Karnes County

Things to do in Karnes County

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Top 10 attractions in Karnes County

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Space Center Houston
2026 Global 100 - Family-friendly Attractions

Space Center Houston

8.9
4.7/5
355 reviews

Space Center Houston is located in Houston, Texas, USA, and is the official visitor center of NASA's Johnson Space Center. From the Apollo moon landings to the Space Shuttle era, most American crewed spacecraft launched from Florida, while flight control after liftoff came primarily from the adjacent Johnson Space Center: after the Apollo 11 lunar module landed on the Moon in 1969, the phrase transmitted back to the ground, "Houston, Tranquility Base here," was calling precisely the control team here; the film Apollo 13 made "Houston, we have a problem" a popular catchphrase, and its prototype was also a real space emergency handled by the Houston ground team. Most of the highlights in the museum are real objects that have "been to space": Starship Gallery displays the Apollo 17 command module that carried out a lunar landing mission, the return capsules from the Mercury and Gemini programs, the training module astronauts used to prepare for the Skylab space station, and a moon rock you can touch with your own hands—only a handful of moon rocks worldwide are available for the public to touch; the spacesuit exhibition area brings together a large number of actual flight suits and extravehicular suits that were worn, including the lunar suit Pete Conrad wore while walking on the moon during Apollo 12. Outdoors, Independence Plaza stacks the real Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft and the space shuttle replica Independence one above the other, and visitors can go inside both; beside it lies a Falcon 9 rocket booster that flew a cargo mission to the International Space Station. The signature experience is the NASA tram tour, with multiple routes leading to different areas of Johnson Space Center: you can overlook full-scale spacecraft and space station mockups from the elevated walkway at the astronaut training facility, visit the historic mission control room restored to its Apollo-era appearance where the moon landing was commanded, and get a close look at the Saturn V giant rocket—over 100 m long and displayed horizontally—in Rocket Park; only a handful of complete Saturn V rockets survive worldwide. Allow most of a day for the visit; tram departure time slots are limited and spots on popular routes are tight, and queues are common at Independence Plaza during peak boarding hours, so it is best to make arrangements early after entering. The exhibit where you can touch a moon rock is inside Starship Gallery and is easy to miss inadvertently; meeting astronauts and hearing them recount their space experiences is a long-standing signature activity here, so keep an eye on the day's time slot schedule.

United States · Houston

Experiences you can't miss in Karnes County

Featured Day tours in Karnes County

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San Antonio Full Day Historic City Tour
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4.8/5
· 269 reviews
Duration: 8 hrs
Free cancellation
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25 consecutive positive reviews
FromKRW 160,151
San Antonio: City Sightseeing Van Tour
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5.0/5
· 1 review
Duration: 8 hrs
Free cancellation
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FromKRW 87,301
San Antonio River Walk Food Tour
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5.0/5
· 12 reviews
Duration: 3 hrs
English
Free cancellation
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FromKRW 201,601
San Antonio Small-Group Tour with Cruise & Tower of the Americas
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5.0/5
· 2 reviews
Duration: 4 hrs
English
Free cancellation
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FromKRW 147,481
San Antonio Riverwalk Tour With River Boat Cruise
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5.0/5
· 4 reviews
Duration: 1.5–4 hrs
English
Free cancellation
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FromKRW 92,668
San Antonio Haunted History Ghost Tour
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4.8/5
· 15 reviews
Duration: 90 mins
Free cancellation
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FromKRW 43,712
San Antonio Driving Tour From Austin with Boat Cruise & The Alamo
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4.9/5
· 50 reviews
Duration: 7 hrs
Free cancellation
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47 consecutive positive reviews
FromKRW 362,022
Historic Downtown & Riverwalk Walking Tour
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4.9/5
· 162 reviews
Duration: 2 hrs
Free cancellation
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57 consecutive positive reviews
FromKRW 52,487

Featured Food & drink in Karnes County

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Downtown San Antonio: Tamale Cooking Class on the Riverwalk
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5.0/5
· 3 reviews
Duration: 2 hrs
English
Free cancellation
FromKRW 120,873
San Antonio: Food Tour with Tacos, BBQ & Tex-Mex Classics
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5.0/5
· 3 reviews
Duration: 3 hrs
Free cancellation
FromKRW 145,702
River Walk San Antonio: Guided Food Tour
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Duration: 3 hrs
Free cancellation
FromKRW 173,199
San Antonio Centre Food Tour of 6 Tastings with Tacos & Ice Cream
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Duration: 3 hrs
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FromKRW 145,334

Free things to do in Karnes County

What travelers say about Karnes County

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AFE19 December 2022
5.0
Little heaven in Texas!! River walk is full of fun. There are lots of little stores, reaturants all around the river. You can take a boat tour or just walk.

San Antonio River

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Zoeeavril2 November 2026
5.0
Loved every minute! So easy to book and just scanned the qr code on arrival and got straight it and was a LOT cheaper than the prices at the space center.

Space Center Houston

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小思文3 July 2021
4.0
The Natural Science Museum displays many ancient animal fossil specimens. The facilities of this science museum are also very unique. You can see many interesting things. The collection of the entire museum is also quite rich, and the large dinosaur fossils are very shocking.

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Frequently asked questions

What are the must-do things in Karnes County?

Don't miss these attractions in Karnes County: San Antonio River, Space Center Houston, and Joe Gulley Park. If you like Day tours, try San Antonio Full Day Historic City Tour. If you enjoy Food & drink, try Downtown San Antonio: Tamale Cooking Class on the Riverwalk.

You can give Downtown San Antonio: Tamale Cooking Class on the Riverwalk and San Antonio: Food Tour with Tacos, BBQ & Tex-Mex Classics a try. Before you go, please check their opening hours and menus online. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak hours.

When choosing a tour, start with how much time you have and the kind of experience you're looking for. Trending options right now include San Antonio Full Day Historic City Tour, San Antonio: City Sightseeing Van Tour, and San Antonio River Walk Food Tour. Check the real-time availability and itinerary before you book.

As of 10 November 2026, the reference price for day tours and activities in Karnes County is around KRW 43,712 – KRW 362,022. Rates vary by duration, group size, transportation, tickets, meals, and any special admission requirements. Before you book, please confirm the billing currency and whether the price is quoted per person or per group.

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Change and cancellation policies vary by attractions and tours. Please check the product details page for more information.

Ticket prices may vary between weekdays and weekends, as well as during peak and off-peak seasons. When booking with Trip.com, you can also use Trip Coins to get extra savings. For more tips on booking discounted tickets, please visit Trip.com for the latest information.