houston

Fun Facts

Houston is home to more than 40 colleges, universities, and other institutions
of higher learning.

“Houston” was the first word ever said on the moon.

There are more than 165 public and private golf courses in the Houston area.

Your Itinerary

If You Have Two Hours
Learning by Doing, an exhibit that displays work by alumni of the Glassell School of Art’s Core Program, is on view through September 1. Glassell, the teaching wing of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, created the program, which offers artists two years of free studio space, to fill a community void. Many graduates of the MFAH School — including Francesca Fuchs, David Aylsworth, and Robert Ziebell — have gone on to earn national recognition. 713.639.7300; mfah.org

Leonardo da Vinci was way ahead of his time. Despite limited formal schooling, the inventor filled notebooks with designs for hang gliders, robots, submarines, and military tanks. Craftspeople from Florence, Italy, have created wooden models of 50 da Vinci designs that visitors can explore at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. 1 Hermann Circle Drive, 713.639.4629; hmns.org.

If You Have 2 Days
Moody Gardens’ newly redesigned golf course rivals Houston’s Memorial Park course. Updated by the design firm Jacobsen Hardy, the 6,900-yard, par-72 links course has five sets of tees, to accommodate all playing levels, and Moody Gardens has also added a new larger driving range. After your 18 holes, explore the exotically planted Rainforest Pyramid, the penguin-populated Aquarium Pyramid, and the IMAX theater. Finish the day by soothing your feet with a massage at the Moody Gardens Hotel Spa. moodygardens.com

The Moody Gardens Discovery Museum hosts an exhibit on the Titanic throughout the month, taking you back in time to the ocean liner’s brief career and tragic fate. A chandelier, gentleman’s jacket, fine china, and perfume vials retrieved from the wreck recall the grandeur that ended so abruptly. When you resurface, check out Moody Gardens’ amazing rain forest pyramids — soothing no matter how sweltering the weather. moodygardens.com; 800.582.4673

If You Have a Long Weekend
The nation’s largest land-based fireworks extravaganza will light up Houston’s skies over downtown’s Sabine Bridge at about 9:30 p.m. on July 4. But get there early: Country music stars Sara Evans and Jo Dee Messina headline, and other bands will perform rock and oldies. Even the sidelines will be hopping, with some of Team Chevy’s hottest NASCAR vehicles on display plus men’s and women’s state volleyball finals. 713.247.3500; chevysfreedomovertexas.com

You also can feed your patriotic pride with America’s official pastime. The Houston Astros take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-day homestand July 1–3. Later in the month, the Astros host the Chicago Cubs (July 18–21), the Pittsburg Pirates (July 22–23), and the Cincinnati Reds (July 28–30). 713.259.8000; houston.astros.mlb.com.

Step up to the plate to get tickets for the Houston Astros’ three big weekend series in June at Minute Maid Park. June 6–8 the Astros play their division rivals, the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals; June 13–15 they play 2007 World Series winners, the Boston Red Sox; and June 27–29 Houston hosts the all-time World Series champs — with 26 titles — the New York Yankees. Thanks to interleague play, this month marks the first time in history the Yankees and the Red Sox have visited Houston during the regular season. astros.com

Convention & Visitor's Bureau