Holiday lights and ice skating with kids around Houston
December is the most comfortable month of the year to be outside in Houston, with evenings in the 50s and 60s, which is perfect for pushing a stroller through lights. From Thanksgiving to early January the zoo, the botanic garden, downtown and Galveston take turns lighting up, and two outdoor rinks give kids a taste of winter.
Free and close first: Sugar Land Town Square lights a giant tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, with Santa and fake snow on December weekends. Of the ticketed shows, Zoo Lights is the 2-year-old favorite, a slow stroller loop through tunnels of light shaped like animals; Lightscape at the Houston Botanic Garden is more artful and less crowded. The outdoor rinks at Discovery Green downtown and Town Green Park in The Woodlands suit kids 3 and up, and for a Christmas day trip, Moody Gardens in Galveston has a mile of lights plus an ice slide.
- 6 places
- 1 free
- 6 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
6 places
Drive times from Sugar Land
Sugar Land Town Square Holiday Lights
5.0Sugar Land · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free Town Square garages (time limits)
Zoo Lights
5.0Houston · 25 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Hermann Park lots are free but full at night; paid garage by the zoo; METRORail Hermann Park/Rice U
Lightscape at Houston Botanic Garden
4.0Houston · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free garden lot, tight on event nights, so arrive early
The Ice at Discovery Green
2.0Houston · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Paid underground park garage (about $10–15), free street parking on Sundays; METRORail to Convention District station
The Woodlands Ice Rink
2.0The Woodlands · 55 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free parking at Town Green Park and along the Waterway, tight on weekend evenings
Moody Gardens Festival of Lights
5.0Galveston · 70 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free lot on site
💡 Good to know
- Zoo Lights and Lightscape use date-based pricing and sell out on weekends; buy online in advance and go on a weeknight or the first time slot.
- Houston winter nights swing from mild to cold; bring a layer kids can take off, and one more for the coast at Galveston.
- Rink tickets include skate rental; bring gloves. Little ones who don't skate are happy with the lights and hot chocolate.