The Woodlands, Texas, is a fabulous community located in Montgomery County in the Houston area.
The Woodlands is truly unique in that its environment has been carefully thought out and provides the perfect balance between work, life, and leisure.
Mountain views for miles coupled with a surrounding forest landscape create a very pleasurable atmosphere for such an upscale location.
There are so many things to do and see here — from visiting the water park to attending Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s award-winning shows.
The Woodlands is a heavily forested area, and like most areas of the suburbs, much of the community has retained trees around their homes.
The flat topography at The Woodlands makes for an excellent hiking area, where several hills and valleys are easy to traverse through.
Currently, eight villages are segmented into neighborhoods and feature a variety of amenities, including golfing, parks, bike trails, commercial centers, and more.
It’s time to explore all of the diverse activities available in this award-winning luxury master-planned community.
Here are the 20 best things to do in The Woodlands, TX:
Barre Kelley / Shutterstock.com
The Woodlands Mall is a wonderland of unfathomable proportions.
This premier mall and fashion center in North Houston sits nearby the diverse community of The Woodlands, TX.
There are so many designer styles of clothing here.
Barre Kelley / Shutterstock.com
And you’re going to love how much food the food court has to offer, which never seems to run out.
The warm lighting, friendly staff members, and fun ambiance will surely complement your experience as well.
The best part about the mall is it’s always there for you whenever you feel like getting away from work for a bit!
With space for shopping, dining, and entertainment, along with trendy shops and fine dining, The Woodlands Mall offers an exciting shopping experience for fashionistas and consumers alike.
Barre Kelley / Shutterstock.com
The Woodlands Children’s Museum encourages children to appreciate diversity regardless of physical abilities and social-economic backgrounds.
This cooperative learning environment acknowledges and values that children learn best through play experiences tailored to their different stages of development while being exposed to age-appropriate concepts.
The museum provides opportunities for creating cultural awareness and appreciation through workshops, seminars, art classes, multicultural holiday celebrations, and field trips, with visitors who help create a culturally rich experience.
To experience the dynamic and engaging program designed for grades K4 to K5, they use exciting hands-on activities so that students get an up-close look at the world.
The program provides families with limited financial resources the ability to access participating Texas-based museums in exchange for a minimal donation of $3 per person, which will then help support museums and the educators who work within them.
The Woodlands Children’s Museum ensures that visitors, especially children, get access to all a world of wonderment and imagination.
Forest Oasis Waterpark is a truly family-friendly place.
Its poolside service is remarkable, and the food and drinks here are of the highest quality, reasonably priced, and wonderfully served by cheerful staff members.
Forest Oasis Waterpark is a fun place for the whole family because there are activities to entertain people of all ages and interests.
You’ll also meet friendly faces at every turn, simply because most people go here to relax after a long week of work or school.
Whether you’re in the mood to spend a lazy afternoon lounging around by the poolside, or you’re ready to take part in heart-pounding water slides, Forest Oasis Waterpark has got you covered!
The George Mitchell Nature Preserve is a beautiful natural recreational area located in Creekside Village.
The 1,700-acre natural preserve has been open since 2007 for the purpose of connecting and protecting up to 12,000 acres of forest along the entire Spring Creek.
When visiting the Mitchell nature preserve, be sure to bring your own camera so you can see all the native species, such as velvet ant, ticks, snakes, and a few other critters.
Tucked between neighborhoods and major crossroads are fantastic walking trails and an enchanting creek in George Mitchell Nature Preserve, and a walk here rewards you with beautiful flora.
A fantastic place to unwind and normalize your mental rhythms by unplugging from the daily stresses of life, the George Mitchell Nature Preserve is also a nice place for beginners to go mountain biking.
There are signs as you bike through to keep you safe so you can enjoy the beautiful view, and when you’re ready to take a break, check out this area’s many wonderful trees that make the scenery stand out!
Play Street Museum – The Woodlands is a wonderful museum filled with play areas and activities incorporating learning toys and educational elements.
The interactive exhibits here motivate children to learn and make them feel like the greatest explorers on land, water, and even in outer space.
Play Street Museum is a wonderful place for children to explore, play, and crawl about.
The staffs here are friendly and diligent, constantly cleaning, sanitizing, and tidying up toys and various other pieces.
It doesn’t get very crowded here, so it’s easy for anyone to get engaged in the exhibits.
Cellar Twenty-Four is a lovely local wine bar near the corner of Kuykendahl and Woodlands Parkway in The Woodlands, TX.
This locally owned and operated wine bar is an environmentally friendly space that provides an alternative to your typical eateries by giving customers a place, where they can enjoy drinks, nibbles, and conversation while learning more about wines and wine culture.
They provide quality service and the largest selection of products available anywhere in the area, specializing in wine but also offering a selection of beer and spirit-based drinks as well.
Cellar Twenty-Four is your neighborhood wine bar with cozy, casual vibes and a positively unbeatable selection of wines, beers, and other beverages.
Whether you’re stopping by after work for a glass of wine or bringing your friends here for the lively atmosphere and delicious small plates menu, this charming place is the ideal spot to chill with friends after work or catch up with fellow chums throughout the week.
Montgomery County Preserve is a preserved park known as an ecological oasis since it’s nestled within the heart of Montgomery County.
Here you can take a break from the hectic daily stressors of working life, soak up some vitamin D in the sun, and relax your mind while enjoying a day out hiking one of its many serene trails that lead deep into nature.
A hike through the Montgomery County preserve won’t take much time at all but will give you views that are hard to beat.
Hiking through the preserve might be the perfect option if you’re not up for a road trip.
It has spectacular views and is a wonderful place for anyone seeking a serene place.
WhisperToMe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion provides an opportunity for everyone to enjoy the Arts.
After witnessing how impactful the arts are on communities, they made it their goal to share their home with kids and families in a way they never have before.
Woodlands Pavilion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Pavilion is a venue for performing arts, which The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, a non-profit organization, owns and operates.
Some of its biggest shows provide much-needed cash flow to this valuable community amenity, and generous donations ensure that the Pavilion continues to bring quality performances to its community.
Lakeside Park has the best of everything.
There’s a nice skateboarding park, well-kept and beautiful tennis courts, two incredible playgrounds (one for the big kids and one for toddlers), and a great lake with access to Bear Branch Reservoir.
The basketball court, tennis courts, and swimming pool provide many opportunities for everyone to come together or find time to relax.
Even if it’s just a quick trip to the lake with friends, there are plenty of spots that offer views of the water, with picnic tables nearby where you can grill up burgers or hotdogs while enjoying nature!
With an amazing trail and so much to do and see, Lakeside Park is an incredible place to visit.
Whether you’re trekking, kayaking, skateboarding, or just strolling through, Lakeside Park is the ultimate family attraction.
The Republic Grille is an American restaurant in Texas that caters to families, professionals, brunch-goers, and anyone else looking for a casual place to enjoy good food, cold beer, and strong drinks.
This family-friendly establishment serves scratch-made cuisine made from fresh ingredients that they got locally from their state-of-the-art kitchen.
They host frequent themed parties and events, keeping their popularity growing among local residents in addition to first-time visitors alike.
The moment you walk through their doors, they want you to feel relaxed and at home.
You’ll find their food is as exciting as it is approachable and that you’re never rushed when eating with them.
If you love art, it would be best to visit Mossrock Studio when you’re in The Woodlands since it has already featured many amazing artists and recently featured three more phenomenal artists, such as R. Keith McNay, a brilliant designer, illustrator, oil painter, and artist; and the husband-and-wife artist duo from Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Hermes Justiniano is an expert craftsman who sculpts beautifully wooden vessels indigenous to the region, and his wife Gina Foianini delights in painting, with natural dyes she creates from plants native to Bolivia.
You have to check out their work at the art gallery because the couple’s love of nature and concern for conservation comes through in much of their stunning art, which they combine into one exhibit!
Mossrock Gallery specializes in landscape art by featuring new and established artists wherein some use jewelry, ceramics, paintings, fibers, photography, and sculpture to incorporate landscapes into their work.
In 2009, Riva Row Boat House became the first boat rental center open to the public in The Woodlands, Texas.
Located along the Woodlands Waterway, this beautiful location is a hive of activity for both boaters and non-boaters alike.
It’s steps away from the dining, shopping, and entertainment happening at Market Street and Town Green Park.
The eight wholesome watercraft include stand-up paddleboards, single kayaks, tandem kayaks, single and tandem pedal kayaks, swan boats, water bikes, and elliptical stand-up paddleboards.
Lakes Edge is another boathouse that was built in 2016 to better accommodate the rapidly growing number of Hughes Landing residents who enjoy boating and fishing on Lake Woodlands.
This sleek, coaster-style boathouse sits on the southern part of Restaurant Row amidst apartment buildings and has convenient access to Northshore Park and everything else that the scenic lake has to offer.
Rental options at Lakes Edge Boat House currently include tandem kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and single kayaks.
Last spring 2021, they expanded and have included water bikes.
A subdivision in Texas known as The Woodlands Township owns and operates Lakes Edge and Riva Row.
Though it has the word “Zoo” in its name, the Zoo Health Club is neither a proper zoo nor an actual animal center but rather a gym, which is a fantastic place to go for a great workout.
They offer an affordable and clean workout venue and have a good variety of classes offered at different times of the day.
Zoo Health Club also has a 24-hour gym membership for $10 more than standard monthly prices, which is great for those who stay up late at night or need an early morning workout before starting off the day.
The owners here truly care about its members’ safety and satisfaction, so if you’re not happy with anything that happens, you can always speak to them about it, and they’ll do their best to make it right for you.
They offer something for every type of fitness goal and even helpful ambassadors in each location, who will assist you with any questions you may have about signing up or any trouble areas of your body that need special attention.
Alden Bridge Sports Complex is an ideal place for sports fanatics to practice their game.
This complex has beautifully manicured soccer fields and baseball fields, with lights to help keep the games going even when it gets dark outside.
There are also water fountains in convenient access points around the facility.
For those who just love spending hours and hours training at the facility, Alden Bridge has plenty of restrooms, with everything you’ll need to freshen up after a hard-hitting session.
Alden Bridge Sports Complex has enough space for people to safely park their vehicles and play their favorite sports.
Grogan’s Mill’s The Woodlands Farmer’s Market is a weekly community event that began in 2008.
It’s available every Saturday at Grogan’s Mill Center and typically only closes once over the year, between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
You can walk or ride your bicycle down Grogan’s Mill Road to access the market under its archway entrance directly off of The Woodlands Mill Bend Trail.
The Woodlands Farmer’s Market provides opportunities for businesses to grow and bond by providing farm-fresh produce and artisan craftsmen and creating safe community environments where individuals can learn new things while meeting new people.
The Mitchell Library is a pleasant public library, thanks to its staff who are very friendly.
The facility itself offers free Wi-Fi to all visitors during their time spent in the building.
One can sign up for a library card whether they are an adult or child older than five years of age; there is no fee involved with obtaining one, so it is quite convenient.
This establishment has resources available, such as computer workstations, which people can use to search for books via a barcode number located on the outside of the volume.
Also, this place features a separate section that aims to meet the various needs of children who want to read through stories from more classic literary artists.
Mitchell Library offers its guests a clean, safe environment in which they can enjoy their time spent reading works of art created by some of literature’s most celebrated names and entities alike.
The Ice Rink is in the well-known multi-purpose event/building center called Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on the northwest side of the venue.
The Ice Rink has a 21,000-square-foot main room, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems that come together to create the perfect environment for ice skating.
This venue is great for Ice Rink enthusiasts or professional figure skaters, as it has a great deal of both room and activities for all to enjoy.
The ice here has plenty of skaters and offers various activities you can try.
The Bear Branch Disc Golf Course is the perfect place in 5205 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, to sneak away to when you’re in the mood to practice your distance drives.
If you are an intermediate or beginner player and want to work on your cornering, then Bear Branch Disc Golf Course is the golfing area for you.
Being one of the premier disc golf courses in The Woodlands, boasting well over 40 trees per hole with a pond in play on several of them, you’ll find plenty of relief from your hectic life and maybe even relax while here.
You can even take a stroll by the pond on a few holes if you prefer water hazards.
It’s not an entirely beginner-friendly course due to how challenging it can be, but at the same time, it’s not too complicated, so even first-timers can enjoy themselves.
Are you an adventurer looking for something exciting, or are you someone who wants to have a day out of your town and visit another beautiful one?
With idyllic trails and great establishments within The Woodlands, offering fun and excitable new experiences, you can’t help but wonder at the awe-inspiring sights while visiting this charming Texas town.
This endearing town offers a huge array of activities, from parks in the city with beautiful natural scenery to exciting entertainments centers.
Plan an exciting vacation with this unofficial guide to all the best things you can do while visiting The Woodlands, Texas!
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
