About Houston

Today, Houston represents all that is typically Texas and much more. Since its founding in 1836, Houston has grown to house 1.9 million people on a patch of land twice the size of Rhode Island – 617 Square miles. Houstonians speak more then 90 languages, creating an exciting, diverse environment where people live, work, and visit.

Houston’s downtown has experienced an astonishing renaissance. Bayou Place with great restaurants, theaters and concerts, all under one roof, is one of the many places to enjoy with family or friends. Main Street Square, Houston’s downtown plaza with innovative architecture and design, dramatic water fountains, unique landscaping, shopping, dining, art and nightlife, has transformed the location into an active town square.

In the year 2000, Minute Maid Park, with its 242-foot high retractable roof and natural grass, became the new home of the Houston Astros, and it hosted Major League Baseball's 2004 All Star Game. In the Fall of 2003, the Toyota Center became the new home of two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets. Houston's NFL team, the Houston Texans, held their first game in August 2002 in the new Reliant Stadium. With 69,500 seats and the first retractable roof for a football stadium with a natural grass-playing surface, it was the perfect place to hold one of the biggest events in sports in 2004, Super Bowl XXXVIII. It will also host the 2011 NCAA Final Four. Reliant Stadium is also home of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – the world’s largest rodeo.

Houston offers a vast number of high quality golf courses, including public, semi-private and private courses. Many PGA and LPGA tournaments have been held in Houston, including the annual Shell Open, The Champions Tour, and many more.

Water sports are one of the many more outdoors activities the city of Houston has to offer. Houston is conveniently located near Galveston Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Conroe, and Lake Livingston.

Houston is one of the few U.S. cities with resident companies in theater, ballet, symphony and opera, with exciting performances all season long. Located downtown, the 17-block Theater District is home to eight performing arts organizations with more than 12,000 seats. Only New York City has more seats concentrated in one geographic area. Houston also offers a wide variety of live music and comedy clubs.

Houston also shows its devotion to the arts through a full complement of art museums and critically acclaimed galleries. Located between Reliant Stadium and downtown, Houston's Museum District offers a range of museums, galleries, and art and cultural institutions, including the City's major museums.

The Houston Zoological Gardens is found in scenic Hermann Park. The centrally located park offers a golf course, two beautiful gardens, and free outdoor performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Houston offers the world’s largest medical center. The Bayou City is also taking its place among the world’s biotechnology leaders with more than 120 biomedical firms thriving locally.

Places of Interest

Houston Astros	Houston Texans
Houston Rockets	Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Six Flags AstroWorld and WaterWorld	Splashtown
Space Center Houston	Kemah Boardwalk
The Museum of Fine Arts	Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Children’s Museum of Houston	Menil Collection
Contemporary Arts Museum	Holocaust Museum Houston
Museum of Health & Medical Science	Houston Grand Opera
Houston Symphony	Houston Ballet
Alley Theatre	The Galleria
Texas Medical Center

Additional City Information

GuestLife Houston
CitySearch Houston
City of Houston