Do you love animals? Do cute little mammals, reptiles, and insects make up 90% or more of your social media feed? Do you enjoy debating which impractical, wild animal would make the best companion in an alternate universe? If so, this blog is for you. Houston has many affordable ways to encounter animal life! Read on to learn how you can see some amazing creatures on a budget.
The Cockrell Butterfly Center
Butterflies rest on plants and feed on nectar in the Cockrell Butterfly Center.
The gorgeous Cockrell Butterfly Center is located within the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which is also less than a mile away from Rice. It features a three-story green house with over 1,500 butterflies, a 50-foot waterfall, and rich plant life from all over the world. There are even a few turtles hanging around too. The butterfly center is a perfect relaxing activity if you just need a break and want to take in the insect glory. There are multiple benches scattered through the greenhouse where guests can simply sit and enjoy the butterflies fluttering about and feeding on nectar and fruit. Just be sure to watch where you are walking and check your clothing for stowaways before you leave! Outside the green house is an interactive indoor exhibit featuring many other insects as well as a live view of developing butterfly cocoons. Rice students can obtain free memberships to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, which allows students to purchase tickets to the butterfly center for $6. Simply visit the main museum ticket counter and show your Rice ID to get your membership and discounted tickets. Bonus: the membership also allows you to see all the main museum exhibits for free, including an extensive paleontology hall with an incredible array of dinosaur skeletons! While there is free parking for the museum, it can fill up quickly and garage parking is pricey. Plan to split a rideshare with friends or simply stroll over if the weather is nice.
The Houston Zoo
Capybaras sitting in the sun at the Houston Zoo.
The Houston Zoo is located less than a mile away from Rice and features incredible creatures from all over the world. From zoo staples like elephants and zebras, to adorable baby capybaras, to the stunning sea life featured in the Galápagos Islands exhibit water tunnel, the Houston Zoo houses over 600 animal species. And as a Rice student, you can see them all for free! Students can reserve one free admission ticket online per visit and must present a valid student ID upon admission to the zoo. Free parking is available in the Hermann Park lots, but it can fill up fast, so walking or splitting a rideshare is a great alternative. Zoo trips are a favorite of many Rice students and a great way to get your research group together for some free fun outside the lab or classroom!
Waugh Bridge Bat Colony
A view of Mexican free-tailed bats flying out from underneath the Waugh Drive Bridge.
The Waugh Drive Bridge near downtown Houston is home to an enormous urban colony of around 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats! These noisy, but remarkable bats emerge every evening at sunset on warm nights in a mesmerizing swarm before heading east down the bayou to hunt mosquitos and other prey. While the bats come our year-around on warm nights, the best time to view this stunning emergence is during the summer and early fall months when the population peaks. The bats can be viewed from the trails that run under the bridge, from the bridge itself, or from a nearby viewing platform complete with informative signs about the bat life and their critical role in the local ecosystem. This amazing local wildlife feature is completely free to visit but be sure to check the weather before you go! The bats usually do not emerge if it is raining or colder than 50˚F. Free parking can be found along Allen street near the bridge or at nearby parks detailed on the Texas Parks and Wildlife page.
Brazos Bend State Park
The animals of Brazos Bend State Park: an alligator, a cardinal, and a heron hunting a crawfish. Wildlife photos taken by Siliang Li, a Rice graduate student.
Brazos Bend State Park is a sprawling Texas park located about an hour south of Houston and features 5,000 acres of beautiful coastal prairies and wetlands. The park has over 30 miles of trails and is teeming with local wildlife, including native grasses and trees, migratory birds, and most excitingly…alligators! These alligators are easy to find on mild spring and fall days, often resting in the water near the shore. Just be sure to stay on the marked trails and keep at least 30 feet away for safety reasons. Visiting Brazos Bend State Park is a great option for a weekend day trip with friends. Beyond the hiking trails, there are many beautiful picnic areas, fishing sites, and scenic overlook towers to enjoy these natural landscapes. Pack snacks, water, sunscreen, bug spray and a hat. Park entrance costs $7 dollars per adult and parking spots can be reserved in advance here. Check the park website when planning a visit as the park may close for a while after heavy storms or hurricanes.