As a landlocked city (Galveston doesn’t count) Houston is in desperate need of some water-based activities. With summer in full force, the urge to hit the open seas (metaphorically speaking) grows steadily day by day. Still speaking metaphorically, if you want to dip your toes in the water, we humbly suggest a boat trip around the waters of Hermann Park.
Hermann Park is a 450-acre urban green space in the heart of Houston. The park is home to some of the city’s most favorite spaces, including the Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston Museum of Natural Science, and McGovern Centennial Gardens, making the Hermann Park a true local treasure.
While attractions here abound, if a moment of peace is what you’re after (and you’ve already strolled through its patchwork of gorgeous gardens) visitors can take a spin around McGovern Lake.
Located in the middle of the park, McGovern Lake is a scenic 8-acre body of water. Renovated in 1999, the lake features a catch-and-release fishing point as well as three islands, two of which designated for migratory birds.
In Lake Plaza, you and a group up to 4 people can rent a boat for $12 for 30 minutes. All riders must wear a life vest and children must be able to sit on their own. Boat rentals are available Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm weather permitted.
Elsewhere in Hermann Park, McGovern Centennial Gardens features a stunning variety of flora: 490 trees spanning 50 species, 760 hedge shrubs, 55,000 perennial bulbs, 650 azaleas, and 4.5 acres of grass – not to mention its four gardens. Enter through the Peter Bohlin-designed Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion.
Additionally, the train ride at Hermann Park picks you up from Kinder Station and takes you on an 18-minute trip around the park. It engines along, giving you pleasing views of the Miller Outdoor Theatre, Japanese Garden, and the Jones Reflection Pond. When suddenly, you are plunged into Destination Mound Town: a tunnel of mind-altering artwork from another universe.