The Buddy Carruth Playground for All Children offers fun for children of all abilities. Most equipment at the playground is handicap accessible, and the interactive water playground will keep kids cool in hot weather. The playground is near the METRORail Line on Fannin Street and the newly-expanded Hermann Park mini-train. Built in 1995 for $1.3 million, development of the playground was planned and financed through the Houston Parks Board.

The original Houston Garden Center was erected in 1941 and was managed by the Houston Federation of Garden Clubs.

In 1961, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department took over the management of the center.

The Japanese Garden Japanese Garden is an island of serenity nestled in a pine grove near the Sam Houston Monument. Designed by world-renowned Japanese landscape architect, Ken Nakajima, the garden was built to symbolize the friendship between the United States and Japan, and to recognize Houston's thriving Japanese community. Mr. Nakajima based his design in Zen philosophy stating, "We must work with nature, to create a new space and a sense of beauty." The garden is built on 5 acres and combines a traditional Japanese Garden design with a touch of Texas.

The International Sculpture Garden displays a series of busts of historic figures including the Great Liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar. The cast-bronze bust was created by C. Talacca in 1977, and was presented to the City of Houston by the people of Venezuela in December 1978. It was restored in April 1997, when the bust and its granite pedestal were fully cleaned and recoated. General Bolivar was born to great wealth in Venezuela in 1783, and spent much of his career and fortune leading the fight for South American freedom from colonial forces. For this reason, he is revered in the same way as George Washington.

The monument to Dr. Mahatma Gandhi was created by Mr. Ram V. Sutar. It is made of bronze and stands on a 3’- high pedestal. The monument was donated to the City of Houston by the India Culture Center and the Consulate General of India. It commemorates Dr. Gandhi’s liberation of India from the British Empire through the peaceful use of passive resistance.

The most recent addition to the sculpture garden is a life size bronze sculpture of Confucius that was dedicated on September 26, 2009. The sculpture was given to the City of Houston as a token of goodwill and friendship between the Chinese people and people of American people in an effort to enhance the cultural diversity of the city, to promote better understanding and friendship in the community, and to strengthen the economic link between the United States and China. The Sculpture is located in the Sculpture Garden at the Houston Garden Center. (more)

On December 9, 2007, a monument to Dr. Martin Luther King joined the Mahatma Gandhi statue already in place at the Garden Center as a visible reminder to all who visit of their shared belief in nonviolence, community service and social justice. Denver artist Ed Dwight was commissioned to design and create the statue. He has designed and installed over 35 major memorials across the nation. He's been recently commissioned to create the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial, for the National Mall in Washington. Other works have included the MLK Memorial in Denver, the Underground Railroad Memorial in Detroit, the Harold Washington Memorial Sculpture in Chicago's blues district and other permanent works on display in the Smithsonian.

See the sculpture garden collection via www.houstonmunicipalart.org.

Nearby Venues of Interest

There are a number of venues surrounding Hermann Park that add to its popularity... Including: The Houston Museum of Natural Science, founded in 1909, is one of the most visited museums in the country. Located inside of Hermann Park, adjacent to the Sam Houston Monument, the museum is a 5-venue complex. It houses the Challenger Center, the Wortham IMAX Theater, the Burke Baker Planetarium and the Cockrell Butterfly Exhibit. An additional 4 floors of natural science halls and exhibition space allow the museum to serve its mission to "Preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge of and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain and promote a museum of the first class."

The Miller Outdoor Theatre is an open-air theatre where you can watch a concert or play while picnicking in one of Houston's most popular parks. The theatre opened in 1969 and has played host to a variety of multi-cultural events. The theater was renovated in 2000 and holds a wide variety of family-friendly performances each year rain or shine, including Cinco de Mayo and Fourth of July festivities. You can also catch Shakespeare in the Park, the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera performances at Miller. For a complete listing of these events navigate to the Miller Outdoor Theater Calendar of Events.

The Houston Zoo transports park visitors to lands beyond Houston's city limits with its menagerie of animals that include lions, tigers and bears as well as reptiles, primates and elephants. Founded in 1922, this exciting recreational destination serves 1.4 million guests annually and is set in a lush 55-acre landscape right in the middle of Hermann Park. The Houston Zoo is home to more than 3,100 exotic animals representing more than 500 species. It is one of the largest collections in the nation and is considered one of the best-maintained zoos in the country.

Hermann Park Maps

Printable Map (.pdf)

• Houston Garden Center • Japanese Gardens • Hermann Park Golf Course
• Hermann Park Golf Course Calendar • McGovern Lake • Hermann Park Train
• Miller Outdoor Theater • Houston Zoo • Museum of Natural Science