Some Links to Houston Information:

• Houston-Guide.com

Houston Attractions: Houston is jam-packed with attractions for every interest, ranging from museum masterpieces, downtown entertainment, and shopping at the Galleria, to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where you can explore the wonders of America’s Space Program firsthand.

From the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the towering pines of Sam Houston National Forest, the area is ripe with possibilities for day trips. Whether you prefer a quiet country lane or thriving waterfront boardwalk scene, a short drive will lead you to an ideal escape packed with scenic beauty.

Shopping
Get ready for an amazing selection of shopping venues in uptown and downtown Houston, topped off by the incomparable Galleria. Other interesting choices include Rice Village, an eclectic assortment of 450 stores near Rice University.

The Galleria
Prepare for what could be the greatest shopping adventure you will ever have: the Galleria. The fifth-largest shopping center in the nation is the number one tourist destination in Houston, attracting an amazing 18 million visitors each year. With over 370 merchants from Neiman-Marcus to Nordstrom, 46 restaurants, and even an Olympic-size ice skating rink, it’ll knock your socks off!

Upper Kirby District & River Oaks
Kirby Drive features something for the artistic shopper in you, with contemporary specialty shops, galleries, antique stores and designer showrooms. River Oaks Shopping Center presents art deco-inspired stores along palm-lined West Gray. The city’s oldest shopping district boasts more than 80 fine stores, upscale shops and galleries.

Outlet Malls
Fill your day with bargain thrills at one of Greater Houston's numerous outlet malls. Katy Mills west of Houston offers over 200 stores, theme restaurants, game centers and a movie theater.

Museum District
Houston offers an illustrious selection of 16 museums, including some of the most visited collections in the country; 12 of these are the largest museums in Texas. Here are some examples:

• Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Museum of Health & Medical Science
• Museum of Fine Arts Houston
• Holocaust Museum Houston
• The Children's Museum of Houston
• Contemporary Arts Museum

Downtown Theater District
The arts are alive in Houston, home to over 500 cultural, visual & performing arts organizations. Whether you catch an exquisite ballet or Tony-award winning show, the city’s talents are yours to explore in all their amazing diversity.

• Alley Theatre
• Houston Symphony
• Houston Ballet
• Houston Grand Opera
• Society for the Performing Arts
• Theatre Under the Stars
• DaCamera of Houston

Entertainment/Nightlife
The Galleria/Uptown District offers the widest variety of entertainment choices in the city. Whether you’re seeking a comedy club, dance club, Irish pub or cozy brewery, we’ve got it. Enjoy live music at venues from karaoke bars, jazz clubs, and Latin/salsa dance clubs, to rock’n roll and country & western dance halls.

Sports Teams
A variety of major sports teams call Houston home and play right in town!

• Major League Baseball: Four-Time Central Division Champion
Houston Astros
• National Basketball Association: Two-Time World-Champion Houston Rockets
• Women's National Basketball Association: Four-Time World-Champion Houston Comets
• National Football League: Houston Texans
• National Hockey League: Houston Aeros

NASA/Johnson Space Center
Prepare for sights that are out of this world! The official Visitor’s Center at Space Center Houston is the only place you can see astronauts training for missions, or touch a moon rock. Exciting IMAX® films, actual space flight hardware, live demonstrations and behind-the-scenes tours are part of this fascinating experience that offers a slice of American history.

Kemah Boardwalk
Kemah, on Galveston Bay just 20 miles south of Houston, is named for the Karankawa Indian word for "wind in the face." Gulf breezes greet visitors to this scenic town featuring the Kemah Boardwalk, set along picturesque Galveston Bay. Dining, entertainment and shopping are all part of the fun-filled setting. Stroll the vibrant boardwalk featuring a resort and eateries including The Aquarium, highlighted by a 50,000-gallon aquarium brimming with marine life. A year-round Christmas shop, boutiques, amusement rides and other attractions make this a popular day trip for visitors to Houston.

Galveston Island
Galveston Island, a coastal gem, is a popular destination less than an hour’s drive from Houston offering a relaxing pace, peaceful beaches, and recreational sports galore. Semi-tropical breezes invite sailing and swimming, or you can just stroll grand avenues and quiet lanes dressed with oleanders and palm trees. The Victorian-era Strand historic district boasts scores of shops, art galleries, museums and restaurants.

Downtown Aquarium
The new aquarium is part of a new, $38 million entertainment complex including restaurants and meeting space. The aquarium features approximately 500,000 gallons of water in underwater tanks with 200 species of marine life. Visitors feel submerged into an underwater world as they travel through five themed exhibits such as a Louisiana swamp, South Seas ship wreck and Amazon Rainforest.

Six Flags AstroWorld/WaterWorld
Six Flags AstroWorld is the premier Gulf Coast amusement park and one of Houston's top attractions. Try out nine thrilling roller coasters, innovative shows, blockbuster concerts, and one of the city’s coolest water parks. And for even more excitement, there are two new attractions—SWAT—the only extreme ride of its kind on the planet, and Diablo Falls, a whirling water raft ride on the tallest spinning rapids in the world!

Moody Gardens
Set in Galveston, this multifaceted attraction includes a 3-D IMAX® theater, large aquarium, a tropical rainforest in a ten-story glass pyramid where astounding butterflies fly free, and over 1,700 species of tropical plants and trees.

Conroe
North of the city lies the largest lake in Texas, 22,000-acre Lake Conroe, offering every type of water recreation imaginable. There are also 127 miles of hike/bike trails in Sam Houston National Forest, resort golf, tennis, stern-wheel paddleboat cruises as well as antique and outlet malls.

The Woodlands
In a beautiful city named for its forests, you can find lots of entertainment, from a state-of-the-art outdoor performance venue and the deluxe shopping of the Woodlands Mall. Access attractions via boat along the new Woodlands Waterway. Recreational choices include golf at the Tournament Players Course, a local favorite and the former site of the Shell Houston Open Golf Tournament.

Brazos Bend State Park
This vast wildlife preserve offers alligator watching, hiking, biking, fishing and camping. The Houston Museum of Natural Science's George Observatory is located here, as well as the Challenger Learning Center for Space Science Education.

Local Attractions: Distance from Hotel

• Galleria Mall- 7 miles
• Contemporary Museum of Fine Arts- 3 miles
• Wortham Theatre- 12 blocks
• Alley Theatre- 11 blocks
• Rice University- 3 miles
• Texas Southern University- 3 miles
• George R. Brown Convention Center- 1 mile
• Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros - 1 mile
• Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets, Houston Comets and Houston Aeros - less than 1 mile
• Reliant Park, home of the Houston Texans and the Houston Rodeo- 7 miles
• Houston Museum District- 3 miles
• Houston Zoo- 3 miles
• University of Houston- 3.5 miles
• Kemah Boardwalk- 32 miles
• NASA/ Johnson Space Center- 25 miles
• Galveston, TX- 50 miles
• San Antonio, TX- 200 miles
• Dallas, TX- 240 miles