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Image credits

All 121 photos on this site are real photographs from Pixabay, used under the Pixabay Content License and hosted on our own server. Thank you to every photographer below.

Graphics such as the orbit lines, the star dots, the glowing horizon, the round mission-patch logo, the icons and the illustrated cards are drawn in code by us. We use no AI-generated images.

The home page (9)
  • Glass office towers in downtown Houston seen from below
    Glass office towers in downtown Houston seen from below Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A historic house with a wide porch and palm trees in Galveston
    The Ruhl House, a historic house with a wide porch and palm trees in Galveston Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • A stone lantern and a pond under tall trees in the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park
    The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park: a stone lantern, a pond and tall trees Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • The skull and neck of a dinosaur skeleton against a dark background
    Skull and neck of an allosaurus skeleton on black; not taken at the Houston Museum of Natural Science Photo by WikiImages on Pixabay
  • A black-and-white striped ring that looks like a tunnel, an optical illusion in a garden
    A black-and-white striped ring sculpture in a garden that looks like a tunnel; not at the Museum of Illusions Photo by Christian51 on Pixabay
  • An orange butterfly resting on a green leaf
    Close-up of an orange butterfly (Julia, heliconia) on a leaf; not taken at the Cockrell Butterfly Center Photo by terski on Pixabay
  • The huge engines of a Saturn V rocket on display at Space Center Houston
    The engines of the Saturn V rocket on display at Space Center Houston Photo by Enlightening_Images on Pixabay
  • A Saturn V rocket lying in its hall at Space Center Houston, with flags above it
    The Saturn V rocket lying in its hall at Space Center Houston, flags above, heads of visitors at the bottom edge (not recognisable) Photo by Enlightening_Images on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston's skyline seen across the lawns of Buffalo Bayou Park on a clear evening
    Downtown Houston's skyline of glass and stone towers behind the wide lawns and paths of Buffalo Bayou Park (the Eleanor Tinsley Park slope) under a clear sky, low evening sun, trees along the bayou; a few tiny distant walkers and a bike on the grass Photo by avMachine713 on Pixabay

Space Center & museums (35)
  • A sawfish gliding over coral and white sand in a large aquarium tank
    A sawfish over coral and sand in a large aquarium tank (not the Downtown Aquarium) Photo by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay
  • A shark swimming past rocks and coral in an aquarium tank
    A shark swimming past rocks and coral in an aquarium tank Photo by Wildfaces on Pixabay
  • The Sam Houston statue on horseback atop a stone arch in Hermann Park, under a blue sky
    The Sam Houston equestrian statue on its stone arch in Hermann Park, Houston, under a blue sky Photo by 11912373 on Pixabay
  • A ball pit full of bright plastic balls in pink, blue, green, yellow and red
    A ball pit full of bright plastic balls Photo by palichka on Pixabay
  • A close-up pile of paper confetti in many bright colors
    A close-up pile of colorful paper confetti Photo by Mylene2401 on Pixabay
  • Tall panels glowing with projected blue and green art in a dark room
    Tall glowing blue and green art panels in a dark room (an art installation, not ARTECHOUSE) Photo by bogitw on Pixabay
  • Two hands stretching shiny purple slime above a metal bowl
    Hands stretching shiny purple slime above a metal bowl; face not shown Photo by JamieHarrington on Pixabay
  • A colorful, painted tunnel walkway with people seen in silhouette at the far end
    A painted, colorful tunnel walkway with two people in silhouette at the far end (not Meow Wolf) Photo by RonPorter on Pixabay
  • A person in silhouette inside a walk-through installation of angled mirrors
    A person in silhouette walking through an installation of angled mirrors (not Meow Wolf) Photo by r-q on Pixabay
  • A visitor looks at old paintings on the white wall of an art gallery
    A visitor seen from behind looking at three old paintings on a white gallery wall (not the MFAH); no face visible Photo by RyanMcGuire on Pixabay
  • Long-necked dinosaur skeletons on display in a museum hall
    Long-necked dinosaur skeletons in a museum hall (not the Houston museum); a few small distant visitors, no recognisable faces Photo by ceparedonda on Pixabay
  • A wooden dock on the lake in Hermann Park, with trees and a tall tower behind
    A wooden dock and railing on the lake in Hermann Park, Houston, with trees on the far shore and one tall tower above them, blue sky Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • Pedal boats lined up at the boathouse on the lake in Hermann Park
    Rows of pedal boats docked at the boathouse on the Hermann Park lake, Houston, towers and trees behind Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • The red and blue engine of the little Hermann Park train at its station
    The red and blue miniature steam-style locomotive of the Hermann Park railroad at its covered station, Houston Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park, with pines and a small wooden bridge over a pond
    The Japanese Garden in Hermann Park, Houston: pines, shrubs and a small wooden bridge over a pond Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A bronze sculpture of a woman with flowing hair, seen up close
    Close-up of a classical bronze sculpture of a woman with flowing hair and a spear, ornate ceiling behind (not at the MFAH) Photo by Couleur on Pixabay
  • Lights repeating into the distance in a room lined with mirrors
    A person in silhouette in a mirrored kaleidoscope room with black shapes reflected (not the Houston museum) Photo by 11974670 on Pixabay
  • An optical illusion of blue, black and cream circles that seem to turn
    A rotating-snakes style optical illusion pattern of blue, black and cream circles Photo by Ratfink1973 on Pixabay
  • A blue morpho butterfly resting on a red flower
    A blue morpho butterfly with open wings on a red anthurium flower Photo by Efraimstochter on Pixabay
  • A lifelike model of an early human's head on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
    A lifelike model head of an early human with shaggy hair and amber eyes, on a white plinth in a museum case; tagged by the photographer as the Houston Museum of Natural Science Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A star projector under a blue-lit planetarium dome
    A planetarium star projector under a blue-lit dome (not the Burke Baker Planetarium) Photo by Hans on Pixabay
  • The skull of a T. rex skeleton, seen up close
    Close-up of a T. rex skeleton skull against a dark background Photo by nnguyen21 on Pixabay
  • The gold visor of an astronaut helmet on a white space suit, close up
    Close-up of an astronaut helmet with a gold visor on a white space suit Photo by stux on Pixabay
  • Two bronze statues of astronauts in space suits against a cloudy sky
    Two bronze statues of astronauts in space suits against a cloudy sky (location not stated) Photo by beyhoca on Pixabay
  • A modern control room with rows of desks and many screens
    A modern control room with desks and many screens, people seen from behind Photo by SpaceX-Imagery on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston's towers seen from above, with low clouds between them
    Downtown Houston towers from above with low clouds (the shuttle leaves from downtown) Photo by Pexels on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston office towers seen from street level against a blue sky
    Downtown Houston office towers seen from street level, looking up against a blue sky (tagged Houston) Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • An astronaut next to the lunar rover on the gray surface of the Moon
    NASA photo of an Apollo astronaut beside the lunar rover on the Moon Photo by NASA-Imagery on Pixabay
  • An astronaut saluting next to the US flag and a lunar module on the Moon
    NASA photo of an Apollo astronaut saluting the US flag beside the lunar module Photo by WikiImages on Pixabay
  • A scorched Apollo command capsule with its hatch open, lit in a dark museum room
    A scorched Apollo command capsule with its hatch open, lit in a dark museum room Photo by PilotBrent on Pixabay
  • Rows of switches and dials inside an Apollo spacecraft cockpit on display
    The inside of an Apollo command module cockpit on display, with panels of switches and dials (tagged Houston) Photo by Enlightening_Images on Pixabay
  • An old control console with rows of switches in a dark room
    An old control console with switches in a dark, empty control room; not the Historic Mission Control room Photo by Pexels on Pixabay
  • A NASA control room with rows of desks and screens, seen through a wide-angle lens
    A NASA launch control room with rows of consoles and staff, wide-angle (not the Houston Mission Control room) Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • A model of a lunar module standing on gray moon dust next to a US flag
    A lunar module model on gray moon-like ground with a US flag Photo by stux on Pixabay
  • A space shuttle on top of NASA's Boeing 747 carrier plane, parked at Ellington Field in Houston
    Space shuttle Endeavour on top of NASA's Boeing 747 carrier plane, parked at Ellington Field in Houston on its final ferry trip, with a crowd of small, distant onlookers on the apron Photo by jsattem on Pixabay

City, outdoors & food (31)
  • An empty country road curving through green trees
    Empty paved country road curving between green trees Photo by MolnarSzabolcsErdely on Pixabay
  • An ATV on a muddy track between bare trees and cut logs
    ATVs on a muddy forest track with cut logs Photo by arodsje on Pixabay
  • A green ATV parked on sand in front of bushes
    Green ATV parked on sand before bushes Photo by dimitrisvetsikas1969 on Pixabay
  • An ATV with its headlights on, riding through dust under an orange evening sky
    ATV with headlights on riding through dust under an orange sunset Photo by RonaldPlett on Pixabay
  • A rider in a helmet driving a red ATV through brown muddy water
    Rider in helmet driving a red ATV through brown muddy water Photo by kcdale on Pixabay
  • A rider in a helmet on a red ATV kicking up dust on a dirt road between trees
    Rider in helmet on a red ATV raising dust on a dirt road between trees; not a Houston park Photo by viniciusilonio on Pixabay
  • Riders on ATVs heading away across flat sand
    Riders on ATVs heading away across flat sand, seen from behind Photo by serendypita on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston towers rising behind trees and a railing in a city park
    Downtown Houston towers rising behind bare trees, shrubs and a teal railing along a park walkway on a sunny day Photo by frankols on Pixabay
  • A red cocktail with a strawberry and a green cocktail with lime, in tall glasses on black
    A red cocktail with strawberry and a green cocktail with lime on black Photo by Pexels on Pixabay
  • Nests of fresh tagliatelle on a wooden board with eggs, flour and a rolling pin
    Nests of fresh tagliatelle on a board with eggs, flour and a rolling pin Photo by Oldmermaid on Pixabay
  • Nests of fresh egg pasta beside ripe tomatoes, garlic and basil
    Nests of fresh egg pasta beside tomatoes, garlic and basil (file name says hands; no hands shown) Photo by Couleur on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston's towers at dusk above a busy freeway
    Downtown Houston's skyline at dusk above a freeway with red light trails Photo by Falkenpost on Pixabay
  • The towers of downtown Houston seen from a park
    Downtown Houston's towers seen across the lawns of a park on a clear day, one small jogger Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • A bright, empty underground walkway with a long row of lights
    An empty lit pedestrian underpass (not Houston's tunnels) Photo by wal_172619 on Pixabay
  • Meat cooking on a smoky open grill, turned with tongs
    Meat on a smoky open grill turned with tongs Photo by HaiBaron on Pixabay
  • A meat taco topped with avocado and herbs on a dark plate
    A meat taco with avocado and herbs on a dark plate Photo by ricardorv30 on Pixabay
  • Crispy tacos and grilled corn on a restaurant table
    Crispy tacos and grilled corn on a restaurant table Photo by jenniferva on Pixabay
  • Four soft tacos with meat, pineapple and cilantro on a white plate, with a lime wedge
    Four soft tacos with meat, pineapple and cilantro on a white plate on red, lime wedge Photo by Yezmin on Pixabay
  • Warm tortillas on a board with small bowls of salsa and guacamole
    Warm tortillas on a board with bowls of salsa and guacamole Photo by juno1412 on Pixabay
  • Two soft tacos filled with meat and fresh vegetables
    Two soft tacos with meat and vegetables on a gray plate Photo by rinrecipes on Pixabay
  • Houston City Hall, a pale stone tower, behind its long reflecting pool on a sunny day
    Houston City Hall, a pale stone tower, behind its long reflecting pool on a sunny day Photo by Goodfreephotos_com on Pixabay
  • Two downtown Houston office towers seen from below against a blue sky
    Two downtown Houston office towers, one dark glass and one pale, seen from below against a blue sky with clouds Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A pink-flowered china tea set with cups, a milk jug and sugar cubes
    A pink-flowered china tea set with cups, a milk jug and sugar cubes on a lace tablecloth, soft pink lights behind Photo by JillWellington on Pixabay
  • The bow of a yellow kayak on a still river lined with trees
    The bow of a yellow kayak on a still river reflecting trees and a cloudy sunset sky Photo by czu_czu_PL on Pixabay
  • A lone kayaker on open water under an orange sunset
    A lone kayaker as a small silhouette on open water under an orange sunset, rocky shore in front Photo by dep377 on Pixabay
  • A person on a stand-up paddleboard passing under a city bridge
    A person seen from behind on a stand-up paddleboard passing under a concrete city bridge on a canal (not Houston) Photo by PicsbyAnnyk on Pixabay
  • A paddler in a life vest and a green kayak on a calm river
    A paddler seen from behind in a yellow life vest and green kayak on a calm river, hills behind (not Houston); no face visible Photo by LifeOfDapo on Pixabay
  • A pink roseate spoonbill perched in a leafy bush
    A roseate spoonbill, pink with a spoon-shaped bill, perched in a leafy green bush Photo by PMelrose on Pixabay
  • A wall covered in colorful graffiti of robots and bold shapes
    A brick wall covered in colorful graffiti of robots and bold shapes (not Houston) Photo by MMT on Pixabay
  • A huge mural of a bearded man reaching out with a spray can, painted along a wall in Houston
    A huge mural of a flying bearded man holding a spray can, painted on a long wall in Houston; small sponsor logos at the far left edge Photo by joangonzalez on Pixabay
  • Painted trees and graffiti on walls beside a concrete stairway
    Painted trees and graffiti on walls beside a concrete stairway (not Houston) Photo by Tho-Ge on Pixabay

Galveston & planning (27)
  • A pink and orange sunset over a wide Galveston beach, with hotels far off along the shore
    Galveston beach at a pink sunset, hotels far off along the shore Photo by Delframir on Pixabay
  • The broken hull of an old concrete ship sitting in calm green water
    Broken hull of a concrete ship in calm green water off Galveston (tagged Galveston shipwreck; very likely the SS Selma) Photo by icondigital on Pixabay
  • Two dolphins surfacing side by side in choppy gray-blue water
    Two dolphins surfacing in choppy gray-blue open water; location not stated Photo by gillag on Pixabay
  • A Ferris wheel seen from below against a blue sky at the Kemah Boardwalk
    Ferris wheel from below against blue sky, tagged Kemah Photo by Pexels on Pixabay
  • Glass pyramid of Moody Gardens behind palm trees, blue sky
    Glass pyramid of Moody Gardens behind palm trees, blue sky Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • The sun rising over the Gulf behind a long pier with rides at the far end, under dark clouds
    Sunrise over the Gulf behind Galveston's Pleasure Pier, rides at the pier's end, dark clouds, a gull Photo by Thoxuan99 on Pixabay
  • Waves breaking against a stone seawall, with a gull flying low, in black and white
    Waves on Galveston's seawall with a gull, black and white Photo by Lens_and_Light on Pixabay
  • A bronze statue of a family reaching skyward on the Galveston seawall, with the Gulf behind, in black and white
    Bronze 1900 Storm memorial statue of a family on the Galveston seawall, Gulf behind, black and white Photo by graphics4fun on Pixabay
  • A three-masted tall ship tied up at a wooden pier in the Galveston harbor
    Three-masted tall ship at a wooden pier in the Galveston harbor Photo by Lens_and_Light on Pixabay
  • A dolphin rising out of calm gray water, its back fin above the surface
    A dolphin rising from calm gray water, back fin up; location not stated Photo by PeterG63 on Pixabay
  • Two dolphin fins above choppy gray sea water
    Two dolphin fins above choppy gray sea; location not stated Photo by Manuel-H on Pixabay
  • A wide downtown Houston street lined with office towers under a blue sky
    A wide downtown Houston street with office towers and traffic lights under a blue sky Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A red METRORail light rail train on a downtown Houston street between tall buildings
    A red METRORail light rail train (Fannin South) on a downtown Houston street between tall buildings Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A white rhino eating hay in its enclosure at the Houston Zoo
    A white rhino eating hay in its enclosure at the Houston Zoo (Pixabay tags) Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A dark city street at night under street lamps
    A dark cobbled alley at night under street lamps (England, not Houston) Photo by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston towers lit up at night above a highway
    Downtown Houston's skyline at night above a highway with light trails Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • A tall sailing ship moored at a wharf in Galveston's harbor
    A three-masted tall ship moored at a Galveston wharf, with old harbor buildings behind, grey sky Photo by drtechfuchs on Pixabay
  • The rusty bow of an old shipwreck sticking out of the water off Galveston
    The rusty bow of a concrete shipwreck sticking out of green water off Galveston (portrait) Photo by icondigital on Pixabay
  • Battleship Texas at its former berth under a gray sky
    Battleship Texas at its former berth under a gray sky Photo by DarlinDona on Pixabay
  • A tall stone column topped with a star at the end of a long walkway, with bare autumn trees
    San Jacinto Monument, a tall column topped by a star, at the end of a walkway with autumn cypress trees Photo by arkadiy69 on Pixabay
  • Battleship Texas at its old berth near San Jacinto, seen bow-on under a blue sky, before it left for repairs
    Battleship Texas bow-on at its former San Jacinto berth, blue sky (pre-2022 photo) Photo by Goodfreephotos_com on Pixabay
  • A blue wooden lighthouse tower lit up at dusk on the Kemah waterfront, by Clear Lake
    A blue wooden lighthouse tower lit at dusk on the Kemah waterfront; a small business sign at the very bottom is cropped out by the position Photo by ToluwanimiJ on Pixabay
  • Dark glass office towers in downtown Houston seen from below against a blue sky
    Dark glass office towers in downtown Houston seen from below Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A wooden pier on the water at Galveston, under a colorful sunset sky
    A wooden pier on the bay at Galveston under a colorful sunset sky Photo by SeashellGypsy on Pixabay
  • A shady path through Hermann Park with buildings behind the trees
    A tree-lined path in Hermann Park with buildings behind the trees Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • Downtown Houston’s skyline lit up at dusk, with a lit Ferris wheel in front
    Downtown Houston skyline at dusk with a lit Ferris wheel in front Photo by Falkenpost on Pixabay
  • The lit Westheimer ring over Post Oak Boulevard in Uptown Houston at night, with car light trails
    The lit steel ring sign over the Westheimer and Post Oak Boulevard crossing in Uptown Houston at night, next to the Galleria, with car light trails, low shops on the left and a lit office tower behind Photo by rwelborn on Pixabay

More of Houston (19)
  • A lake in Hermann Park, Houston, with trees along the shore and a big cloudy blue sky
    A lake in Hermann Park, Houston, with trees along the shore and a big cloudy blue sky Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A red and green miniature train carrying children through a green park in Houston
    A red and green miniature train carrying children through a green park in Houston Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A passenger on a ferry deck feeding a flock of seagulls over the water; a generic ferry photo, not the Galveston ferry
    A passenger on a ferry deck feeding a flock of seagulls over the water; a generic ferry photo, not the Galveston ferry Photo by jeejong58 on Pixabay
  • A pot of boiled red crawfish with potatoes, a Gulf Coast crawfish boil
    A pot of boiled red crawfish with potatoes, a Gulf Coast crawfish boil Photo by mmuller on Pixabay
  • A lit-up fountain shaped like a giant dandelion seed head at night in Houston
    A lit-up fountain shaped like a giant dandelion seed head at night in Houston Photo by semperfistar on Pixabay
  • A NASA space shuttle riding on top of its Boeing 747 carrier aircraft above clouds; a stand-in for Houston's space attractions
    A NASA space shuttle riding on top of its Boeing 747 carrier aircraft above clouds; a stand-in for Houston's space attractions Photo by NASA-Imagery on Pixabay
  • Houston's downtown towers on a clear day seen through a chain-link fence beside a highway
    Houston's downtown towers on a clear day seen through a chain-link fence beside a highway Photo by KaddunPhoto on Pixabay
  • An astronaut in a white spacesuit during a spacewalk, with Earth and clouds behind (NASA photo, generic space image)
    An astronaut in a white spacesuit during a spacewalk, with Earth and clouds behind (NASA photo, generic space image) Photo by WikiImages on Pixabay
  • Empty railway tracks crossing a road in Houston under a wide blue sky, with no train in the picture
    Empty railway tracks crossing a road in Houston under a wide blue sky, with no train in the picture Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • The Galveston seawall walkway beside the Gulf of Mexico under a blue sky with clouds
    The Galveston seawall walkway beside the Gulf of Mexico under a blue sky with clouds Photo by bluebasil on Pixabay
  • A giraffe's head with its ears forward at the Houston Zoo
    A giraffe's head with its ears forward at the Houston Zoo Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • Glass and stone towers of downtown Houston under a cloudy sky
    Glass and stone towers of downtown Houston under a cloudy sky Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • Two passenger planes silhouetted against a low orange sunset, a general airport photo and not a picture of a Houston airport
    Two passenger planes silhouetted against a low orange sunset, a general airport photo and not a picture of a Houston airport Photo by ThePixelman on Pixabay
  • A single-storey house with a green lawn and trees on a Houston residential street
    A single-storey house with a green lawn and trees on a Houston residential street Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • A paved bayou trail with bare trees under a highway overpass and Houston towers behind
    A paved bayou trail with bare trees under a highway overpass and Houston towers behind Photo by Goodfreephotos_com on Pixabay
  • A small boat on the lake in Hermann Park, Houston, with trees and one tall building behind
    A small boat on the lake in Hermann Park, Houston, with trees and one tall building behind Photo by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay
  • The Houston skyline at dusk behind a highway with light trails, under a purple and pink sky
    The Houston skyline at dusk behind a highway with light trails, under a purple and pink sky Photo by 12019 on Pixabay
  • Trees wrapped in multicolour holiday lights with fireworks above, a generic holiday-lights photo
    Trees wrapped in multicolour holiday lights with fireworks above, a generic holiday-lights photo Photo by JillWellington on Pixabay
  • A baseball resting on green grass in a ballpark
    A baseball resting on green grass in a ballpark Photo by volzi on Pixabay