51 Fun Date Ideas in Houston
Need to come up with some date ideas in Houston? Maybe you’ve met someone you like and worked up the nerve to ask them out, or maybe you and your special someone need a fun way to spice up the typical routine. Either way, there is no shortage of places to go on a date in this hopping western town, from the traditional dinner and a movie, to cooking classes, to exploring an underground reservoir turned art installation.
If you are looking for something a little more exciting for your date night ideas in Houston, how about simulated skydiving, taking a cruise on a sailboat or going horseback riding on the beach? There are a lot of things for couples to do in Houston; take your pick below.
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- Foodie Date Ideas in Houston
- Outdoorsy Date Ideas in Houston
- Adventurous Date Ideas in Houston
- Artistic Date Ideas in Houston
- Unusual Date Ideas in Houston
- Great Date Ideas in Houston for Nerds
Foodie Date Ideas in Houston
1. Cooking Classes
Enjoying time together in the kitchen is a good omen for any relationship, so taking a cooking class in Houston is a fun date idea for foodie couples. Learn new techniques such as making fresh pasta or baking your own bread. Explore new cuisines like Thai or Cajun. Whatever you're craving, a skilled local chef is ready to show you the ropes. Working together and having fun is a perfect choice for a date, so check into some cooking classes near you to pick your favorite.
And if you prefer to keep things laid back, online cooking classes are perfect date ideas in Houston for those who want to spend the evening cozied up in their own kitchen.
2. Private Chef Experiences
If you want to create a really special evening, how about hiring a private chef near you? Celebrate a milestone birthday, anniversary or intimate dinner with a meal prepared by one of many esteemed private chefs in Houston. These all-star chefs come to your home with all of the ingredients and tools they need and prepare the menu of your dreams. The chef will serve, clear away and best of all — clean up before they leave.
3. Live Virtual Tastings
Houston is home to many wineries and breweries and if that is your thing, a wine or beer tasting at a local establishment can be a really fun date night in Houston. Or, if you prefer to stay in, you can sign up for a memorable virtual experience, such as a virtual wine tasting or online mixology class. And wine and cocktails aren’t the only things on the menu. There are virtual whiskey tastings and online coffee classes, too, for your stay-at-home date ideas in Houston.
4. Explore Houston’s Food Trucks
Head to Galleria Park for the food truck round-up. You can find pretty much anything here made fresh by some of Houston’s up-and-coming young chefs. This is definitely one of the fun places to go on a date in Houston.
5. Go to a Boozy Arcade
Video games can be a great ice breaker, and the city offers several adult arcades where you can play the games you remember as a kid. For a fun twist, you'll get to down some adult beverages for a unique date idea in Houston.
6. Visit a Farmers Market
For a fun date in Houston, head to one of the many neighborhood farmers markets throughout the city. Pick up what looks best and take it home to cook dinner together.
7. Pick Berries
Another date idea in Houston is a trip to Blessington Farms. You can pick many kinds of fruit and take them home to make jams and jellies or freeze them.
Outdoorsy Date Ideas in Houston
8. Live Theater Outdoors
One of the romantic things to do in Houston is to take in a play or concert at The Miller Outdoor Theater in the Museum District. Spread your blanket on the hillside and enjoy a performance under the stars. Best yet? It’s free.
9. Take a Bike Ride
Houston is fortunate to have a vast network of bike trails throughout the city, and an afternoon of bike riding is a great way to spend time together. Buffalo Bayou Park has 160 acres of green space and trails, and this makes a great date idea in Houston.
10. Go on a Mural Tour
Another free art experience is a mural tour. The city has many colorful wall paintings and going on a mural scavenger hunt is one of the most fun date ideas in Houston.
11. Have a Twilight Epiphany
The James Turrell Skyspace hosts a free Twilight Epiphany at sunset. The Skypace is located on the Rice University campus near the music department, and this wonder of light and sound is one of the coolest places to go on a date in Houston.
12. Hit the Trail
Besides biking, there are lots of hiking trails, both in the city and in the surrounding countryside. You will find the perfect trail for a leisurely ramble or a more challenging hike and a healthy date idea in Houston.
13. Head to the Beach
Nearby Galveston, Texas, is on the Gulf Coast and boasts many beautiful parks and beaches. At just a little over an hour away, it’s not a long trip and there are lots of restaurants and attractions that make for a fun date idea. Plus, you really can’t beat watching the sunset on the beach.
14. Go for a Sail
Another outdoorsy date idea in Houston is going for a ride on a chartered sailboat. Many companies offer half-day and all-day sessions in Galveston and the Houston area.
15. Paddle on the Pond
The pond at Hermann Park is another one of the romantic things to do in Houston on a nice afternoon. You can rent a paddleboat and explore the area or just drift along for a while.
16. Stroll Through the Japanese Garden
Not too far from the Butterfly Center is a lovely Japanese garden. More than five acres of serene landscaping including bridges, waterfalls and stone paths offer a chance to relax and unwind in nature. This is a popular date idea in Houston.
17. Catch Some Butterflies
With your camera, that is. The Cockrell Butterfly Center is a walk-through exhibit of local species of butterflies and other insects, and this is a great date idea in Houston for amateur naturalists. Located in the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Hermann Park, the butterfly center has a pollinator garden and information on how to attract butterflies to your yard.
18. Go to an Old-School Movie
An old-fashioned date idea in Houston is to go to a drive-in movie. There used to be thousands of drive-in theaters across America, but only a few hundred now remain. One of those is the Showboat Theater near Houston. Visit the concession stand for your favorite treats and watch a film from the comfort of your car. Gone are the days of the crackly speakers that hung from the car window. Drive-ins have adopted new audio technology that plays through your car’s stereo system.
19. Get Misty at the Waterwall
One of the best places to go on a date in Houston is the Waterwall. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is a favorite Houston attraction and a great place to take romantic selfies. The wall is 164 feet tall with 11,000 gallons of water circulating through it. The area is filled with over 100 live oak trees and the mists sent up by the water are welcome on a hot day.
Adventurous Date Ideas in Houston
20. Take on a Rock Wall
The Texas Rock Gym has numerous climbing walls of different configurations for beginners and experienced climbers alike. For fit couples who enjoy a challenge, rock climbing is a fun date night in Houston.
21. Go to a Rockets Game
Less challenging than a rock wall, this is a good date night in Houston if you are both fans.
22. Roller skating at Dairy Ashford
This is something you probably haven’t done since you were in junior high, but roller skating is a fun and relatively inexpensive date idea in Houston. Expect to fall. A lot.
23. Axe Throwing
This is definitely one of the more adventurous things for couples to do in Houston. Houston Axe has axe and knife throwing and an "Axpert" will show you how to do it before you begin.
24. Go to the Rodeo
The rodeo is the ultimate Texas experience and one of the most fun dates in Houston. Rodeos are held at various times of the year around the state and if you are new to the area, you definitely should check out this date idea in Houston.
25. Go for a Horseback Ride
There are plenty of places near Houston to saddle up for a few hours. Whether you prefer a trail ride or a jog on the beach, horseback riding is a really romantic date.
26. Take on the Ninja Challenge
If you love the show, you and your date will love Iron Sports. This is another exciting date idea in Houston.
27. Try Skydiving Indoors
Find out if your date is an adrenaline junky at Ifly Houston. Experience the excitement of skydiving without the possibility of your chute not opening.
28. Fly Through the Air
In one of the more unusual places to go on a date in Houston, you and your date can try out aerial work, including acrobatics and trapeze, at Cirque La Vie.
29. Drive a Race Car
Okay, you are only going 45 miles an hour, but that feels like a lot in these racing go-karts.
Artistic Date Ideas in Houston
30. Free Museum Thursday
Another date idea in Houston is Free Museum Thursday. Admission at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts is free on Thursdays, although it is recommended to get a timed admission ticket early because it fills up.
31. Menil Collection
The Menil Collection includes modern and contemporary art, and what makes it a popular thing for couples to do in Houston is the fact that admission is free.
32. Contemporary Arts Museum
Houston is home to many free museums and the Contemporary Arts Museum is another one. This is reputedly a favorite place for couples to take selfies together, so it is a popular date idea in Houston.
Unusual Date Ideas in Houston
33. Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
Who wouldn’t want to go on a date in a decommissioned underground water reservoir that’s been turned into an art installation? The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is definitely a unique date night in Houston.
34. Try a Ghost Tour
Houston is an old, historic town, so it makes sense that there are many older sections of the city, as well as parks, that are reputed to be haunted. Sign up for a ghost tour and find out. This date idea in Houston is not for the faint of heart.
35. Watch the Bats Wake Up
If you get to the Waugh Drive Bridge in Buffalo Bayou Park around dusk, you can see the local colony of Mexican free-tailed bats take to the air for the night. This is one of the spookier date ideas in Houston.
36. Watch the Slowest Race Around
Take your date to Little Woodrow’s for the turtle races, if you can handle the excitement. This is one of the quirkier things for couples to do in Houston.
37. DIY Boots
Texas is all about boots, and a fun date idea in Houston is trying your hand at making them at Republic Boot Company’s Boot History and Making Class.
38. See Houston by Segway
It can be fun to see your hometown the way tourists do. Segway Tours of Houston take you to popular landmarks on this unique way to travel.
39. Visit a Cat Café
Have coffee with cats at El Gato Cat Café. Meet cats and kittens that are up for adoption while you enjoy your favorite beverage. This date idea in Houston is popular with cat lovers, even if they aren’t looking to adopt.
Great Date Ideas in Houston for Nerds
40. Let Your Imagination Take Flight
The 1940 Air Terminal Museum is located in a cool art deco-style building and includes lots of exhibits about Texas aviation history. A good date idea in Houston for fans of vintage aircraft.
41. Visit NASA
A great date idea in Houston for space fans, the Houston Space Center is both a working NASA installation and an educational experience.
42. Learn the History of Black Soldiers
The Buffalo Soldier Museum tells the story of African American men who served the country as the Buffalo Soldiers. This is a popular date idea in Houston for couples who love history.
43. Models of Houston’s Maritime Past
The Houston Maritime Museum includes more than 150 ship models and other exhibits about Houston’s maritime past.
44. Try a Flight Simulator
If you like vintage planes, the Lonestar Flight Museum is a fun date. Try out the flight simulator and look over the collection of planes from the early days of aviation.
45. Revel in All Things Science
You can spend a lot of time at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. There are exhibits of dinosaurs, gems and minerals, sustainable energy and more. This is right up there with NASA as a favorite date idea in Houston for science geeks.
46. Take a Peek at the Stars
Another science-themed date idea in Houston is the George Conservatory. Look through telescopes to check out stars, the Rings of Saturn, the Milky Way and more.
47. Take a Printing Workshop
One of the more unusual places to go on a date in Houston, the Printing Museum offers workshops and exhibits on the history of printing.
48. Learn About the Real History of Cowboys
The cowboys who lived in Texas were multinational and made an enormous contribution to Texas history. Visit the American Cowboy Museum for a fun date in Houston for history fans.
49. Tour Houston’s Historical Buildings
A great way to learn about Texas history is to tour old buildings with the Houston Heritage Society. If you and your date love history, this is a perfect date idea in Houston.
50. Experience Life Under the Sea
The highlight of the Downtown Houston Aquarium is the stingray pool where you can pet and feed these friendly sea creatures.
51. Get Wild
Visit bald eagles, giant anteaters, capybaras and more at the Houston Zoo. You can even paint with sea lions or give an elephant a bath. This can be a light-hearted date in Houston.
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No matter what you're in the mood for, couples have lots of fun date ideas in Houston to choose from. Whether your idea of a fun date is a picnic in a park, a bike ride or taking a cooking class together, there's something for everyone here in the Bayou City.
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