Things to Do in Alvin

Tiny legs scamper across Lone Star Bounce Town's 9,000-square-foot floor, bounding from one cushy inflatable to the next and pausing before a gallery of kid-friendly toys and games. Disney-inspired bounce houses populate the open space, including new plush slides and domiciles that pay homage to the bubbly heroes of Toy Story 3, Winnie the Pooh, and Dante's Inferno. Tykes hone their hand-eye coordination by shooting hoops on the inflatable basketball court, cracking plastic balls off baseball tees, or threading straws into juice boxes in the Lone Star Cafe. A special subsection designed for toddlers, Lone Star's Tiny Town, features scaled-down playhouses, toy cars, and colorful, bouncy balls.

The clatter of foosball and air-hockey tables makes a steady drumbeat, over which drifts the sounds of an arcade—the happy digital babble of a modem dreaming. Ten leather couches with a full view of the children accommodate parents as they surf free WiFi and enjoy coffee from the café.

Nestled within the original art-deco terminal at the William P. Hobby Airport, The 1940 Air Terminal Museum traces the heritage of civil and business aviation throughout the 20th century. Memorabilia such as photographs and silver service items chart aviation’s progress, and outside the terminal building, guests can monitor airport activity or marvel at the museum’s daily air shows and plane versus bald-eagle drag races. Elsewhere onsite, the newly restored 1928 Carter Field Airmail Hangar—closed on most weekends—shelters historic aircrafts including a Lockheed Lodestar and a volunteer-restored St. Louis Helicopter. Throughout the year, the museum also hosts frequent annual events, including a monthly Wings and Wheels open house with static airplane and automobile displays.

While most drinking establishments offer suggestions on what wines pair well with food, The Paint Pub gives its clients recommendations on what varietals complement painting classes. As guests enjoy wine and beer from the bar, The Paint Pub’s artistic team guides them through the painting process. Simple steps such as mixing colors and applying brushstrokes do not require students to have any previous artistic experience though drying canvases with laser vision may not be easy for everyone. Classes can be reserved via the online calendar.

Whaz SUP's team gives clients an up-close view of the Clear Lake Area by renting standup paddleboards, leading guided tours, and holding waterborne yoga classes on paddleboards. Located about 45 minutes southeast of downtown Houston on Galveston Bay, the Clear Lake Area has one of the largest fleets of pleasure boats in the US. Each outing gives guests a steady, all-over workout that engages the core and helps paddlers fit into their high-school cummerbunds.

While party music blasts through a speaker system, kids and adults take to the trampolines at Jumping World, where 35,000 square feet is dedicated to bouncing. The main trampoline court spans 10 lanes and features a foam pit, and staffers oversee matches on two dodge-ball courts. Before planting their feet at the arcade, visitors can refuel at the snack bar and sign up for convenient birthday-party packages that include a staffer to oversee set up and clean up.