Although I've never experienced a musical performance, wedding or even the light sequence at…read moreTwilight Epiphany, it's still a 5-star experience. As an art head and aesthetic enthusiast I've always wanted a Claes Oldenburg installation or architectural wonder open to the public in my city. Around 2012 my wish was granted! Located on the Rice campus, this spot has provided many a memory. Highlighting art, space and nature, this beautifully constructed, sparsely attended, and (imo) under appreciated spot is truly a standout in the community. I understand how this spot may feel ordinary to some, but between this, Rothko chapel, and Menil, all my aesthetic dreams are answered. Pro tip: This installation requires parking at the Rice Campus, and a short walk so be prepared! If you're visiting someone at Rice, St.Thomas TIRR, or the nearby hospital, it's def worth the stop in.

See the sky through a different light at sunrise and sunset…read more Twilight Epiphany Skyspace by James Turrell is part of the Skyspace series of monumental, interactive sculptures that can be found throughout the world. These works of immersive art are meant to have the viewer experience the sky and the surroundings. Twilight Epiphany Skyscape is located on a pyramid mound of earth. It is interesting to see the light sequence projected on the concrete "roof." The 40 minute light sequence starts 40 minutes before sunrise and 10 minutes before sunset. Climb the stairs to the second level seats or sit inside the pyramid. Or view the show from outside the pyramid. I think that is the better view. Look at the Moody Center for the Arts calendar to take a guided tour to learn more.

The Beer Can House in Houston is one of my favorite places to take out-of-town guests because it's…read moreso unique to the city. This folk art style house, located in the Rice Military neighborhood, is covered in beer cans, bottles, and pull tabs, making it kind of a Houston landmark. The project was started by John Milkovisch, who, along with his wife Mary, saved empty beer cans for 17 years. While it may not have started as an artistic endeavor, it definitely became one. Ripley's Believe It or Not estimated that over 50,000 beer cans were used, though a more detailed count by a restoration team puts it closer to 30,000. Honestly, I don't know how many cans there are--but the sheer scale and creativity of it make the place undeniably unique and interesting. The Beer Can House is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, and admission is free, which makes it an easy and fun stop. Walking around, you can see how every detail is covered in some form of recycled beer material. It's whimsical, creative, and just so quirky. If you're looking for something different to do in Houston, this is a must-see. It's a great mix of folk art, local culture, and a testament to how even the most ordinary materials can be transformed into something extraordinary. Love it!

Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited, but I am determined to return before my departure to…read moreexplore its offerings. The intriguing facade has piqued my interest, particularly its juxtaposition with the neighboring modern apartments.

Life is too short to color inside the lines so why not go wild and explore the universe of color!…read more After visiting the NYC location, this was a must on our trip to Houston. It was a world of fun photo props rooms and cool FYI about the categories of color. You can book tickets online using their website or Instagram to reserve your day and time a lot. FYI, kids of all ages are welcome but no strollers are allowed as there are stairs to climb and go down. They have cute snack pairings like fortune cookies , taffy and ice cream as you explore each art room. I absolutely loved it and we did the entire place in about an hour. You can take even more time If you wish . Bonus: after you register inside , you keep a cool QR card to take all your photos and they email them to you after the experience! You can also use the kiosk to print your photos out for a fee . There are beverages for purchase as well ( beer, wine, water and poppi soda ) It's a must for a solo trip, date or group !

Color Factory was just ok to me. It is a bit over rated and over priced for adults; however. the…read morekids loved it but they were looking for more. It is one of those places that can easily be a one and done. There is discounted weekday price starting at $19 for kids 3-12. Something tells me the $19 is if you buy it in advance. Meaning, not the day of. I paid $25 for the kids and $29 for myself online. The photo opps are what you make of it. Like for instance I've been to places where you press a button and the confetti drops down. For this, you have to actually throw the confetti up yourself. Good luck trying to figure this out with kids if you're looking for a good photo. They were also a bit underwhelmed with it. They loved the music room, the light bright room, and the balloon room. The goodies. It was cute. I'm trying bit to give the whole experience away if you are interested in going. It is best to pay for the ice cream online as it is a bit cheaper but not by much. Those cones were cute and delicious. I purchased the photo package. It really isn't necessary as you get to download the photos from a QR code you use when snapping the pics. There is a small parking lot near to it. If you wait for the group before you to leave then you can get a spot without an issue.

Very cool unique place to see in Houston. Great photo op and nice story behind the park and the…read moresculpture.

Ever wish you could join Alice and the Mad Hatter for a spot of tea? At Evelyn Park, located in the…read moresoutheast corner of the park that is close to the parking lot, you now can. This amazing and incredibly detailed bronzed sculpture of the story book tea party was created by a local artist, Bridgette Mongeon, and was installed in the park back in April 2019. This structure has a 10 foot table with benches that invite you to sit for a tea party and take photos with Mad Hatter, Alice, Cheshire Cat and the white rabbit. This sculpture has so much detail from the Lewis Carroll's classic tale that you will find yourself wanting to stay as long as you can to see it. For some examples of the details, there is a bottle that says "drink me" kept in Alice's pocket. You will find a mouse in one of Mad Hatter's pockets. There are two buttons on the back of the white rabbit's jacket that has both tweedle dee and tweedle dum on them. There is also 150 hidden items that this talented local artist decided to put within this sculpture (60 of the 150 items are found under the table). I found a lot of interesting hidden items under the table, which includes the white rabbit's house and Humpty Dumpty. If only I lived nearby, I would come back here. On the day that I came here, it had rained earlier and started to rain again. But I still took photos and sat on a wet bench (which left my pants wet, lol) and wished I had stayed longer to find more of the hidden items. I would definitely come back to this sculpture the next time I am visiting the Houston area.

Not to be confused with the Ride Wall (where you can get laid, on a wall), the Bride Wall (where…read moreyou can marry the person you get laid with), or the Crimson Tide Wall (where you can turn someone down when they want to get laid with you and cite "that time of the month"). This is a beautiful wall with rainbow colours to show you that you're in a neighbourhood that welcomes all, and discriminates against none. Homophobia is an enormous problem in the US and around the world, and we should be the pioneers of stopping it. This sort of public art is part of a big ongoing project to shut the hateful people up and put everyone in the "equal" zone that they should always have been in. Montrose is great. There are a lot of beautiful things here. I absolutely love this pride wall.

Nicely done #PrideWallHTX. Not to mention it's for a great cause, but also attracted many onlookers…read moreto this spot. Here is the story I found through David N's photo caption. http://about-online.com/featured/pride-wall-goes-up-in-montrose/ and Instagram posts https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/pridewallhtx/. I'm glad City of Houston has so many artist displays in public spaces. Oh, one more thing - no parking. I walked from a nearby business to see this wall.

We were well taken care of. Kara was our hostess and she was very tentative to all our needs. Her…read moresmile was with her the entire night. I appreciate the service she provided. I also met Nico and he was tentative as well. I plan on dining here more in the future and will gladly refer you to my family and friends. The food was very tasty and appeasing to the eye. We all took pictures of our plates. Thank you!

Once upon a time I visited here for a lunch meeting…read more Last night we were out and about without the small human and decided to check it out. Suffice to say, we have this on our go back and keep trying the dishes list. Everything was excellent. Emilio, our server was great, the restaurant itself is open but cozy, and they dimmed the lighting as the sun went down and it was really nice. Our glasses stayed full, and the food was amazing. We got the mushroom pastry thing from the appetizers - perfection. The pastry itself was a knockout but the "sauce" was *chefs kiss*. It's something I already desperately want to recreate at home but know it won't get there, c'est la vie. Anyways, the specials sounded amazing but we settled for giving the regular menu a whirl. He had the seafood lasagna and I had the chicken piccata. Both were excellent. Their chicken piccata take is better than the standard version - highly recommend. Hubs said the lasagna was great too. All in all, we loved everything, can't wait to go back. I'd also rate Mia Bella extremely high on value - for service, food quality, and portion size they're very reasonable on cost.

If you're looking for something truly unique in Houston, this is it! The bat emergence at sunset is…read morehands‑down one of the coolest natural shows I've ever seen in the city. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican free‑tailed bats come streaming out from under the bridge as dusk hits -- it's mesmerizing watching them swirl up over the bayou and head out to hunt insects. Reminded me of Austin which has a similar spot.

Watching more than 300,000 Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under the bridge is an awesome…read moresight. This is one of my favorite places to take friends and family visiting from out of town--it's such a cool experience! The best time to see them is about 30 minutes before sunset. You may have a wait a while, but be patient- it's worth it! As the bats get ready for their nightly flight, you can hear them becoming more active. They will begin dropping from the crevices under the bridge and sometimes gather in small groups. Sometimes they leave in small groups and sometimes en masse. My favorite is when they emerge as a giant swirling bat tornado! You can bring a blanket to sit on the steep hill, stand on the pathway below, or watch from the bridge above. Just watch out for cyclists--they don't always slow down for pedestrians and can be a bit hazardous. Frown. The guano smell is strong, but hey, it's all part of the experience. Parking is tricky. Do NOT park in the shopping center across the street where Subway is, even if the lot is empty. They tow cars--I found out the hard way. $350! If you can't snag one of the limited parking spots nearby, I'd suggest taking an Uber or Lyft instead. This is such a unique and fun experience, and I can't recommend it enough!

I love the Black and Gold Badge events, especially when they're at an upscale restaurant. I wasn't…read morefamiliar with Makiin Thai before this event, so I appreciate the opportunity to check it out and experience some culture in the process. The decor is beautiful! Upon entering, we were able to grab an array of drinks. The gin cocktail served in the gemstone glass was so pretty and it tasted great. With it being a seated event, I assumed we would be served, but it was a mix of passed food and buffet. I really appreciate my tablemates making sure everyone got to try all of the offerings. Because of the set up of the long table, it wasn't easy for some folks to get up to get food. We kind of took a divide and conquer approach. Some of us grabbed drinks, some went to the buffet, and others made sure that everyone received passed hor d'oeuvres. Teamwork makes the dreamwork! The dishes that were offered were very creative and unique. I tried quite a few samplings. The Roti was delicious. The Summer Salad (watermelon with the crispy onion) was different, but good. I liked the Brussels Sprouts, soup, and wontons as well. It was nice to hear from owner Lukkaew. I didn't realize she also owns Kin De Thai and Thai Tail. It was so lovely to experience the Thai culture through the traditional dance performances. I believe this was the same group that performed at the Black and Gold event at Kin Dee Thai a few years ago. Thank you for sharing your culture with us through dance (one of my favorite art forms)! It was great to see old Yelp friends and meet some new friends. Thank you Jando, Yelp HTX, and Makiin for a wonderful evening!

Where to start? 1st...a huge shout out to our amazing CM Jandoito for what may be my fave elite…read moreevent yet. Unbelievably beautiful Thai restaurant near River Oaks.The red carpet was out as you enter this thoughtfully planned out space with lovely pieces of musical art on the right.On the left was a huge wall mural that depicts the highest area in Thailand. Beautiful drinks adorned the bar as we entered and thankfully a few missed out and there were extra for those who braved the warm night out. Appetizers came in waves with delicate succulent Thai flavors.You can tell owner Lukkaew has chefs that cook with traditional spices and love.We were able to hear her story of how she came to own this and a few other Thai restaurants. We cannot wait to return for dinner or their amazing lunch Buffet Thank you Lou C for recommendation! Great catching up with new friends and ones we love seeing at events. Will return soon.

A friend and I went for a late lunch, and had the most lovely experience!…read more The food was all absolutely wonderful, the service impeccable, the staff very gracious. We sat on the patio and even though we were there for two hours our server never missed a beat! We ordered a bottle of Prosecco to start and he was always there right before our wine glasses were empty to refill them, and then again to get us started on something else when the bottle was gone. Our waters were never empty, as soon as a plate was cleared it was gone, as we finished a slice of pizza he was there to serve our next. The food was all lovely: we had the insalata Bianca and the arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, we both agreed the arugula salad was our favorite, I'm not usually a fan of a salad with just arugula in it, but this was so good I'm going to go home and try to duplicate the dressing so I can make all the time! We then had the Rabiola and Salsiccia E Friarielli pizzas, both cooked perfectly, our server recommended the rabiola and so glad we got it! Finished off with great coffee and the chef brought us out these amazing little dark chocolate truffles and biscotti to go with it. Honestly, one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. I wish I lived here so I could go again soon! But I will definitely be back next time I am in Houston!

Glad to see they have improved. Pluses…read more1. Nice outdoor patio 2. Pizza this time was crispy on the bottom (last time was soft) 3. Carbonara was hot and tasty not soggy and cool like last time 4. Trio gelato great, hazelnut our favorite because the texture was just right 5. Glass of muffatto dessert wine is delicious 6. Owner chef stopped by to say hi Areas to improve 1. Music is too loud for me and the selection is strange - rap, reggae, rave, etc - just turn off the music 2. Carbonara portion was small Great local spot and we will be back. Highly recommended and good value for good Italian.