MUSEUM DISTRICT. Incredibly well-attended, this colorful, popular museum is clearly designed for kids. Like most facilities of its type, it promotes experiential learning and offers lots of interactive exhibits. Science, culture, geography, and creativity are all given due reverence, and featured displays include Babbling Bayou (water exploration), EcoStation (an outdoor nature center), and Cyber Clubhouse (computer play). Traveling exhibits ensure that nothing ever gets stale for visiting young ones.

RICHMOND. Visitors to this 23,000-acre working ranch can not only get a feel for present-day Texas but trace the state's history through the homes and lives of the Jones family, who first settled here in 1824. The living history part of the complex comprises 480 acres, and guides in period dress instruct visitors about life on a farm, in a mansion, on a ranch, and on a chuckwagon. Hands-on activities, demonstrations, and house tours are available. Thirty miles southwest of Houston. Group tours throughout the year.

MUSEUM DISTRICT. Not a huge zoo, Houston's complex is happily manageable, and its residents include the exotic creatures that matter most to kids. Natural habitats beautifully showcase animals and provide them a certain level of comfort, which shows in their behavior and demeanor. Among the specimens you'll encounter are Asian elephants, dromedary camels, giraffes, orangutans, jaguars, and rhinos. An impressive aquarium, an aviary, an assortment of reptiles, and a children's zoo (with a carousel and a water playground) add to the experience.

MUSEUM DISTRICT. Seeking to instill in young people an appreciation of the human body and a high regard for health, this museum (affiliated with Texas Medical Center) takes education to a new level. The facility's biggest attraction is its "Amazing Body Pavilion," whose enormous replicas of the human form let kids explore (and walk through) the brain, the heart, the rib cage, and more. Interactive displays provide instruction about memory, vision, circulation, and hearing. Videos, games, and an outdoor sensory garden also further the cause.

DOWNTOWN. Helping to revitalize the eastern part of downtown Houston, this engaging ballfield premiered in 2000 and has proven to be a fan favorite. The home of Astros baseball was constructed on parking lots near the old train station and even incorporates part of Union Station in its design. The intimate venue boasts a spectacular, retractable roof that opens when the weather's mild and closes when rain appears or when air-conditioning is needed. The natural grass field has old-school appeal, as do manual scoreboxes and upclose seating. One-hour tours are available, and restaurants and bars are located in the vicinity.