Other sights in Houston
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Discovery Green
Houston’s latest and greatest downtown park is a legitimately cool, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–certified attraction for all ages. What looks bizarre from a distance – a vast swath of grass raked on a steep diagonal over a parking lot – is impressive from within, with oak-shaded walkways, sculptures, gardens blooming with native Texas plants, and a small lake which transforms into a skating rink in winter. There are plenty of diversions for kids yet adults won’t feel left out: there’s even a swanky restaurant, Grove.
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A
Holocaust Museum Houston
This superbly curated museum strikes the delicate balance of providing a sobering yet poignant homage to the casualties of the 20th century’s greatest tragedy. The permanent exhibit offers an in-depth education on the context, history and aftermaths of not only the Holocaust itself but of Nazi Germany’s terrifying rise to power. Other exhibits trace the lives of European Jews from before WWII through the post-Nazi era, as survivors tried to rebuild their lives.
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B
Museum of Printing History
This carefully curated museum is an often-missed gem that has rare and unusual printed works such as the Dharani Scroll, which dates from AD 764 and is one of the oldest printed works in existence. The vast collection of daily papers printed on historical dates – the Titanic disaster, JFK’s assassination and the invasion of Pearl Harbor – are as poignant as they are historically fascinating.
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C
Contemporary Arts Museum
An hour spent fully immersing yourself in the works of just one or two artists is one of the chief satisfactions of this modern museum, whose strength lies in its lack of permanent collection. Check what’s on the schedule: this is one of Houston’s epicenters of cool, new and seriously cutting edge.
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‘Village’
One of the few parts of town best explored on foot, the ‘Village’ buzzes with a hip student energy. There’s free two-hour parking. The surrounding homes (how much do these Rice professors make, anyway?) run the gamut from gorgeous to stunning, and the locals aren’t too shabby either.
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D
Cy Twombly Gallery
Love it or loathe it: the Cy Twombly Gallery annex contains seriously abstract art. Some call it pretentious, some call it crazy, some call it beautiful: you can’t walk out without an opinion one way or another, and isn’t that the point of art in the first place?
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E
Sky Lobby
Get your bearings with a bird’s-eye view (or at least 1002ft of it) by climbing the elevator of the JPMorgan Chase Tower to the Sky Lobby. Barring smog, you can see for 20 miles – which is only a fraction of this massive city.
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Discovery Green
Young ’uns gettin’ restless? Since mid-2008, there’s been a new place to play – right downtown at Discovery Green. Think playgrounds, play fountains, art and a kid-friendly restaurant.
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Rice University
While some locals roll their eyes at the reputation of elite Rice University as ‘the Harvard of Texas, ’ as more than one Texan told us, ‘It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.’
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F
Heritage Society
The Heritage Society has relocated several of Houston’s most historic buildings to the oldest park in town (amid the roar of traffic, naturally).
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University of Houston
One of the largest universities in Texas, the commuter-heavy University of Houston is the major local university and boasts strong programs in the arts.
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G
Market Square Park
You’ll notice how 19th-century buildings sharply contrast with their modern surroundings in Market Square Park, the historical center of downtown.
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H
Houston Zoo
In the museum district, Hermann Park is home to 4500 animals at the tropical, 55-acre Houston Zoo.
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Health Museum
Future brain surgeons will like checking out the huge organs on display in the interactive Health Museum.
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Cullen Sculpture Garden
Admire the talents of luminaries such as Rodin and Matisse in the tranquil Cullen Sculpture Garden.
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