Prominent Places

The Civic Center, in downtown Houston. contains the Sam Houston Coliseum and Music Hall, the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, and the Albert Thomas Convention and Exhibit Center. Nearby is Sam Houston Park, with restored old homes and reconstructed 19th-century stores. Old Market Square, also downtown, is an area of shops, art galleries, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. Allen's Landing Park, on Buffalo Bayou, is the site of Houston's first settlement.

Minute Maid Park is home to the city's professional National League baseball team, the Astros. Reliant Stadium is home to the city's professional football team, the Texans. Collegiate football is also played here. Reliant Stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex, which also includes the Reliant Astrodome. Reliant Arena, and Reliant Center. The Arena, Astrodome, and Center are used for exhibitions, concerts, conventions, and various sporting events. The Reliant Stadium is the site of the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Compaq Center, a sports complex, is home to Houston's two professional basketball teams, the Comets and the Rockets.

In Hermann Park, southwest of the downtown area, are the Museum of Natural Science, the Burke Baker Planetarium, the Houston Zoo, the Kipp Aquarium, and the Miller Outdoor Theater. Memorial Park, the largest park in the city, has varied sports and recreational facilities and is the site of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. Also notable is Eisenhower Park, which adjoins Lake Houston at Lake Houston Dam.

On Clear Lake, southeast of downtown Houston, is the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, headquarters for NASA's manned spaceflight and space-shuttle programs. Many exhibits are displayed in the Visitor Orientation Center. Nearby is San Jacinto State Park, site of the 1836 battle that resulted in Texas's independence from Mexico. The battleship Texas is permanently moored here. The park also features the 570-foot (174-m) San Jacinto Monument and a historical museum.