Discovery Green

Discovery Green is the park that changed downtown Houston, and it is the easiest place to feel the city's energy without spending a cent. Opened in 2008 on former parking lots across from the George R. Brown Convention Center, it turned the east side of downtown into a place where people actually want to spend time, and today it is surrounded by hotels, apartments and restaurants and sits a short walk from the Toyota Center and Daikin Park. The park packs a great deal into its compact footprint. Kinder Lake is the centerpiece, ringed by paths and seating, and in the cooler months part of it becomes an outdoor ice rink. The Gateway Fountain, a ground-level splash fountain, is a summer magnet for children, and the John P. McGovern Playground is one of the best in the central city. There are dog runs, a putting green, bocce courts and a shuffleboard court, and more than a dozen themed gardens, from a rose garden to a butterfly and hummingbird garden, planted around the edges. Public art is part of the experience: look for the Listening Vessels, a pair of sculptures that carry whispers across a distance, the Mist Tree, which cools visitors on hot days, and other permanent installations. The park is open daily from early morning until late evening, and it runs a busy calendar of free and low-cost events, from concerts and outdoor films to fitness classes, markets and seasonal festivals. Restaurants and kiosks inside the park serve everything from coffee to full meals, and there is paid parking nearby.

Check the events calendar before you go, because the same lawn can be a quiet picnic spot on a weekday morning and a packed concert on a Saturday night. In the cooler months, from around mid-November into February, the ice rink on Kinder Lake is the big draw, with timed skating sessions, skate rental and special nights; past seasons have offered discounted Monday sessions and a Thursday deal for children, so check the current season's details. In summer, the Gateway Fountain and the shaded playground are the places to be, and evenings are more comfortable than midday.

Discovery Green works well as a pause between other downtown activities. It is within walking distance of Daikin Park, for a ballpark tour or a game, and right beside the convention center, so it is the obvious place to take a break if you are in town for an event. Many downtown hotels, including the Marriott Marquis, overlook it. The METRORail and buses stop nearby, which makes it easy to reach without a car.

For families, the combination of playground, fountain, lake and lawn makes Discovery Green one of the easiest free outings in Houston; bring a change of clothes for children who head straight for the splash fountain. Couples can enjoy an evening stroll, a drink at one of the park restaurants and the downtown skyline lit up beyond the lake. Dog owners will appreciate the dog runs. The park is busiest during big conventions, concerts and holiday events, and quietest on weekday mornings, when it is a pleasant place for coffee and a walk before the city wakes up.