Our tour of the free fun starts with the big one -- the Gulf of Mexico is less than fifty miles away from Houston and even if money is tight, it's hard to beat the price.
"The kids want to have fun and if you don't have a lot of money, it's good to come out here for them," said Anetria Carroway of Houston.
Carroway plans to spend at least one more day of the holiday weekend on the beach. She says high gas prices have her watching every dime.
"We went and got some Popeye's and went to the dollar store to get blow up rafts and came out here. We spent $25 and came out to the beach."
If you want to stay closer to home, check out Discovery Green. The new park in downtown Houston offers the kids a place to cool off without breaking the bank.
"Gas is so expensive and we are trying to save as much as we can, and the park is free, the water is free and the lunch is free," said Glenya Rios of Houston.
That's provided you pack your own lunch like the Rios family. The park has a waterfall and plenty of playground equipment for your kids to let off steam.
"I like it and the kids love the water and it's a great playground and it's real open," said Sarah Devine of Houston.
And while it may be quiet right now, Miller Outdoor Theater is the site of free entertainment this weekend. "Dancin' in the Street: Motown and More" revue will hold free shows through Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:15pm.
Another freebie happens Monday only. That's when the Houston Zoo opens its door to the public. The zoo is always a popular place, but can get pretty crazy on free days so a word of warning.
"Parking is very, very limited in Hermann Park and on a free day when we see upwards of 20,000 or more on a free day, carpooling or taking public transportation really makes a lot of sense," said Brian Hill with the Houston Zoo.
Something else to check out, all weekend long the city of Houston pools will be open to the public and they are free, too.
It is easy to find the pool closest to you. We have those listed on my blog. There, you can also find a link to the web site that points out the buses that serve the Houston Zoo so you can avoid parking problems.
