bringing mosquito repellent as there is a lot of standing water from the ponds and lakes.

Beautiful place to come and walk when the weather is nice. $5 to park is a little crazy, tho.

Very pretty! Lots of people come check this place out. Must see at least once.

Huge park with lots of energetic people! one of the chillest yet energizing places I have found in the city.

The arboretum is special because it embraces the natural state of nature vs keeping it highly manicured...though it still has the best of both.Take in the tall beauty of the pine trees, the blooming flowers, and the prairie grass along miles of well kept trails. It will make you think you weren’t in the city...If you didn’t hear the traffic that is (;

It was a beautiful place to walk. However, I will not be returning. My car was broken into. They smashed my window and stole my purse. Be careful if you come and don’t leave your valuables in the car!

High quality trails and conservation

If you need a place to quiet your mind and for some relief, from the city life, you must check out this establishment. The trails are well placed and people are mindful of everyone. Learn about the local species and share that knowledge with your friends and family. To beat the heat, come on the morning before the sun really sets in and you will appreciate mother nature. Come amand enjoy a little peace before you start the day.

Houstons best kept secret! A piece nature preserved in the middle of the big city!!

Beautiful place for a long walk with family. Make sure you know your way or grab a map . First time we got a little lost.

Nice getaway in the city. A little annoying to hear the highway whirring all the time, but you get used to it. It’s really well maintained.

Nature 5 stars, board of directors 1 star. I love Houston Arboretum. It is one of my favorite walking places in Houston. With ongoing renovation and changes it is very hard not to notice that this non-profit organization is becoming more like a pro-profit country club.

Beautiful, honest nature. A place to be treasured. Great trails, cool nature center. Only issue was that it was hard to figure out which trail led where and where the trails started after parking. I would suggest taking a picture of the map.

Been loving their burgers almost 50 years, when I saw they opened a seafood house I couldnt wait to go. Does not disappoint.

Great outdoor experience. the hiking trail I went on (inner loop) was well shaded and beautiful. I enjoyed hanging out by one of the ponds and watch the fish and turtles in the water. Admission is free and they have ample parking space.

When you want to get away from the 9-5 lifestyle, this is my spot. Peaceful, quiet and beautiful nature. They have built a great parking area. It’s paid parking but the money goes to the Arboretum. This place is quite a drive for me but I don’t mind it. It’s something my wife and I like to do. So if you love nature and don’t mind seeing it at its natural state, put on your sneakers and check this place out.

Love going and exploring new trails & such

Nice level walk ways. Suitable for all age groups. Runners, walkers, bicylcers, people with pets. Laid back and great for quiet walks to enjoy nature and the outdoors.

Average duration of a visit according to Google is one hour (previously would have cost $1.25 or so). Guess they werent making enough money off hourly parking so now they only offer a $5 full day parking fee option no matter how long you plan to visit for. Just something to be aware of. If you visit regularly, the annual membership will probably pay for itself. The change must have gone into effect within the last month or two.

The Arboretum has so many hidden gems! I love all the work they did on it last year. Memberships are reasonable and include tickets to their Halloween festival, which is so fun! I dont have kids so I always take friends with toddlers and they have a blast :). A really nice place to take a walk in nature right in the center of a busy city.Be aware that parking isnt free anymore if youre not a member!

We held our wedding at the arboretum on 12/2/2018. I was in a pickle because our wedding reception location was unable to hold our ceremony so in a panic I contacted Carol from the arboretum. Let me tell you, Carol is such a sweetheart & she helped me out SO MUCH! She helped me arrange the time for our ceremony and also the location. They day of the wedding she was there helping with setup and also helped direct guest to the ceremony location. It was such a beautiful ceremony! The location of our ceremony was the lily pond and we also made an arch for our ceremony. The price for the ceremony was very reasonable and it allotted for 50 guest which allowed us to have an intimate ceremony with friends and family. Carol, thank you for helping us on our special and and for all the help you gave me!

Loved it! So nice to take the kids however there could be more activities for kids to do along the walk as well as more places to stop and get a drink it was too hot

This place is great! While the kids exploration room seems small, it is packed with a ton of stuff. A reading library, exploration tree, tanks and terrariums, specimens with magnifications, and super knowledgable staff and volunteers. They have a great amount of trails and informational stops on the way. A touch of wilderness in the middle of the urban jungle.

Awesome trails with wonderful flowers to enjoy.

Great place to get away from home. Many nice trails with the new construction.

What a great nature reserve!! The perfect place to go for a walk, take your dog or spend time just out in nature.I go here several times a year to perform weddings and it’s just such a lovely setting. The staff is amazing and everything goes perfectly.The only downside is at certain times of the year there are lots of mosquitoes. Bring bug spray.

Beautiful little escape right in the heart of Houston. Come enjoy a couple of miles of beautiful trails share in Memorial Park. Several little ponds and a lake fill of turtles. You do have to pay for parking here.

Awesome trail and park. Must visit places in Houston, TX.