Photographer: J. Griffis Smith

Houston's revitalized central district is seeing a surge in entertainment opportunities and is home to the city's world-renown Theater District and beautiful city parks. Covering 17 blocks, the Theater District is home to eight performing arts organizations and has more than 12,000 seats.

Alley Theater-This is one of the oldest resident professional theater companies in the country. Recipient of the 1996 Special Tony Award, Alley premieres have included "Jekyll and Hyde" and the "Civil War." For information, call 713/228-8421. www.alleytheater.org.

Bayou Place-A downtown Houston entertainment option, Bayou Place sits in the heart of the Theater District, making it a natural stop for visitors. Bayou Place features Verizon Wireless Theater for live music, the Angelika Film Cen-ter and its eight theaters, several popular restaurants offering everything from barbecue to sushi, Slick Willies for billiards and dancing at Have a Nice Day Café and BAR Houston. At Texas Ave. and Smith sts.

Downtown Aquarium-An underwater dining and entertainment adventure in downtown theater district. Features 500,000 gallons of marine life, including a train ride through a shark tank, Dive Lounge, Aquarium Restaurant, Ferris wheel, boardwalk games, dancing fountains, gift shop and more. Restaurant open daily. Exhibits, games and rides open Mon. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., Sat. - Sun. 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. 410 Bagby St. For information, call 866/418-3474 or 713/223-FISH, or visit www.downtownaquarium.com.

The Heritage Society-Project of Harris County Heritage Society, a monument to early history of Houston; 19-acre park features eight restored historic buildings ranging from oil field pioneer Henry T. Staiti's 17-room house built in 1905 to the 1823 Old Place, depicting early life in Harris County. Open Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sun. 1 - 4 p.m. For more information call 713/655-1912 or visit www.heritagesociety.org.

Jesse H. Jones Hall for Performing Arts-Louisiana and Capitol sts., houses both offices and performances of Houston Symphony Orchestra. Dramatic grand lobby features Richard Lippold's "Gemini II" sculpture floating in gleaming curve toward 66-foot ceiling. Open only during scheduled events.

Museum of Texas History is sampler of Heritage Society's collection, covering Lone Star history since 1519. Frequently changing exhibits range from Spanish treasure to space exploration. Housed in the adjacent building is the Long Row, a reconstruction of a shopping strip built in 1837 that houses gift shop and tea room that's open for lunch Mon. - Fri. Across from Texaco Heritage Plaza at 1100 Bagby.

Sesquicentennial Park, on Buffalo Bayou, is adjacent to the Wortham Theater. Three-story pavilion is surrounded by cascading waterfall to pool at monument's base. Hike and bike trails switch back from lower bayou waterfront boat landing to street level promenade. Gardens of azaleas and crape myrtle trees accent magnificent view of Houston's striking skyline.

Tranquility Park, bounded by Smith, Rusk, Bagby and Walker sts. Commemorates Apollo flights with two-block-long, 32-level fountain and towers resembling rockets. Bronze plaques in 15 languages tell the Apollo story. Restful oasis; occasional outdoor events.

Wortham Center contains two theaters and is home to the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet. It also hosts productions of the Society for the Performing Arts, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Texas Chamber Society, and others. The Grand Foyer, a 12,000-square-foot public space is actually built above Prairie St. The 3.2-acre site is bounded by Texas, Smith and Preston sts. and Buffalo Bayou.