My friend got tickets to see a Christmas lights show in the Houston Botanical Garden. Thought it was neat the way everything lit up in the darkness. We arrived here on the last Sunday of the year. December 28, 2025. It was very auspicious for sure. We found parking at around 7:45pm and had people directing us where to park. We found parking and walked towards the entrance and waited for my friend's friends to show up. After introductions, we entered the botanical park and my friend scanned all the tickets for our group to enter. I'm not sure how much those tickets costs, but I'm sure it was worth every penny. We probably spent about 1 1/2 hours here from start to finish. We tried to stay close to together, walking close together and enjoying the lit up displays along the way. It was cool how everything was themed. From animals and insects to the many Chinese astrology animals. We even asked each other about who is what sign and we all tried to find where our Chinese animal was. It was a fun experience to have with friends on a Sunday evening. A lot of trees and signage were decorated with a lot of lights and festive themes. It was a beautiful night to be out and about. Thanks to my friends and new friends who have helped me enjoy the last Sunday of 2025 with a paid admission. It was cool that there was a lot of families and children out and about. Weather was good that night. No need to put on layers. There were food vendors in the park that night but we ate dinner prior to coming out to the Houston Botanical Gardens. The overall experience here at the Houston Botanical Gardens was very cool. Just saw the gardens at night which was cool but not during the day when it can be very therapeutic and calming as well. Still, the most beautiful thing about the lights event is that it brings people together during the holidays. Brings out the humanity in people when life seems to be on edge these days. The atmosphere that night was decidedly electric and plenty of people were around to make it better. I forgot to take photos that evening but the memories will live with me forever. For the most part though, I enjoyed myself here, seeing something different than the usual tourist thing in Houston at night. The asphalt paths was marked and there was no problem navigating around the garden. It felt smaller than it was but then again, I was following friends around without realizing how large the botanical garden really was. And so, it was just the right place that I needed to be. Enjoying the vacation with friends before doing something in Missouri City 2 days later. Maybe I should not have walked around too much that evening, but it's been a good way to be active out here at the Houston Botanical Gardens than sitting around at the house. I'm pretty sure that the lights show that I attended here is a seasonal event, so I'm assuming that they just have it annually. Not sure about other events at the HBG, but definitely check them out if you are interested and in the Houston area. Just happened to be here during the holidays in 2025. The Houston Botanical Garden is a beautiful place that's located centrally in the city of Houston, Texas. It's physically located at 1 Botanic Lane, Houston. I'm sure they accept major credit cards as well as cash for their online ticketing and people who pay at the entrance on a daily basis. As far as parking goes, there's quite a bit of parking stalls here. Albeit being at night, I figured that it was large enough to fit about 75-100 cars at any given time. I'm not sure about public transportation options, since I'm a visitor to Houston, but you can double check with the local transportation authority and see which routes are applicable and appropriate for your next trip to the Houston Botanical Gardens. Best thing to do is to have your own car, rent one, or hit up your local Houston friends to hang out at the Houston Botanical Gardens next time they're available. And of course, there is Uber and Lyft if you need their services as well. The admission fee is reasonable for anyone and everyone to help maintain the gardens. The staff here is friendly and knowledgeable about the native plants that's being cared for here. There's signage that helps you identify all the plant species that are here at the HBG. Do yourself a favor and come down to The Houston Botanical Gardens on your next trip to Houston. It may be the place you need to start or end your day. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+ read more

Amazing holiday experience! The lights throughout the establishment were beautiful and unique. There were also many fun areas for kiddos to play in along with several vendors throughout. The only issue was the parking lot at HBG. Upon arrival, we were told the lot was full and that we would have to park at the Monroe park and ride. read more

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I visited November 2025 for a special light show called radiant nature. I enjoyed it. Lights were beautiful and they had about a Mile of them. The theme was nature and they had animals, flowers, insects, Chinese zodiac and mythical creatures. A lot of interactive games to play and some swings. The day I visited weather was perfect and we actually walked it twice! When you buy tickets to the show you also have to buy parking tickets, so keep that in mind. I think it was about $70 for two people with parking, may have been more on other days. We went on a Friday. read more

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Beautiful place! Now I have only visited it during their radiant light event that starts in November. I am yet to visit the gardens outside an event but I have been wanting to go! Online makes it easy to purchase tickets ahead of time. Also parking is not free but can be purchased ahead of time otherwise there is a back lot that is 6 minutes from the main entrance where you can park. During events then you would have to park at the Monroe park and ride if you didn't purchase a garden parking pass ahead of time. If you are a member then you get a discount on parking. Not sure for general admission but during the radiant event 3 and under are free! There are no kid prices so one price for 3 and up. If you wanted to do the membership then I suggest buying it before the radiant event starts then you get 2 radiant tickets free to use only on opening day and after that it would be discounted give or take $3. If you buy a membership after radiant opening day then you only get discounted prices. This year is my second year to go and everyone has been super friendly and helpful. The lights have been exceptional, well put together, and such a great time for the family. Not sure if this was always the thing but this year at the gate they made my friend empty out their kids water bottles. Not sure why since that wasn't explained but if you have kids then you know how drinks and snacks are important to have on hand. First off they didn't say we couldn't use our water bottles so after dumping it there wasn't direction to a water station or fountain to refill if need be but again what is the why? They have non alcoholic and alcoholic drink station available for you to purchase like mimosa, beer, hot chocolate, spiked hot chocolate, etc. This year I only saw a tent for snacks and hotdogs then another with funnel cakes, and another with dessert. Last year they had way more food vendors so not sure what happened this year This is a great event at the gardens and definitely will be coming back. Considering a membership...so we shall see if we do. read more

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What can I say about this Botanical Garden. Oh my oh my. It's amazing. The land it sits on is huge. Offering acres of beautiful landscape with plants, flowers, and activities intertwined. It's inexpensive to get in and explore. It's a must see attraction. If you are a local to HTX then I suggest following them for their many events they host and put on. This botanical gardens is unkept very nicely and one of the best I have been too currently. Go check it out. read more

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Botanical gardens is not even seen for my he road. Once u turn in, u have to drive like about 1/2 mile to get to the parking lot. Near the front, there is a bathroom and a gift shop. Parking is free. They do not want u to drink food or drinks inside but they do have water fountains of u want to bring a bottle to fill it with water while you're there. If ur with someone who has mobility issues, they do have plenty of places to sit around and most of the garden is paved. This is the perfect time of year to check out the botanical gardens day or night. This was my first time going there and it so so cool to see the flower installations they had for the radiant garden. There were a variety of flowers, even one other animals of the sea. I went during the daytime but I think nighttime would be so cool be all of these flowers will light up. Have fun!!!!! read more

Houston Botanic Garden is located close to Hobby Airport near the intersection of I-45 and Park Place. It's fairly easy to find and the entrance is pretty clear when you get there. Just GPS it and it's hard to get too lost. There is ample parking (at least there was the past two times I went). The grounds are a bit underwhelming but as long as you don't go with expectations that it's similar to the Dallas Arboretum, for example, it's worth a visit. The admissions price for both day time entry and membership are both very cheap so you won't feel ripped off. If you happen to go on a hot day (like 7 months out of the year), the gift shop is nice with lots of selection and fair prices. And of course it's air conditioned! There aren't too many plants and flowers (weird, right?) so just go with the expectation of a chill day outdoors with friends, family, or just go solo and clear your mind. Enjoy! read more

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Beautiful garden near Hobby Airport. Have visited this urban garden several times during the summer. Lots of pathways, a variety of programs and educational talks. Interesting to learn about pollinators on our most recent visit. Grab a magnifying glass and look for bugs on the botanicals. Bees. Butterflies. Beetles. Ladybugs. Dragonflies. Bumblebees. Aphids. Yucca moths. Make a dish with soil, a sprinkle of salt, glass beads and lava rocks to attract butterflies. Love the rotating sculptures in the garden. Syntax is composed of letters to make an open sphere. Head in The Clouds reflected the sky so beautifully. Tree of Life is so playful and colorful. Love to see what's blooming or what's growing. Colorful flowers like the Pride of Barbados attract butterflies. Nice to see apples against a blue sky or juicy red tomatoes growing. Love the pink asters and cacti with their yellow blooms. The Houston Botanical Garden is on the American Horticultural Society pass or join the garden to get unlimited access. Lots of parking. Bring a hat, wear sunscreen and drink lots of water. read more

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December 29, 2023 2nd visit here. went to see Radiant Nature tonight. Took the park & ride $5 per person. we went to the last showing at 830p... and it was beautiful. the theme is the fall and winter celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival. see it before it leaves! read more

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This review is for their current Radiant Nature light display. It was better than I expected! Expensive, but the quality of the light displays was great-- and better yet, there are some interactive portions, too The interactive portions really made the visit enjoyable for our kids (6 and basically 4 years old). Lots of photo ops/very insta-worthy. They had hot chocolate/hot cocoa (super sweet) and some booze selections for sale - right inside the entrance as you start walking down the path. A sampling of the interactive parts: - a drum that changes the lights when you bang on it - stomp pads that trigger something to move or light up when you step on it - light up seesaws - light up swings - and more! We spent about 1.5 hours there in total. read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Light up seesaws at Radiant Nature - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The Houston Botanic Garden seemed to be off the beaten path and that makes sense given it's a large area of beautiful land that doesn't fit into the more urban areas. We were staying near downtown and this place definitely requires you have a car to drive there. We went on a Saturday morning and it was quite nice and relaxed. Not busy. We used our reciprocal admissions program benefit through our membership with the Desert Botanical Garden in AZ. It truly is such a cool benefit. I have been to 5 gardens so far using that pass. So, I'm not sure how much it costs to enter but I think it was cheap, like $15 or less. Be ready to walk and I highly recommend an umbrella if you want shade. I realized at the garden that I was getting sick and so I didn't get to explore as much as I normally would, I was feeling wiped out. There were many places to sit and rest, I was grateful for that. What we did see was very pretty and green. It's a beautiful garden to visit. read more

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Review exclusively for Radiant Nature experience available during the holidays: This experience was truly radiant and so fun for our family. We had family in town visiting for the holidays and we bought groups tickets at a reduced price. There is a also a parking fee per vehicle There were 14 of us and we were able to navigate through the displays pretty easily as a group. You have to reserve a time with the tickets to help the flow of people get through. Upon arrival there were a couple of displays, including the entryway that made great photo ops. The staff was friendly and they had people throughout the grounds. They also sold snacks and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the entrance. There was a small food court area halfway through the displays that sold dumplings and some other Chinese food. You can go at your own pace and for our big group it took us about an hour to walk through. This makes for a great gift and it's a nice way to spend time with loved ones doing something that is low stress and unique. Everyone in our group really enjoyed the experience. read more

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The good: - Absolutely nothing. The bad: - Everything about the experience is horrible. - Shuttle wait times are closer to 1 hour and not 30 minutes as advertised. - The parking location that was sent via email was wrong. It took me 40 minutes of driving around before having to look for a phone number to call. OFF SITE PARKING is located at MONROE PARK AND RIDE. We ended up standing in line for 45 minutes before I gave up. We didn't even get to see the venue. I'm getting a refund for my tickets. Please don't oversell tickets at the expense of the customer's experience. read more

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We loved the different lighted insects and flowers. We really enjoyed everything except the traffic/parking police. They take their job serious. Too serious. read more

Came here for the light show and was not disappointed! Radiant nature was the theme. The staff was so friendly and helpful throughout! I'd suggest getting your tickets beforehand and pay for parking ahead as well. You can do it there but simpler and smoother ahead! We thoroughly enjoyed the lights. There was more than we expected and they were absolutely gorgeous. Lots of interactive and walk through parts, too! Great for all ages. read more

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We went yesterday for the Banana Festival and just fell in love. The gardens are spectacular. Very friendly staff, lovely walk ways and plenty of places to sit and relax. Really happy to have found this gem read more

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This place is amazing! I absolutely adored it. I cannot wait to go back to see the seasonal changes.

This review is for the Radiant Nature display currently ongoing at the Houston Botanic Garden. I'm so behind on my reviews but thought I'd write this one first cause it was that AMAZING! I've been to plenty of lights around the area, cause I love Christmas and the holidays.. who doesn't?! But this one was absolutely beautiful! So I know we're way past the holidays but the installation is ongoing until Sunday, Feb 25th, 2024!! Run and grab some tickets cause they only open (weekends for the most part and only) for a few more weekends! They sell timed tickets for the specific date you want on the website... we got timed tickets for 6pm and showed up a bit earlier. You can prepay for parking as well; there are 2 lots, the shuttle lot for $5 and the main lot for $10! Get there right before opening and you get front row parking, only a little walk to the entrance! We allowed everyone to enter first so we can make our way slowly through the displays without feeling rushed. And I loved loved loved that it wasn't packed! That's one thing that deterred me from a few places cause it was so crowded and the lines were so long. The light display was well maintained, everything was beautiful and I loved the cultural representation (dragon and lions and zodiac animals for Chinese New Years coming up) as well as all the variety of flowers and insects! Lots of moving displays, i.e, the owls that came out of the cactus.. or the peacock opening its fan.. or the vegetable monster! So awesome for it to be more than just looking at stagnant lights. There's areas for the kids to play, with light up moon swings and lotus photo ops! There's even talking parakeets that you can speak into! All the lights seem to be working and well maintained! We enjoyed our evening and the Houston Botanic Garden is such a wonderful addition to the area! Parking was easy, lights were enjoyable, it was short enough to walk but the paved trails made it easy to follow. Overall, definitely worth the visit! My friends went 2-3x and loved it every single time! Especially the kiddos! read more

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Beautiful spot near the city for nature walks. I feel that visiting during the spring or fall is probably best to maximize the amount of plants you're able to see. I visited during the summer and it was beautiful, but you could tell some plants were struggling due to the extreme heat. If you do choose to visit during the summer months, I recommend a quick visit to the gift shop to peruse, cool off, and purchase popsicles. read more

Some friends and I went down for a first time visit. There was a display of large steel and colorful glass sculptures which were all very beautiful. We also enjoyed just walking around and photographing the spring flowers and scenery. It was a great day for photos in general but also some with my infrared converted camera. read more

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Radiant Nature was amazing! The park and ride was a great idea, but there should have been signage to inspire confidence. You had to turn into a gate and from afar it looked quite sketchy but when you got in there it was alright. Getting inside to see the exhibit was a breeze. There was lots to see and it was well worth the cost. read more

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I attended for the Meraki Wayuu Presents: Poder Hispano event and it turned out to be a really nice event, for just getting out of the house on a Saturday afternoon. The garden made for a very nice walking venue with scenery mainly the legos and various plants. Various vendors and samples, nice crowd and people. However, I just wish there was more than 1 food truck to give more of a variety in cultural foods. So, until the next one Bye-Bye! read more

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We went for the Radiant Lights instillation and loved every moment. The path is well planned out and an easy walk for anyone, including strollers/wheelchairs. The site is by Hobby Airport with parking and clean bathrooms. Perfect place to check out with kids or a date. read more

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This review is purely for their light display Radiant Nature. It was a blast for the whole family. My in laws loved all of the lights and my kids loved all the moving parts along with the end of the display. My son loved the room with all of the flashing lights and my daughter loved the colorful stars. They both loved veggie man. So glad they extended this exhibit through the end of February. We missed them out during Christmas as many of the lights are not very Christmas themed. But I saw them all over social media due to the dragon for Lunar New Years's. You still have 3 weekends at the time of this review to still go see it! read more

This year's light exhibit, "Radiant Nature," is absolutely amazing! I hope they keep it up through the Lunar New Year, because I would absolutely go again. Many of the different exhibits highlight different plant species with informative facts. Then, of course, there's an entire zodiac section through the dragon gate. Absolutely breathtaking! I loved the previous years' Lightscape exhibit, but the Radiant Nature is just above and beyond. I also had a fantastic cocktail... I don't remember what it was called. It was a little pricey but was a nice treat on the walk. read more

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This place is a great place for a date and to take kids . They have a mini garden and being a city girl I never see how my food is grown so I loved that area There's alot to see Pretty flowers a nice trail. But be prepared it's hot we ended up leaving early because we were just so hot Price is cheap $12 bucks (in 2023) a ticket read more

Beautiful Scenery, We took my Sister baby shower pictures here. It was free, cause it's a park lol, I just really don't understand why people see you taking pictures and still walk in and out and stand around read more

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It's a really nice area and theres a lot of space for walking around and exploring, part of it is like a park. There is a fun playground with a water component powered by you. There are different themed areas with plants from different geographic location. Make sure to bring bug spray, as there is not an indoor component other than the gift shop. There is shade, but most areas are not shaded, so bring sun protection as well. Overall a fun place to check out for a morning or afternoon. read more

My family and I went for the light show and really enjoyed the beautiful lights and the walk around the garden. The experience itself was super nice.We loved that we got cute complimentary light up Santa hats with the experience, and pictures turned out amazing. I would definitely buy tickets ahead of time and try to get onsite parking. If onsite parking sells out for the day I would recommend going on another date. Offsite parking is only about 10 minutes away, but there's only one shuttle and waiting in the line can take FOREVER. We ended up street parking somewhere nearby and then just walking into the garden. As all light shows are, tickets are a little pricey, but I'd say these are pretty worth it! read more

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Recently visited to attend the seasonal Radiant Lights exhibit at night. Beautiful displays of lights throughout the part including some interactive areas. Plenty of areas for pictures. The parking situation is not clearly explained online. There is limited spaces at the garden, the line does move to get you in the lot. Otherwise, there is a park and ride station roughly 10mins away with bus transport to the garden. The park and ride is chaotic and slow. Watch the time as the bus end earlier than the closing of the exhibit. read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Radiant Lights - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

Is it beautiful and worth it? My family will never know. Purchased 5 tickets expecting to see something nice and celebrate an evening at 8pm then BOOM, get there at 7:40pm paid for parking with no parking spaces available! Not too big of an issue because there's a park and ride, right? Wait, there's only one shuttle that goes back and forth and a crowd that cannot even get to the botanical gardens when we've waited here since 7:55pm (writing this @8:52) when last entry is @ 9!Epic job guys, rent out another bus if you've sold x amount of tickets. Poor planning and horribly disappointed to say the least. Do we even get refunds? read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Line of disappointment - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

Beautiful, beautiful garden. Had so much fun visiting this place, walking around and admiring nature. It is for sure a hidden gem as I never heard of this place until recently!! Tickets were 12.50 per person and we visited the place on a Thursday. Definitely will come back!! read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Front - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Seriously? I get that the admission goes towards the garden and is supportive of the program. An additional $20 for parking, for a parking lot you clearly own and a $15 booking fee. So very sad that you have something so beautiful in our city of Houston, yet you make it inaccessible to so many. In reply to owner Justin's comments. I am confident you feel justified in your pricing. I hope your holiday season is a success. read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

We wanted to do something new and right after I discovered this, we decided to go on Labor Day after checking their website to make sure it was open. You purchase tickets online and reserve an entry time (you have until an hour after the time you chose to arrive, after which you need to get the time updated, as per the website - useful to know when you have a toddler and a baby), after which you go to the ticket office and get them scanned to enter. The ticket office is actually a little ways from the entry gate; I had never seen that before, so it amused me. Ticket prices are $12.50 on weekdays, $15 on the weekends (F, S, S), and students and kids ages 3-15 are $8, not to mention membership plans. They have plenty of free parking though I can see it easily getting crowded as more people know about the place. It seems to be new so there's land that hasn't been garden-ified yet, but what they do have is still pretty substantial and beautiful. It was clean. There are paths and stepping stones to explore, fountains, and even a family area (a good 10-15 minute walk from the entrance across a bridge) that features a water play area. Bring comfortable shoes and water. Despite the heat, it was enjoyable with lots of plants (and insects) to see! They have different themed areas from plants in arid climates to more wet ones (cue the bananas) to edibles - and many flowers. They have a few shaded areas, fountains, a pond, and LOTS of picnic tables. So many picnic tables/chairs with tables that I found myself confused because outside food isn't allowed inside, unless it's for babies/young kids. Perhaps just places to sit and rest? Maybe to keep the place clean? I guess I can't blame them if that's the reason why food is limited. They have a gift shop and I saw a few snacks and other items for sale, but we didn't go in this time. I hope they have postcards! My toddler had a great time with the water, she soaked herself. We were not prepared for that. I did read they sold food and drinks but I didn't see anything obvious; we tend not to purchase food when we go out because our diet tends to be a challenge at many places, haha. Otherwise, we had planned on picnicking until I read the rules. We all enjoyed our time there and plan on returning again when the weather finally feels a little cooler. We also can't wait to see the Garden grow and evolve, especially when I have such bad luck with keeping plants alive. read more

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A quiet meditative visit at the botanical garden is just what we need sometimes and to reconnect with Mother Nature. read more

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This is such a gem! We are so lucky to have such a beautiful space in the middle of a sprawling city. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the peace and serenity afforded by strolling the numerous paths within the manicured gardens - keep an eye out for some Secret Garden-esque ones that take you right into the heart of the gardens. If you are looking for some more walking, take the sidewalk through the wetland and grass prairie areas. This is an excellent way to spend an afternoon and it merits coming back to visit several times throughout the year to see different plants in bloom. Parking is ample and free, so no worries there. Entry prices vary depending on age and memberships are available in various packages. During COVID, masks are required. No outside food/drink is allowed in the garden area but there are certain areas with picnic tables where you can eat. No dogs allowed except service animals. read more

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So mad / disappointed with them !!! First time there, my wife was having medical event, on verge of passing out in the heat (we're seniors) so I plead to get her into a cool place. They refused to help until we paid entrance fee : Given her condition, wasn't sure if we would be able to enjoy the visit. I paid entrance fee for access to AC in Gift Shop. She stabilized enough to leave after 40 minutes sitting in Gift Shop. We left without enjoying the grounds, Never Going Back ! Woman in Gift shop was wonderful but younger staff working ticket sales and young man in office were deplorably insensitive. read more

I walk here at least three times a week. Their foliage is growing and they now have a few life size Lego sculptures. The yearly membership is worth it. Last December they had a laser light display that was pretty cool to look at. I only wish they would keep their members updated on their hour changes and closures of certain walking areas. They also need to have more reliable staff to open up. I along with a few other members/volunteers were there waiting until 5-10 minutes past their operating hours. read more

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I was so excited about hearing about this Botanic Garden but I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. I think this garden will be a wonderful place to visit in 4-6 months, but right now it's under construction and notably very unfinished. Admission is $12.50 on weekdays and $15.00 on weekends. You can also buy a membership for unlimited entry, which I think is around $40-$50. There is ample parking, and we came early enough in the day that there were not tons of other people around. Regardless the garden staff asks that you wear a mask and practice social distancing. The parts of the garden that are finished are beautiful. This includes a cactus/desert portion, a bamboo "tunnel" and other parts. However, this area is very small. The majority of the garden is vastly unfinished with signs saying, "We are seeds. Give us time to grow." A cute sentiment, but then you've essentially paid to look at dirt. Other parts of the path have active construction going on with cones and no cleaning of the shrubbery altogether. I think eventually the garden will look beautiful. Right now, it's less of a botanic garden and more of a half-finished backyard. read more

Houston Botanic Garden - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is amazing $30 per person amazing lights and lanterns to see with the kids with a nice playground. The only downside is the food prices were expensive and the hot chocolate was only available in kids size what is disappointment and it cost me $22 not worth it but They keep in mind that if they are selling food they should put napkins for customers to get because we don't want to be walking around with a messy face. Had to use the restroom to clean out the food. read more