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Houston
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Houston is a cultural mecca with an internationally famous theater district and outstanding museums. And it’s also known as a sports city, with professional teams in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. Families enjoy Space Center Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, while art aficionados frequent the Menil Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts. World-class shopping is the order of the day at the Galleria, the nation’s fourth-largest shopping mall, as well as at Highland Village, Uptown Park, and Rice Village.
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ATTRACTIONS
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Bayou Place
500 Texas Ave. Houston, TX 77002
713-227-0957
http://www.bayouplace.com
| Bayou Place is in the heart of Houston’s theater district. The Verizon Wireless Theater (713-230-1600), a 38,000-seat performance hall, offers the best of today’s music. After the show, dine at one of many restaurants or take in an independent film at the Angelika Film Center (713-225-1470). Hours and fees vary by venue. |
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Buffalo Bayou Partnership
Call or visit webiste for directions Houston, TX
713-752-0314
http://www.buffalobayou.org
| Whether your destination is Houston’s Sesquicentennial Park, Allen’s Landing, or the lush area west of downtown, this historic waterway offers pontoon boat rides, along with canoe and kayak adventures for everyone. Call or visit website for locations, hours, reservations, and fees. |
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Hermann Park
6001 Fannin Houston, TX 77030
832-395-7022
http://www.houstonparks.org
| One of Houston’s premier parks, this green oasis harbors something for everyone. Highlights include the Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theatre, the Museum of Natural Science, the Japanese Garden, Bayou Parkland and a jogging track, McGovern Lake with its paddle boats, and the ever-popular Mini-train. Park open daily 6 a.m.–11 p.m. Admission: Free; fees for attractions vary. |
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Holocaust Museum Houston
5401 Caroline St. Houston, TX 77004
713-942-8000
http://www.hmh.org
| The museum’s preeminent exhibit, “Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers,” focuses on Holocaust survivors living in the Houston metropolitan area. The stories of collaborators, bystanders, rescuers, and liberators are portrayed through artifacts, film reels, and photographs. Open Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Sat.–Sun. noon–5 p.m. (closed Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and Christmas). Call or visit website for guided or group tours. Admission: Free, audio tour $5. |
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Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
in Memorial Park
4501 Woodway Dr. Houston, TX 77030
713-681-8433
http://www.houstonarboretum.org
| This lush 155-acre nature preserve has 5 miles of walking trails. Dogs on leashes are welcome. Open daily dawn–dusk (grounds), 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (Nature Center) (closed major holidays). Admission: Free (donations accepted). Call or visit website for cell phone audio tours, guided tours, and self-guided tours. |
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Houston Museum of Natural Science
5555 Hermann Park Dr. Houston, TX 77030
713-639-4629
http://www.hmns.org
| Visitors here enjoy a world-class facility with an IMAX theater, a planetarium, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center. There are four floors of dinosaurs, gems, minerals, and traveling exhibits. Open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Tues. 9 a.m.–8 p.m.(closed Thanksgiving). Call or visit website for fees and guided tours. |
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Houston Pavilions
Corner of Main and Dallas Sts. Houston, TX 77002
832-320-1200
http://www.houstonpavilions.com
| This complex brings together the best of city life with fine restaurants, nightclubs, retail, and entertainment. It has an open-air center that allows for alfresco dining and window-shopping on lovely streetscapes. Open daily. Call or visit website for specific venue hours and attractions. |
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Houston Zoo
1500 Cambridge St. (west gate)
6200 Hermann Park Dr. (front gate) Houston, TX 77030
713-533-6500
http://www.houstonzoo.org
| This educational and conservation resource is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals. Opening December 2010, the African Forest features chimpanzees, rhinos and giraffes. (closed Christmas). Call or visit website for seasonal hours, fees and group rates. |
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Minute Maid Park
501 Crawford Houston, TX 77002
713-259-8000 (general info)
http://www.astros.com
| This majestic ballpark, with its 243-foot-high retractable roof, is the high-tech home field of the Houston Astros. Tours show off the suite and broadcast areas, and tourists may explore the dugout and field itself. Call or visit the website for tour times, fees, and game schedule. |
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Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet St. Houston, TX 77005
713-639-7300
http://www.mfah.org
| "Arts of Asia" permanent galleries are now open at the museum. Two historic homes in the area are also part of the museum holdings and contain decorative arts collections. Call or visit website for hours, fees, and locations. |
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Reliant Park
One Reliant Park Houston, TX 77054
832-667-1400
http://www.reliantpark.com
| This park serves as Houston’s premier trade-show, sports, entertainment, and convention complex. Each of the structures on the site—Reliant Stadium, Reliant Center, and Reliant Arena—is a self-sufficient, multifunctional facility. Call or visit website for hours, fees, and group stadium tours. |
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San Jacinto Battleground Battleship/Texas State Historic Site
3523 Independence Pkwy. S., La Porte 77571 Houston, TX
281-479-2421 (museum)
http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org and tpwd.state.tx.us
| This 1,200-acre park is the site where, in 1836, General Sam Houston triumphed over Santa Anna’s Mexican army. The park includes the San Jacinto Museum and Monument, and the WWII battleship Texas is moored nearby. Call for hours, fees, and group rates. Partially accessible for the mobility-impaired. |
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Space Center Houston
1601 NASA Pkwy Houston, TX 77058
281-244-2100
http://www.spacecenter.org
| Out-of-this-world fun at NASA’s Official Visitor Center includes exhibits, a giant-screen theater, and behind-the-scenes tours. See the real Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules, watch astronauts in training, and try a space walk simulator. Call or visit website for hours, fees, group tours. |
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GOLF
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Pasadena Municipal Golf Course
1000 Duffer Ln. Houston, TX 77034
281-481-0834
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RANCHES
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American Cowboy Museum on the Taylor-Stevenson Ranch
11822 Almeda Rd. Houston, TX 77045
713-478-9677
http://www.americancowboymuseum.org
| Working/Special-events ranch. Accommodates 200 during the day (reservations required). |
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Texas Oil Ranch Corporation
23501 Macedonia Rd., Hockley 77447 Houston, TX
281-859-1616
http://www.oilranch.com
| Working/guest/special-events ranch. Accommodates 3,000 during the day, 500 per pavilion (groups and tours by appointment only). |
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SHOPPING
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Factory Stores of America Outlet Center
805 Factory Outlet Dr., Hempstead 77445 Houston, TX
979-826-8277
http://www.vfoutlet.net
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Highland Village
4055 Westheimer Houston, TX 77027
713-850-3100
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Katy Mills
5000 Katy Mills Cir., Katy Houston, TX 77494
281-644-5000
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Sealy Mall
3701 Outlet Center Dr., Sealy 77474 Houston, TX
713-468-5005
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SPORTS
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Houston Astros Baseball
Minute Maid Park
501 Crawford Houston, TX 77002
713-259-8000
http://astros.mlb.com
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TECHNOLOGY & AGRICULTURAL TOURS
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Sam Houston Boat Tour
7300 Clinton Dr. at Gate 8 Houston, TX 77029
713-670-2416
http://www.portofhouston.com
| Focus: International port operations and shipping. Can accommodate 2 groups of 45 (by appointment only). |
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Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston
Houston Science Center-202, 3201 Cullen Blvd. Houston, TX 77204
713-743-8212
http://www.tcsuh.uh.edu
| Focus: Superconductivity, advanced materials and applications. Contact: Sue Butler. (by appointment only). |
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