Ho Ho Ho! Here Are the 6 Best Things To Do in Houston at Christmas

The holiday season in Houston is one of my favorite times of the year. I remember my first Christmas here—I was amazed by how the city sparkles and how much colder it was!
There’s so much to do, whether you’re with family or friends. From the magical zoo lights to ice skating in the heart of downtown, Houston truly comes alive during the holidays.
I’ve had a blast checking out some of the best spots around town, and I can’t wait to share my top picks with you. So grab a cup of cocoa, and let’s dive into some of the most fun and festive things to do in Houston this season!
1. Enjoy the Houston Zoo Lights
Media Credit: houstonzoo
Website: https://www.houstonzoo.org/
Address: 6200 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX
Contact details: (713) 533-6500
Business hours:
- Monday to Sunday: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Each holiday season, the Houston Zoo transforms into a sparkling wonderland for kids and adults alike! We’ve visited the Houston Zoo Lights numerous times, and it’s always a fantastic spot for some family fun.
On our last visit, we found the zoo set up perfectly for families. The paths were wide and spacious, so we didn’t feel crowded, and there were plenty of places to sit and rest. The illuminated animal displays and twinkling lights in the trees throughout the zoo were absolutely enchanting.
The disco dance floor was a huge hit with the kids, and at the time we visited, the Great Ape Gallery was transformed into an underwater kingdom with stunning light projections.
And if you’re concerned about walking around a zoo at night, don’t be! The animals are safely tucked away, so you can enjoy the lights without any worries about nighttime encounters.
The Houston Zoo Lights usually runs from November to January, open from 5:30 to 10:30 PM.
Pro Tip: Purchase your tickets early to secure the best price and spot, as prices rise on weekends and holidays, and popular nights often sell out quickly. |
2. Go Ice Skating at Discovery Green
Media Credit: discoverygreen
Website: https://www.discoverygreen.com/
Address: 1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX
Contact details: (713) 400-7336
Business hours:
You know it’s the holiday season in Houston when the ice skating rink at Discovery Green finally opens! It’s been a long-running local tradition and a must-do for anyone in H-town for the holidays.
What we love about the outdoor rink are the surrounding festive lights that add magic to the experience of ice skating in the middle of the city. It’s like being in a scene from a Christmas movie!
While Houston isn’t known to be a winter destination, the Discovery Green Ice Rink definitely brings plenty of winter cheer to our city! It opens every November and ends in January of the following year.
Pro Tip: Bring extra socks for your ice skates! |
3. Watch The Nutcracker by Houston Ballet
Media Credit: houstonballet
Website: https://www.houstonballet.org/
Address: 501 Texas Avenue at Smith Street Houston, TX (in Wortham Theater Center)
Contact details: (713) 227-2787 (for tickets)
The Houston Ballet’s performance of Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker is another Houston tradition that can’t be missed!
The Houston Ballet is a top-notch ballet company based in the city and is one of the biggest ballet companies in the country. Their performance of The Nutcracker was my first ballet, and although I’d seen it on TV when I was a kid, the live performance was way better than I expected! The whole show was stunning—beautiful costumes, amazing music, and incredible dancing.
The Wortham Theater Center was a great place for this kind of show. They have binoculars and for families going to the show, they also have booster seats for the little ones.
The Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker runs from November to December every year.
Pro Tip: Check out the Houston Ballet boutique for souvenirs of the show! |
4. Laze Around at The Marriott Marquis Houston
Media Credit: themarquishou
Website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/houmq-marriott-marquis-houston/overview/
Address: 1777 Walker St, Houston, TX 77010
Contact details: (713) 654-1777
The Marriott Marquis has a famous amenity on its sixth floor terrace: the iconic Texas-shaped lazy river!
In the months leading to the holiday season, this hotel runs Texas Winter Lights, a months-long event where the terrace is decorated with a ton of sparkling lights in anticipation of the holiday season.
Once visitors are able to access the terrace, they can choose their own adventure–have photo ops with the glowing trees, play in the artificial snow, have a competitive game of cornhole, or go for a dip in the lazy river.
The best part is that this event isn’t fully exclusive to hotel guests–for a fee beginning every November, non-guests can purchase day passes and enjoy the activities from Monday to Thursday (weekends are reserved for hotel guests).
Floating along the lazy river was by far our favorite activity. For those worried about the water temperature, chill! The pool water is heated up to 80 degrees, so guests can stay warm even during the colder months.
Pro Tip: Guest room packages may come with VIP passes to the Texas Winter Lights. Sounds perfect for a staycation! |
4. Galaxy of Lights Houston
Media Credit: spacecenterhou
Website: https://spacecenter.org/galaxy-lights/
Address: 1601 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX
Contact details: (281) 244-2100
Business hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday to Sunday: 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM
Houston loves Christmas light shows, but the Galaxy Lights at Space Center? Well, they’re truly out of this world!
We always look forward to this particular light show because it truly feels inspired by the galaxies in outer space. The Deep Space Backyard was like walking through a night sky full of twinkling stars.
We also enjoyed the film “Holidays in Space.” It was really cool to see how astronauts celebrate the holidays while on a mission in space.
And if you’re in the Space Center, you have to learn something new! The “Celebrate Light” live show was fun and informative. It taught us about how light works and its role in space exploration in a way that was easy to understand.
But what makes the light shows in Space Center unique is how they celebrate Houston’s role in space exploration. On our last visit, they collaborated with the International Space Station (ISS) with a “Lights Around the World” display, which had tall trees enveloped with lights and culturally adorned SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets representing all the partner nations of the ISS.
And here’s another good thing about this show: they have smores and hot cocoa!
The Galaxy of Lights opens every November and closes in January of the following year. Prices range from $19.95 to $27.95 per adult. Children below the age of 3 get to enjoy the show for free!
Pro Tip: A general admission ticket to Space Center doesn’t include admission to the Galaxy of Lights, so plan ahead accordingly! |
5. Drive Through Dasher’s Light Show
Media Credit: dasherslightshowhouston
Website: https://dasherslightshow.com/
Address: 7575 North Sam Houston Pkwy (in Sam Houston Race Park)
As Houston’s original Christmas light drive-thru, this experience made many families happy during a bleak period in our lives.
The drive-through takes around 20 minutes. It’s a perfect length to take in all the colorful lights and displays.
We followed the signs and drove slowly, about 1 mph, to fully enjoy the show. Each light show was carefully timed with the music playing on my car radio. It was like watching a holiday concert made just for us!
A few things to keep in mind: Dasher’s Light Show is for regular passenger vehicles only—so cars, trucks, and vans are all good. But if you have a larger vehicle like a bus or trailer, you won’t be able to get in.
Pro Tip: If you need a restroom break, you can step out of your car while waiting in the queue line. But once you’re in the drive-thru part, you’ll need to stay in your vehicle for everyone’s safety. |
6. Go Shopping and Take Pictures with Santa at The Galleria
Media Credit: houstongalleria
Website: https://www.simon.com/mall/the-galleria
Address: 5085 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX
Contact details: (713) 622-0663
Business hours:
Monday to Thursday: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Friday to Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Holidays in Houston aren’t complete without shopping in one of its many malls!
Our favorite mall to visit for the holidays is The Galleria, because they always seem to be in the holiday spirit (they had a Summertime Santa event this summer, so they’re already celebrating as early as July).
For families looking to have a portrait with Father Christmas himself, The Galleria hosts picture-taking events during the holidays. For a fee, we had our photo taken with Santa at The Galleria and we didn’t have to wait long for our turn! There’s an option to book and pay for the photoshoot in advance, online.
Pro Tip: If you book online and need to change your schedule, you can do so for FREE up to 48 hours before the visit. |