Houston Scavenger Hunt

48 free finds downtown, along Buffalo Bayou, in Hermann Park and among the Museum District's lawns.

Houston Scavenger Hunt

TeamMeet at (place and time)

  1. Stay with your team on public parks, trails and sidewalks.
  2. Keep back from the bayou and the lake, and cross streets only at marked crossings.
  3. Buy nothing, take nothing and climb nothing.
  4. Photograph nobody outside your team without asking.
  1. The tallest five-sided building in the worldIt rises 75 stories and 1,002 feet, the second-tallest building in Texas. Point to it and say how you know it has five sides.
  2. A painted mural on a downtown wallWrite its main color and one thing it shows.
  3. A walkway under 100-year-old live oaksThe promenade on Discovery Green is shaded by old live oaks. Count the trees along it.
  4. Old houses kept in the city's first parkSam Houston Park, begun in 1900, holds buildings from Houston's past. Count the houses you see from the path.
  5. A library building from 1926The Spanish Renaissance Julia Ideson Building was the city's only main library from 1926 to 1976. Count its arched windows.
  6. A downtown park built on old parking lotsDiscovery Green's 11.78 acres were bought as parking lots in 2004. Count the paths leading in.
  7. A one-acre lake with the skyline behind itDiscovery Green's lake is lined with native plants. Count the towers you see reflected.
  8. A dog run just for small dogsThe park has two, one for big dogs and one for small. Count the small dogs.
  9. A two-acre lawn with a view of the towersLie back on the lawn and count every tower you can see.
  10. Tranquillity Park beside City HallFind a sign that says where its name comes from.

Next step Turn it into a photo hunt

How it works

Bats streaming from under a bridge, seven figures made of letters and a steel obelisk standing on its point: this Houston scavenger hunt holds 48 finds, each free to see.

Read the full guide

Start downtown

Downtown Houston opens first. Buffalo Bayou runs along its west and north edges, and The Museum District and Hermann Park lie south along Main Street, a light rail ride away. Choose an area in the menu, then press Print this list.

Proof on paper

Most finds ask for a name, a count or a year, so teams prove a find by writing it. The note under each is the judging rule.

Tips
  • The bats leave the Waugh Drive bridge at dusk. Finish the bayou list there and watch them go.

Questions and answers

Can you do a free scavenger hunt in Houston, TX?

Yes. Every find is seen from parks, trails, plazas and sidewalks. The park train, pedal boats and museums are ticked from outside, and nothing needs a ticket or a purchase.

Is this hunt good for kids?

Yes, with an adult in every team. Hermann Park and the bayou play area suit children best. Keep back from the bayou bank and the lake edge, and watch the bats with an adult at dusk.

What is the best area in summer heat?

Hermann Park and the Museum District have the most shade, under old live oaks. Go early, carry water and save the downtown lawns for the evening.

More tools

Browse Word Games

All 48 finds

Downtown Houston 12

  • A city hall built in 1939 Houston City Hall went up in 1938 and 1939 on Bagby Street. Write what is carved over its door.
  • A dog run just for small dogs The park has two, one for big dogs and one for small. Count the small dogs.
  • A downtown park built on old parking lots Discovery Green's 11.78 acres were bought as parking lots in 2004. Count the paths leading in.
  • A library building from 1926 The Spanish Renaissance Julia Ideson Building was the city's only main library from 1926 to 1976. Count its arched windows.
  • A one-acre lake with the skyline behind it Discovery Green's lake is lined with native plants. Count the towers you see reflected.
  • A painted mural on a downtown wall Write its main color and one thing it shows.
  • A two-acre lawn with a view of the towers Lie back on the lawn and count every tower you can see.
  • A walkway under 100-year-old live oaks The promenade on Discovery Green is shaded by old live oaks. Count the trees along it.
  • Old houses kept in the city's first park Sam Houston Park, begun in 1900, holds buildings from Houston's past. Count the houses you see from the path.
  • The square where the city's markets stood Market Square held four market houses and city halls, the first opened in 1840. Stay in the square and count the old buildings facing it.
  • The tallest five-sided building in the world It rises 75 stories and 1,002 feet, the second-tallest building in Texas. Point to it and say how you know it has five sides.
  • Tranquillity Park beside City Hall Find a sign that says where its name comes from.
Show all 48 finds (36 more)

Buffalo Bayou 12

  • A dog park with a pond for swimming Count the dogs in the water.
  • A footbridge over Buffalo Bayou Stop in the middle and count the downtown towers in view.
  • A heron or egret in the shallows Write its color and how long it stood still.
  • A memorial to police officers by the bayou Walk it quietly and write its shape.
  • A play area with a stream and a boulder scramble It also has a sandpit and climbing logs. Children play; an adult watches.
  • A skate park in a bend of the bayou It covers 30,000 square feet. Watch from the edge and count the tricks you see.
  • A slow brown bayou through the middle of the city Buffalo Bayou formed 18,000 years ago and flows 53 miles to the Gulf. Keep back from the bank; write which way it flows.
  • A trail mile marker by the water Copy the number.
  • Bats pouring out from under a bridge at dusk A bat colony lives under the Waugh Drive bridge. Watch from the bank with an adult and write how long the stream lasts.
  • The door to an old underground water tank The Cistern, 87,500 square feet, is now a space for art and sound. Tick its entrance from outside; this list does not go in.
  • Seven kneeling figures made of letters The Tolerance figures on Harmony Walk stand for the seven continents; each is about 10 feet tall and lit from within at night. Find a letter you know.
  • The spot where Houston began Allen's Landing is the city's official birthplace, settled in 1836 where Buffalo Bayou meets White Oak Bayou. Write the two waterways' names.

Hermann Park 12

  • A 1964 fountain in a traffic circle Mecom Fountain sits where Main Street meets Montrose Boulevard. Tick it from the sidewalk; never cross into the circle.
  • A Chinese pagoda in Hermann Park Count its roofs.
  • A fishing pier on the lake Count the people fishing.
  • A garden planted for its smells Sniff three plants in the Fragrance Garden and write the best.
  • A Japanese garden opened in 1992 Its 5.5 acres were designed by Tokyo landscape designer Ken Nakajima. Write one thing in it made of stone.
  • A pioneer log house in the park The Pioneer Memorial Log House is a small museum. Tick it from outside and count its logs on one side.
  • A playground built for every child Find one thing a child using a wheelchair can play on.
  • A reflection pool 740 feet long Hermann Park's pool is lined by two rows of live oaks, one planted in the 1920s for World War I veterans. Walk its length and count your steps.
  • A small train running through the park The park railroad's route is 1.8 miles on tracks two feet apart. Watch one pass from a safe spot.
  • An eight-acre lake with islands Count the islands from the lake overlook.
  • An outdoor theater with free shows Miller Outdoor Theatre, opened in 1922, gives free shows from March to November. Copy what is on today's sign.
  • Pedal boats on the lake Count them from shore; this list does not rent one.

The Museum District 12

  • A banner for the Museum District The district joins 21 museums, and 11 are free all the time. Copy one museum name from a banner or sign.
  • A broken steel obelisk standing in a pool Broken Obelisk was set here in 1970 and is dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. Write which end points down.
  • A chapel dome on a nearby campus The Chapel of Saint Basil stands near the Rothko Chapel, on the University of St. Thomas campus. Write the color of its dome.
  • A lawn beside a gray museum The Menil Collection's founders were John and Dominique de Menil. Count the big trees on the lawn.
  • A light rail train on Main Street Watch from the platform or sidewalk and write its colors.
  • A live oak shading a whole sidewalk Walk under it and count your steps from shade to sun.
  • A metal-clad art museum with sharp corners The Contemporary Arts Museum's building opened in 1972. Count its corners from the sidewalk.
  • A plain eight-sided chapel The Rothko Chapel holds 14 dark paintings and draws about 110,000 visitors a year. Tick it from outside, quietly.
  • A science museum founded in 1909 The Houston Museum of Natural Science sits at the north edge of Hermann Park. Tick it from outside.
  • A sculpture garden you can walk into Pick one piece and sketch it.
  • A sculpture on a museum lawn Write what it is made of.
  • The oldest art museum in Texas The Museum of Fine Arts' first building opened in 1924 in the Greek Neoclassical style. Count the columns on its front.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page in September 2026: 48 finds on foot in Houston, Texas, downtown, along Buffalo Bayou, in Hermann Park and in the Museum District, sorted by area, all scored from public parks, trails, plazas and sidewalks with nothing bought, nothing ridden and no ticket. Nothing was copied from another list; no brand, bar or brewery is named. Levels are our judgment. Names, dates, sizes and places in the notes were checked on 2026-09-24 against English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Discovery_Green, JPMorgan_Chase_Tower_(Houston), Houston_City_Hall, Tranquillity_Park, Julia_Ideson_Building, Market_Square_Park, Sam_Houston_Park, Allen%27s_Landing, Buffalo_Bayou, Buffalo_Bayou_Park, Tolerance_(sculpture), Hermann_Park, Japanese_Garden_(Houston), Hermann_Park_Railroad, Miller_Outdoor_Theatre, Mecom_Fountain, Rothko_Chapel, Broken_Obelisk, Menil_Collection, Museum_of_Fine_Arts,_Houston, Contemporary_Arts_Museum_Houston, Houston_Museum_of_Natural_Science and Houston_Museum_District. Licence: own work