Houston is not only the largest city in Texas, but also a prime tourist destination. The city has more than 60,000 hotel rooms and offers visitors such must-sees as the NASA Space Center, a museum district and even such oddities as the National Museum of Funeral History. Like many big cities, Houston comes alive at night with a compelling array of top-notch restaurants, clubs, live performances and moonlight cruises. When the sun sets, the fun starts.
Go Out to Dinner
Houston is known for its great restaurants, which rank right up there with those in other major metropolitan areas. Best bets include BB's Cajun Cafe, which specializes in overstuffed po'boys, gumbo, etouffee, and grillades and grits with dark gravy; the wine-and-tapas bar Vinoteca Poscol; Feast, a quirky British restaurant with a menu that includes entrees like ox hearts, blood pudding and all sorts of pork dishes.
Go Clubbing
Houston's nightlife has clubs--and entertainment--for all tastes. For country fans, there's no better spot than Blanco's, the quintessential Texas honky tonk. Sambuca is a classy jazz club located in the Rice Hotel. The Black Labrador Pub brings a taste of Britain to Houston, complete with dark wood interior, fireplaces and outdoor chessboard. And since October 2008, Houston has had a House of Blues, a regular stop for touring rock, blues and jazz performers and the anchor for the Houston Pavilions outdoor shopping and entertainment complex.
Catch a Play
Attend a play at the Alley Theatre, which for more than 60 years has been Houston's premier live theatre, offering a variety of classics as well as new plays and musicals. Productions are built and rehearsed in the Alley Theatre Center for Theatre Production, one of the largest of its kind in the nation, and presented on two stages, the 824-seat Hubbard Stage and the 310-seat Neuhaus Stage. Alley Theater productions have won multiple national and international awards, including the prestigious Tony Award.
Carriage Ride
Take a horse-drawn carriage ride around downtown Houston. Several companies have fleets of buggies stationed downtown, including A to Z Events (see Resources, below). They'll give you routed tours or let you chart the course. Downtown Houston is a sight to behold, especially the renovated Historic District,
A Night at the Opera
For a taste of just how culturally sophisticated Houston has become, catch a performance of the Houston Grand Opera, which the Financial Times has called one of the country's "most innovative opera companies." Chartered in 1955, the Houston Grand Opera is famous the world over for its lavish and elaborate productions, which draw the cream of Houston's social elite. Typical productions include Puccini's Tosca, Wagner's Lohengrin and Britten's The Turn of the Screw.
