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.