Things are heating up in Houston. Just as summer temperatures begin to spike, the nation’s fourth largest city—and one of its most globally diverse—welcomes the FIFA World Cup 2026 for seven electric match days. When not soaking up the soccer excitement, visitors will have no shortage of pit stops to explore around town, from NASA’s famed Johnson Space Center to travel-worthy restaurants and a world-class arts scene.
Discover a neighborhood of art.
In the heart of central Houston’s residential Montrose neighborhood awaits a roughly thirty-acre campus of renowned art. Spend an afternoon reflecting at the venerable Rothko Chapel or stroll the Renzo Piano–designed Cy Twombly Gallery before visiting the Menil Collection, a trove of more than 25,000 works, including one of the world’s largest repositories of artwork by surrealist master René Magritte. While you’re in the area, stop by Blacksmith Montrose, a local hot spot known for its groovy playlists, caffeinated concoctions, and house-baked, square-cut biscuits.
Blast off at the Commons.
While touring NASA via the Space Center Houston should be on everyone’s bucket list, America’s “Space City” offers a plethora of imaginative attractions for future astronauts. One family favorite is the 445-acre Hermann Park, home to the Houston Zoo, the Museum of Natural Sciences, a lush Japanese Garden, and a recent twenty-six-acre addition called the Commons, where kids can run wild amid a rococo carousel, water features, and a space-themed playground featuring an Apollo 11–inspired rocket ship slide and a climbing space capsule.
Dine in the garden at Tiny Boxwoods.
In a city of just under 2.5 million people, this quaint garden cafe, nestled within a picturesque plant nursery in River Oaks, offers a reprieve from the dreaded traffic and oppressive humidity. Stroll among fragrant citrus trees and verdant boxwoods before grabbing lunch on the patio and picking up a box of the locally beloved chocolate chip cookies from the on-site bakery.
Step into another world at the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern.
Celebrating its centennial anniversary, this former drinking water reservoir has been restored into a magnificent public space for musical performances, sound healing meditations, and art exhibitions. Through January 2027, the cistern’s dimly lit reflecting pool and dizzying network of concrete columns will host the immersive installation Undercurrents by Mexican artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Savor a sensory feast at the Marigold Club.
Since opening last year, the Marigold Club has remained one of Houston’s hottest reservations thanks to its blend of vibrant energy and posh elegance (think London’s Mayfair meets Texas). Open for dinner and weekend brunch, the wonderland-like supper club dishes out caviar, crudo, and martinis alongside colorful art curated by Illa Gaunt and maximalist interiors by local design darling Bailey McCarthy.
