Bask in the sweet sounds of jazz music at the Houston International Jazz Festival, which makes its annual return by celebrating a remarkable run of music, artists, education, and history. The festival, benefitting Jazz Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization, starts the summer with live music and a host of musicians and bands worldwide. The focus of the festival always seeks to honor the legends, the music, and the standards of tradition, shaping young minds and educating them for the future.
Dive into the wonders of the underwater world at the unique Downtown Aquarium, where you can interact with the ancient legends of El Dorado in the Sunken Temple, sink to the bottom of the neighboring sea, and catch glimpses of offshore rig divers in the Underwater Rig. Tour the marsh and bayous of the Gulf Coast and encounter the alligators, turtles, bullfrogs, and more in the Texas Bayou. Step inside the sunken hull of a 17th-century Spanish Galleon and see the giant octopus, a moray eel, clownfish, and the diversity of species the ocean world has to offer at the Shipwreck. Explore the lush environment of the dangerous tropical life of the red-bellied piranhas and venomous freshwater stingrays in the Rainforest. Step into Discovery Zone and come face-to-face with electric eels, seahorses, and a dazzling array of colorful fish. Interactive monitors let you further explore coral reefs, the arctic seas, and the mysteries of the deep ocean. You may even meet one of our Ambassador Animals up close during the daily Animal Encounters.
Step into the ultimate arcade for grownups, Dave and Buster's, where you can let your inner kid run wild and enjoy a full-service restaurant and nightlife venue. With hundreds of games to play, everyone leaves feeling like a champion. They offer an action-packed evening with traditional arcade games, tabletop, air hockey, ping pong, billiards, shuffleboard, bowling, virtual reality, and more.