Texas Attractions: Houston Visitor Center
The Greater Houston Convention and Tourist Bureau has provided a Texas-size welcome for visitors to Houston at the Houston Visitor Center, 901 Bagby, on the north-west side of Houston’s downtown. Free one hour parking is available, if you can grab a spot, on Walker, or visitors can park in the underground Theater District garage and get a validation from the Center. Doors are open nine to four Monday through Saturday and eleven to four on Sunday. Visitors are advised to get there early enough to spend some time. The center provides dozens of displays, thousands of brochures, and there’s a short film about Houston to see, too.
From Walker street steps lead into the Visitor center where travelers’ll be greeted and offered the opportunity to sign a guest register. Sam Houston himself gives a welcome in the form of a life-size bronze statue just beyond the foyer. Just past old Sam and all around him there’s more stuff than’d fit in a dozen Conestoga Wagons! There’s plenty to see, to read, and to buy! Visitors can either find information and direction at the large central counter behind which friendly Houstonians stand ready to talk one’s ear off or a visitor can just start wandering around looking at all things Houstonian.Near the Walker entrance is a huge replica of the San Jacinto monument. San Jacinto, east of Houston a few miles, is where Texaswon its independence. Another replica, of the Battleship Texas, isn’t far away. The Texas is permanently berthed near the monument at San Jacinto.The ship served in two World Wars. It was one of the largest dreadnoughts ever to sail the seas. It’s been at San Jacinta on display since 1948.
There’s a replica of a Saturn 5 Rocket similar to the one at Johnson Space Center and a replica of the Space Station that zooms by once in a while in another direction altogether. High overhead (but still in the room, not in space!) is a globe with a satellite beaming down and a mini-racer in the shape of an alligator. An attendant will be happy to explain all about what those interesting displays represent. Beneath the gator car the Center offers all sorts of memorabilia for sale. Shirts, books, toys, patches, pens, there’s a mini-department store full of Houston and space-oriented products.
High in one corner there’s a statue of a cowboy. In another corner there’s a space-man statue. Behind both of them are murals depicting Houston history and commerce. Underneath the statues are brochure racks holding thousands of booklets, brochures and leaflets on a plethora of attractions, sights, destinations and events.
The Visitor Center boasts a fifty-seat theater provided by Continental Airlines. A short film shown there tells all about Houston fromHermanPark’s museums and zoos to the Houston metro rail and how to get around the city. Sports is an important part of Houston and Houston boasts two innovative sports arenas, from Minute Made Stadium (Once called Enron StadiumâÂ?¦oops!) where the Astros play to the new Reliant Arena, home to the Houston, Texans. Both teams are represented by jerseys, memorabilia, and flags. Whether one takes a little while to harvest brochures or spends time staring at the insides of the polka-dot cow, Houston’s premier presentation of its attractions is an attraction in itself. It’s big, over seven thousand square feet. It’s full, with hundreds of items for sale, dozens of displays and replicas, and enough printed matter to make Houston printers very happy indeed. If anyone ever doubted things are bigger in Texas, a visit to Houston, starting with a trip to the Visitor’s Center, is all the proof anyone needs!
