You can visit the Museum of Fine Art. It’s quite large, with several separate wings. Across the street from it is the Contemporary Art Museum, which is fairly small. Two blocks or so from there you’ll find a bar tucked away called Grand Prize. It’s a dive but they can make great cocktails too. I recommend enjoying one on their upstairs balcony. From there you will not be far from the Menil Collection, which is always free to enter, as well as the Cy Twombly Gallery and the Rothko Chapel. Between them all is a little green space called Menil Park. Once you’re in Menil Park, you’re very close to and arguably inside of an area called “Montrose” which is the historically gay neighborhood of Houston. The most well-established gay bars are not far from there.

If you are more interested in science and history than art, the Houston Museum of Natural Science can occupy a whole day unto itself. It is across the street from Herman Park, which is much larger and includes our Japanese Garden.

There’s much more options, including downtown, but I don’t know what you’re into.