Time Off

Nowadays it is difficult to imagine that Houston was once a pioneer settlement on the Buffalo and White Oak bayous. Thanks to a forceful, wildcatter temperament, the city has transformed itself from swamp to the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the US in under 150 years and it's energy is still abundantly apparent to this day. Indeed it is probably responsible for many of the visits paid by the thousands of business people and conference and symposium delegates who come to the city every year.

Houston is a sprawling city dominated by a central downtown area of steel and glass skyscrapers. Most visitors, no matter how busy, find time to visit at least some of the fine museums, while some are glad to relax for an hour or two in one of the cool, tree-lined parks which are an important feature of this hot and humid city. The world-famous Johnson Space Center is popular with those who have a morning or afternoon to spare; it's just 20 miles (32 kilometers) from downtown.

Houston Attractions

Space Center Houston
1601 NASA Road One, Houston, Texas 77024
Tel: +1 713 244 2100

The Menil Collection
1515 Sul Ross, Houston, Texas 77006
Tel: +1 713 525 9400 Fax: +1 713 525 9444

Museum of Fine Arts Houston
1001 Bissonet, Houston, Texas 77005
Tel: +1 713 639 7300

Hermann Park
6001 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030
Tel: +1 713 845 1000

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
1 Westcott Street, Houston, Texas 77007
Tel: +1 713 639 7750

Rothko Chapel
3900 Yupon Street, Houston, Texas 77006
Tel: +1 713 524 9839

Holocaust Museum Houston
5401 Caroline Street, Houston, Texas 77004
Tel: +1 713 942 8000