Around Pearland, summer means stepping outside, regretting it right away and looking for somewhere cool to spend the afternoon. When customers ask where to go, this is the list we give them.
Best for families
Space Center Houston
1601 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058. spacecenter.org
Between the 5-story screen and the Starship Gallery, plus the NASA tram tour, you can fill a whole day. We have a soft spot for this one. Before he opened Clear the Air as a Pearland HVAC company, our founder Mike Stom worked on Apollo and Shuttle life-support systems.
Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS)
5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030. hmns.org
There are the dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt. There's the Cockrell Butterfly Center and the planetarium, plus the Wiess Energy Hall. From the south side, the Sugar Land location at 13016 University Blvd is a shorter drive, with a smaller lineup that's still very good.
The Children's Museum Houston
1500 Binz Street, Houston, TX 77004. cmhouston.org
For kids 12 and under. Hands-on everything, and a great gift shop. Parking can be tight on weekends; go on a weekday morning.
The Galleria (with the ice rink)
5085 Westheimer Road, Suite 4850, Houston, TX 77056. galleriahouston.com
Yes, it's a shopping mall. It also has a full ice rink in the middle of Texas. Skate rentals are reasonably priced, and the food court will feed everyone if nobody wants to cook later.
Best for a quieter afternoon
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)
1001 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77005. mfah.org
One of the largest art collections in the Southwest. Even if museums aren't your thing, the Caroline Wiess Law Building and the Glassell School courtyard are quiet and cool, and nicely done.
The Menil Collection
1533 Sul Ross Street, Houston, TX 77006. menil.org
Free, always. It's one of the great private art collections in the country, strong on Surrealism and Byzantine art, and the Rothko Chapel is a block away. Plan on at least 90 minutes.
The downtown tunnels
Roughly 6 miles of air-conditioned tunnels run under downtown, connecting the office towers. They're open weekdays 6 AM to 6 PM and lined with hundreds of small shops and lunch counters. A short loop takes 30 minutes. Walk the whole thing and you've spent most of an afternoon. Search "Houston Downtown Tunnel System map" to find a map.
If the AC at home is also struggling
If you're heading to the Galleria because the house is too warm, call us before you leave. We get to most calls the same day, even in August, and nights and weekends cost the same as a weekday. 281-992-7866.
What we'd add to the list
The cistern tour at Buffalo Bayou Park, which is cool and underground. The Houston Zoo's African Forest Aviary. The downtown library. Almost any movie theater on a 105° afternoon. The Pearland and Friendswood public libraries, which are quiet and cold and free. Send us your favorite on Instagram or mention it in a review, and we'll add it next time we update this.
A museum gets you through an afternoon. A working AC gets you through August. When the house can't keep up, we're at 281-992-7866 or book online, same-day.