Village On the Lake

Get your motor runnin' at the Art Car Parade, where the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art showcases real working cars designed to suit the owner's aesthetic, personality, and creative inspiration. Celebrate the four-day extravaganza that attracts over 250 vehicle entries, that include anything on wheels, from bicycles and unicycles to lawnmowers, cars, and go-carts from over 23 states, including Canada and Mexico. Whether the vehicles have been painted, welded, sculpted, dropped, chopped, beaded, smashed, crashed, lit, or lifted, the Art Cars come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. The only rule is that it must roll.

Explore the origins of earth and man at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where more than a dozen permanent exhibits explore the worlds of astronomy, space science, Native Americans, chemistry, energy, paleontology, and Texas wildlife. There are also several displays of dinosaur skeletons, natural gems, and other attractions that will keep you occupied for hours. Special sections of the museum include the Wortham IMAX Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium, and the George Observatory.

Reconnect with nature today at Armand Bayou Nature Center, one of the largest urban wilderness preserves where you can learn, explore, respect, and help protect nature and its vital local ecosystems. Armand Bayou offers 2500 acres of natural wetlands forest, prairie, and marsh habitats and is home to over 370 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. They also feature hiking trails, exhibits, bat hikes, birding, a historic farm, a bison viewing platform, and Nature Photography.