Why Houston?
Houston is home to the best sports fans in the country, hosting major sporting events to include: Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, 2005 World Series, 2005 Big 12 Conference Football Championship, 2006 NBA All-Star Game, 2003 and 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Boxing, USA Gymnastics 2008 Men's Visa Championships, 2008 and 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Regionals, and NCAA Division II Spring and Winter Festivals, as well as the annual Shell Houston Open and Chevron Houston Marathon.
Houston sports fans are also looking forward to the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four, 2011 Senior Games, and the 2012 AAU Junior Olympic Games.
Where else can you go for the best in entertainment, sports, cultural arts, shopping, dining and nightlife? Look no further than Houston, Texas. Home to a respected and energetic cultural arts scene, the fourth largest shopping center in the country, the oldest African-American theater in the Southwest and the brains behind United States' space exploration, Houston is as diverse a city as they come. As The New York Times stated in a recent feature, "Maybe that's what makes Houston such an unusual and wonderful place -- there are so many different Houstons to see."
When considering a site for your next sporting event . . . consider Houston.
Downtown Houston has become one of the most vibrant areas in the city. More than 50 restaurants and bars have opened within the past several years, and the 7.5-mile METRORail facilitates travel to and from the Museum District, Texas Medical Center and Reliant Park. The Hilton Americas Houston added 1,200 guestrooms to downtown Houston in 2003, in addition to downtown Houston's The Inn at the Ballpark, across from Minute Maid Park.
For the Sports Fans
Houston's professional teams and players are not the only reason sports fans are flocking to the games. Houston offers three of the most state-of-the-art stadiums in the world -- Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros; Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans and the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; and the Toyota Center arena, home of the Houston Rockets and Aeros. All stadiums are linked by METRORail. Houston's professional soccer team, the Houston Dynamo, plays its home matches at Robertson Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Houston, but will soon have a downtown arena of its own.
Houston's moderate climate encourages year-round recreation. Gulf beaches, a boardwalk, lakes, 165 public and private golf courses, countless swimming pools and tennis courts and hundreds of parks make getting out and about a pleasure. Houston has recorded just 14 snow days since 1939. The normal maximum temperature in January is about 62 degrees, and the normal maximum temperature in July is 94 degrees.
International Gateway
With three major airports, Houston is one of the nation's premier international gateways, linking the region to more than 100 domestic and over 60 international destinations. George Bush Intercontinental Airport handles over 40 million passengers on an annual basis. Sports fans will appreciate the ease of visiting our region. Houston boasts the world's largest medical center, The Texas Medical Center. Medicine is a growing economic force in Houston, employing more than 65,000 people and comprising 42+ institutions, with a combined operating budget of more than $5.4 billion.
Fun for the Family
Whether you're experiencing a space shuttle landing at Space Center Houston or splashing around in more than two million gallons of water at Six Flags Splash Town, Houston's attractions are full of adventure. Explore the world's oceans from inside Moody Gardens' 12-story Aquarium Pyramid, then appreciate science and nature in the Rainforest and Discovery Pyramids. Place bets on horses at the Sam Houston Race Park or on greyhounds at the Gulf Greyhound Park. Or visit Traders Village on the weekends for food, fun and great finds from more than 800 vendors. For history buffs, visit the San Jacinto Battleground Complex, which marks the spot where Texas won its independence from Mexico, or the Lone Star Flight Museum, a large collection of restored aircraft and photo archives housed in a hangar. Step back in time at the George Ranch, a real working ranch, where visitors can experience more than 150 years of Texas history.
Some of the newest features at the Houston Zoo will bring real delight to the whole family, no matter what age. Other choices that the entire family can enjoy include a stroll along Kemah Boardwalk, where visitors can find 10 different restaurants, fun rides, and a working train.
Dine at the Downtown Aquarium under several giant aquariums, take shark tunnel tours or enjoy fun and games that include a Ferris wheel and a carousel.
Almost every major cruise line now departs from the Port of Houston or the Port of Galveston for luxurious Caribbean cruises. Before you embark on your journey, spend some time in historic Galveston at the various art galleries on The Strand or catch a show at the Grand 1894 Opera House.
Houston After Dark
Main Street is Houston's entertainment district with street cafes and live music. Every Friday and Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Main Street is closed to vehicular traffic between Congress and Capitol streets to become a pedestrian-friendly area for all people who want to sample downtown's offerings. The Downtown Aquarium and Bayou Place are also popular downtown entertainment destinations. Entertainment venue House of Blues opened in late 2007. Midtown, on downtown's southwest border, has emerged as a hot spot. The live-music hangout Continental Club and the Drink Bar are both steps away from the METRORail, and hip locals and visitors flock to The Red Door for its famed rooftop terrace overlooking the downtown skyline. Rice Village near Rice University, offers a variety of pubs and bars.
On Stage
Houston is one of five cities in the United States with resident companies in the four disciplines of the performing arts -- Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony and Alley Theatre. Houston's 17-block Theater District is home to all of them, as well as musical theater performances by Theatre Under the Stars and Broadway in Houston, and innovative local groups like Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre and Da Camera. Barry Mandel, President of the Houston Downtown Entertainment District Alliance, stresses the longevity of Houston's performing arts organizations. "In 2005, the Houston Symphony turned 90, Houston Ballet turned 35 and Houston Grand Opera turned 50."
Cultural Encounters
The Museum District is within walking distance of Hermann Park, home of the Houston Zoo, Japanese Gardens and Miller Outdoor Theatre, and is adjacent to beautiful Rice University. The Museum District is home to 18 museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Children's Museum of Houston, The Menil Collection, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and many more. Visitors to the Museum District can view one of only two Rembrandt paintings in Texas, one of the most highly renowned Surrealist collections in the country, the top collection of gems and minerals in the world and a 7,400-square-foot model of the human body.
Shopping Spree
A visit to Houston would be incomplete without a shopping spree. The Galleria is Houston's premier shopping destination, renovated with more than 375 fine stores and restaurants and a full-size ice rink. Several miles from the Galleria are Uptown Park, Houston's European-style shopping center, and Highland Village, an outdoor upscale center.
Katy Mills Mall, a sprawling shopper's paradise west of downtown, features the best names in manufacturers and retail outlets with more than 200 stores.
Memorial City Mall pulls out all the stops, delighting shoppers with a wealth of stores, food and entertainment choices. Mixed with a vast selection of upscale shops and anchor stores such as Dillard's, Lord & Taylor and Target, you are sure to find everything on your list.
Culinary Excellence
For a long while, Houston has had one of the most exciting food scenes anywhere. Home to more than 5,000 restaurants, Houston offers everything from fine dining to hole-in-the-wall Tex-Mex. You'll find every variety of ethnic food found in America, from a slew of wonderful Chinese restaurants to fine Japanese sushi bars. Houston's enormous Vietnamese population has not only led to a boom in good seafood but also in a variety of Vietnamese restaurants. You can get your fill of Gulf Coast Creole food, South and Central American, Cuban, Korean fare and Spanish tapas at a variety of fine restaurants, not to mention Houston's Italian restaurants of every style.
Off the Beaten Path
Through art cars, oranges and houses covered in cans, Houston embraces folk art and unique spaces. Only in Houston can you find a chicken-shaped coffin on display at the National Museum of Funeral History, whose tagline is "every day above ground is a good one." The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a major preserver and presenter of Houston's folk art, organizing the annual Art Car Parade, the oldest and largest of its kind, and preserving notable sites like the Beer Can House and The Orange Show, a 3,000-square-foot monument to the creator's favorite fruit. Houston has all kinds of hidden gems like these throughout the city. It simply takes a little exploring to find them.
