Neighborhood Highlights
Space Center Houston
A must-see attraction, it’s the official visitor center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Here you can walk through the space shuttle replica Independence and the enormous shuttle carrier aircraft it’s mounted on. In the visitor center, feel free to wander inside a replica of America’s first space station, Skylab, and touch a rock from the moon. You also can learn about NASA’s upcoming missions, including planned missions to Mars. On Fridays around noon, you can even meet an astronaut. From the visitor center, take an open-air tram tour to Johnson Space Center, home of mission control, to see where astronauts train for space missions. The tour also takes you to Rocket Park to see actual rockets on display.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
One of the top museums of its kind in the United States, Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts lets you peruse a sprawling collection of 63,000 pieces spread out over two structures, both connected by the unique and interesting Wilson Tunnel.
The museum’s focus is on French and Italian Impressionist Renaissance paintings, fine sculptures, and European and American decorative arts. Be sure to view the wonderful collection of pre-Columbian and African items made of gold. If you want to wander at your own pace, you’ll find lots to keep you interested and entertained. But if it all seems a bit overwhelming, sign up for a tour to see the highlights. If you find yourself in the River Oaks suburb, the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is a satellite gallery featuring furniture, decorative arts, and paintings.
Hermann Park
At more than 400 acres, Hermann Park is an awesome natural wonder. It’s got everything from beautiful installations to stunning flora, fauna, and open sky. Situated in the city’s museum district, the park is maintained with such meticulous care, especially with its gardens, that it can’t help but mesmerize and astonish. There’s also a fantastic display of sculptures, including one in honor of General Sam Houston. On a nice day, take a ride on the Hermann Park railroad or voyage across the waters on a pedal boat.
Houston History
Named after General Sam Houston, the city was founded in 1837 and served as the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas. Just months after Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto, brothers John and Augustus Allen purchased a little over 6,600 acres on the banks of Buffalo Bayou for an investment of less than $10,000. The duo became the founding fathers of Houston. What began as a struggling trading post would become the fourth-largest city in the nation and an industrial dynamo.
Houston expanded into different fields. In the 1960s, the Manned Spacecraft Center opened as a command post for U.S. astronauts. As such, the city of Houston became the capital of America’s space program. The city had an economic boom during the 1970s because of its investments in the energy business. Energy was the biggest contributor to the economy, especially when the oil industry began to fail in the 1980s. It took almost a decade for the city to recover, but Houston regained its footing in the 1990s.
