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| What
to See & Do in Houston |
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 Are
you looking for fun? If so, you are in the right
place. Houston has tons of great activities and
attractions for you to visit. Amusement and water parks
will help satisfy the kid in you and the more sophisticated
attractions such as the Rothko Chapel and Chase Tower will satisfy
your curiosity for architecture and history. Look below
for valuable information to assist you in planning a day at
the sites.
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Attractions & Activities
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Astroworld
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Six Flags AstroWorld is a world-class
entertainment complex filled with exciting rides and
attractions, including 11 roller coasters - the most in Texas!
Plus, there are family-oriented shows, games, shops,
restaurants, concerts, festivals and much more! And right next
door is Six Flags WaterWorld, a premier water park featuring a
NEW family raft ride and NEW 5-story interactive water treehouse!
Plus a new six-lane water slide!
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The
Reef -
is a spring fed 40 foot deep lake with
drinking quality "Blue Water" We are located 10
minutes south of the Astrodome, and just 30 minutes from every
part of Houston.
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The
Houston Zoo -
Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. everyday Admission:
Adults $2.50 Senior Citizens $2.00 Children, twelve and under
$.50 Children two and under are free Activities: (Be sure
to double check the gate handout for any changes in times.) Sea
Lion Demonstrations: Daily, 11:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Vampire Bat
Feeding: Daily, 2:30 p.m. in Small Mammal World Fruit Bat
Feeding: Daily, 10:15 a.m. in Small Mammal World Duck Lake
Feeding: Tuesdays and Thursdays at Duck Lake, 2:45 p.m.
Children's Zoo Contact Areas: Open 10-5 p.m. daily Enrichment
Center: Meet the Keeper, Daily, 3:00 p.m. Puppet Shows: 10:30
a.m. Children's Zoo Auditorium 2nd & 4th Wednesday, and 1st
& 3rd Fridays
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Chase
Tower -
You may want to start your visit to
Houston by taking in the entire urban panorama from the
60th-floor observation deck (weekdays only) of I. M. Pei's
75-story tower, built in 1981. (713) 223-0441
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City
Hall - Just
northwest of Tranquility Park, this 1939 modernist structure of
Texas limestone was designed by Joseph Finger, Houston's premier
architect of the time. Of significant interest are the interior
allegorical murals.
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Downtown
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The downtown area is experiencing a vigorous
revival with the refurbishment of famous old commercial
buildings, including the Rice Hotel (1913) and the Albert Thomas
Convention Center (1963), into residential and entertainment
space, and the opening of the Astros' Enron Field, next to the
old Union Station (1911), which is being renovated to house
stores, restaurants, and a theater. More than 70 of the major
business and government buildings downtown are connected by a 6¾-mi
labyrinth of underground tunnels and skywalks, used by those in
the know as a welcome escape from the heat and humidity for
which Houston is justly infamous.
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Enron
Field - The
Houston Astros kicked off the 2000 season on its brand-spankin'-new
field of dreams in downtown east. The new brick-clad stadium has
the latest features -- cushy executive suites, a high-tech sound
system, a kids' play area -- and a retractable roof that closes
in a flash (12 to 20 minutes). (713)
799-9567
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Galveston
- One of
Texas's most popular year-round coastal destinations, Galveston
is an island in the Gulf of Mexico 50 mi southeast of Houston,
connected to the mainland by a causeway and bridge. The restored
Victorian Strand district, resort hotels, and beachfront
businesses give a commercial feel to the north end of the
island, while miles of private and rental residences on the
southern end offer solitude and open beach access.
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Rothko
Chapel - In
a park next to the Menil Collection, the moody chapel is an
octagonal sanctuary designed by Philip Johnson. The 14 Mark
Rothko paintings that panel the chapel's walls at first glance
look like simple black canvases; only when you come close can
you see the subtle coloring. Outside the ecumenical chapel is
Barnett Newman's sculpture Broken Obelisk, which
symbolizes the life and assassination of Martin Luther King
Jr. (713) 524-9839
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Smith-Louisiana
Corridor -
Architectural additions to the skyline
have spread out from the Smith-Louisiana corridor, a daunting
canyon formed by towers of glass and steel, running south from
Tranquility Park on the west side of downtown. A walk down these
streets may be the truest measure of the city's modernism,
intensified by the outdoor sculptures of Joan Miró, Claes
Oldenburg, Louise Nevelson, and Jean Dubuffet. (Dubuffet's Monument
au Fantôme, on Louisiana Street between Lamar and Dallas
streets, is a particular delight to children.)
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Space
Center Houston -
Kids and adults can learn about space exploration at the Space
Center, 25 mi south of the city. Life on the deck of a space
shuttle is simulated in the Space Center Plaza. In the Kids
Space Place, children can ride on the lunar rover and try out
tasks in the Apollo command module. At the adjacent Johnson
Space Center, the tour includes a visit to Mission Control and
laboratories that simulate weightlessness and other
space-related concepts. Allow several hours for your visit.:
(281) 244-2100
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Texas
Avenue -
Visible from the Chase Tower, Texas Avenue is 100 ft wide,
precisely the width needed to accommodate 14 Texas longhorns tip
to tip in the days when cattle were driven to market along this
route.
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Tranquility
Park - This
cool, human-scale oasis of fountains and diagonal walkways among
Houston's downtown skyscrapers was built to commemorate the
first landing on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission.
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