Travel Guides > Houston, TX

Houston Travel

Houston is a big city with a big heart. This bustling metropolis, with skyscrapers that reach into the clouds, is often touted as not just a busy, impersonal town full of commuters and large corporations, but rather, a city brimming with true Southern hospitality and plenty of charm.

Houston is often dubbed "Space City USA" due to the presence of the Johnson Space Center, where visitors will find the heartbeat of the space program, Mission Control. For many, it's their prime reason for visiting the city. Guests can tour NASA's official visitor's center, Space Center Houston, designed by the folks at Disney and every bit as cool as a theme park. View real spacecraft, experience state-of-the-art simulators, and be treated to films on Texas's largest giant-theater screen.

The city boasts an expansive museum district, located just ten minutes from the downtown area. You'll find such gems here as the Artcar Museum, specializing in, of course, Art Cars; the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, housing the only samples of these 13th century works of art in the Western Hemisphere; the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, dedicated to the contributions of Black soldiers in America's wars; and The National Museum of Funeral History, housing an amazing number of historic funeral artifacts and memorabilia.

For something a bit more mainstream, there's the Houston Museum of Natural Science, complete with planetarium and butterfly conservancy; and the excellent Museum of Fine Arts Houston, now the sixth largest museum in the country.

For live fine arts performances, check out the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony, and a host of theater companies scattered throughout the city. The performance venues here are top-notch, including the expansive Verizon Wireless Theater.

Houston, Texas is home to a number of professional and semi-professional sports teams, like the Astros (baseball) and the Rockets (basketball). Take in a game or organize your own fun at Houston's many public parks and playgrounds. The city installed more than 80 miles of hiking and biking trails for the enjoyment of their residents and guests.

If golf is your thing, Houstonians brag that you can play here at least 300 days per year. There are nearly 100 public and private courses located in and around Houston, many of them championship courses designed by the greatest in the game.

When it's time to stop for a meal, choose from any of the 5,000 restaurants that dot the city, many staffed by award-winning chefs just waiting to tantalize your taste buds with their tempting creations.