If you’re looking for the best skyline view in Houston, Texas, these four awesome Houston spots are exactly what you’re looking. They’re sunset, picnic, and date-tested. We spent countless hours during our time in Houston just sitting in this spots, staring, and taking it all in.
One of the first questions we ask ourselves when moving to a new city is: Can I enjoy have fun here for free? Houston passes this test with flying colors. Although the city is landlocked, car-heavy, and fairly ugly, it has some spectacular views. There’s no shortage of parks and rooftop vantage points for you to take in some of the best views of everything this Southern megacity has to offer
1) POST Market’s Rooftop – The Best View in Houston (Downtown)
POST Market is a trendy hot spot for the diverse foodie. This indoor food court is not your average mall food court that comes to mind. POST Market is an upscale food court filled with unique, one-of-a-kind, restaurants that you won’t find anywhere else.
From West Africa to the Peruvian coast, you’ll find food options from all over the world here. Make sure you try some Southeast Asian fusion food from Hawker Street Food Bar and authentic Ceviche from the Andes Café.
After FINALLY settling on a restaurant and ordering your food, it’s time to head upstairs. Follow the stairs to enjoy the best view in Houston. Oh yeah, and it’s 100% free! You can’t beat that.
Totally unrelated, but there’s also a really cool free NASA exhibit in POST Market that has a really cool glowing moon that’s an absolute must see if you ask me.
Parking
POST Parking lot
Parking in the POST Market Parking Lot out front is convenient and relatively cheap compared to other parking garages and lots. On a busy night, it’s a bit difficult to find a spot since the lot is so small. Brush up on your stalking and waiting skills because you’ll need to wait for cars to leave to get a spot.
Note: Houstonians WILL fight you for a spot. My best advice to you is, to stand your ground and assert dominance. (My car almost got hit because of my ego refusing to back down from this psychopath)
Street parking is free on Sundays in downtown Houston! On any other day, you may need to pay the meter and walk to the POST Market but luckily there are ample parking spots nearby.
2) Stude Park – The Underrated Gem
Stude Park is one of the most underrated views of the entire city. This baseball park is located just off of the Katy Freeway in The Heights. This park has the best panoramic view of the city from its benches closest to the baseball fields on top of the hill. Stude Park is something you must do at sundown or at night for the best cityscape.
Sometimes there will even be baseball games going on at the diamond right next to where we took these pictures. There’s something about a bunch of kids and their families having the time of their lives playing baseball overlooking a view like this. This is a spot we went back to time and time again in Houston.
Parking
Stude Park has tons of free parking right at the park.
3) Rice University Campus – Hogwarts in Texas
Rice University Campus won’t give you a nice view of the skyline, however you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Hogwarts, making it an instant contender for best view in Houston. Rice campus has tons of oak trees that cover the roads. The campus is well-shaded on hot days and has plenty of seating. Rice University has the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen.
This is the perfect spot to pack a picnic and have an amazing, low-cost date. It’s especially beautiful at dusk. When the lights turn on, the Rice campus is simply magical. You can spend hours walking around, chatting away, and taking it all in without spending a time. There’s also tons of outdoor seating if you want to get some work done while you’re here.
Parking
Free parking is always available from Hermann Park across the street.
4) Japanese Gardens in Hermann Park – The Best View in Houston for Nature Lovers
Just to the side of the mini pentagon and horse statue, you’ll find this beautiful Japanese garden tucked away in Hermann Park. The Japanese garden is locked separate from Hermann Park and closes a bit earlier than Hermann Park. The garden is only open from 9am-6pm every day and doesn’t charge an admission fee.
The Japanese garden has tons of beautiful little paths with lots of wildlife wandering in and out of the ponds. The garden has a ton of cute little ducks and lots of turtles! The park feeds the wildlife and protects the gardens so make sure you don’t bring your own food for them or they will try to fine you. Seriously, they have anti-feeding signs everywhere in the park.
Parking
There’s tons of free parking around Hermann Park, so there’s no reason you should have to pay. The only exception to this is if there’s a major event going on in the area, but even then you should be able to find something for free.
There were our four top choices for the best view in Houston, Texas. Let us know if we missed any of your favorite places to sit back, relax, and enjoy this amazing, multicultural city.