Hermann Park is Houston's central green space — 445 acres immediately south of the Museum District, featuring McGovern Lake with pedal boats, a Japanese Garden, the Houston Zoo, and the Miller Outdoor Theatre, where free performances are staged throughout the spring and autumn seasons.
The Japanese Garden is one of the better urban Japanese gardens in the United States — quiet, carefully designed, and worth an hour of wandering. The Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts the Houston Symphony, the Houston Ballet, and various music and film events throughout the year; bring a blanket and sit on the hill behind the reserved seating. The Houston Zoo is one of the ten most visited zoos in the country and has strong tropical and aquatic exhibits suited to the climate. The park is best accessed via the METRORail Museum District station.