Houston Fact and Figures
Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas, and the fourth-largest city in the United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of 579 square miles (1,500 km2). Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, which is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with nearly 6 million people.

For more information on Houston, please go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston,_Tx

• Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou.
• Houston is the fourth most populous city in the nation (trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago), and is the largest in the southern U.S. and Texas.
• Houston has a Theater District second only to New York City with its concentration of seats in one geographic area. Located downtown, the 17-block Theater District is home to eight performing arts organizations with more than 12,000 seats.
• More than 90 languages are spoken throughout the Houston area.
• Houston has among the youngest populations in the nation. The city has the third-largest Hispanic and third-largest Mexican population in the United States
• Home to and more than 5,000 energy related firms, Houston is considered by many as the Energy Capital of the world.
• 23 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Houston

The above mentioned text can be found at: www.houstontx.gov

Houston Fast Facts
EDUCATION

• The Greater Houston area has 14 major institutions of higher learning.
• Houston (Rice University) is the birthplace of nanotechnology

SPACE
In 1969, "Houston" was the first word spoken from the moon. The Apollo 11 mission established a place in history for the city when astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke the now-famous line, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

FILM
Hollywood directors frequently film in Houston because of the vastly diverse terrain and unique locations found in the Greater Houston area, from the urban landscape seen in Jason's Lyric and Reality Bites to the NASA favorites Apollo 13, Armageddon and Space Cowboys.

Other blockbusters filmed in Houston:

• Terms of Endearment
• Evening Star
• RoboCop 2
• Tin Cup
• Flags of Our Fathers
• Mao's Last Dancer
• Tree of Life

MEDICINE
Texas Medical Center (TMC) with 49 member institutions-including M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the No. 1 cancer hospital in the country-is the largest medical complex in the world.

FAQ's

Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau Website

Houston Tunnel System
From wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_tunnel_system)

The Houston tunnel system is a system of tunnels 20 feet (6 m) below Houston's downtown street system. The system comprises approximately 7 miles (11 km) of tunnels and forms a network of subterranean, climate-controlled, pedestrian walkways that link 95 full city blocks.[1] It can be compared to similar systems in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Montreal and Toronto. The first link was built in the 30's by Ross Sterling to connect two neighboring buildings he owned, as he was inspired by the tunnel system at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Soon after, Will Horwitz, an entertainment entrepreneur, connected three of his vaudeville and movie theaters to save on air-conditioning.[2] It was stated by architectural historian Stephen Fox that the first idea for making the underground tunnels a true tunnel system came when the Bank of the Southwest Building was "linked by tunnel to the 1010 Garage and the Mellie Esperson Building" in 1961.[3]

Today's Tunnel is a series of underground passageways that, with above-ground skywalks, link office towers to hotels, banks, corporate and government offices, restaurants, retail stores, and the Houston Theater District. Portions of the tunnel itself contain gift shops, newsstands, banks, flower shops, copy centers, dry cleaners, and food courts similar to what one would find in a major shopping mall. These shops and services are widely and heavily used by the local office workers, and also by tourists. Only one building, Wells Fargo Plaza, offers direct access from the street to the Tunnel; otherwise, other entry points are from street-level stairs, escalators, and elevators located inside the various buildings that are connected to the tunnel (access is allowed to the general public into these buildings with few restrictions, during normal operating hours, in order to reach the Tunnel).

Things To Do

		Water Works Education Center Tours Learn about Houston's drinking water supply, the science behind it and wise consumption practices at the Water Works Education Center. The center opened in October 2010, just west of Lake Houston, in northeast Harris County. Housed in the administrative building of the Northeast Purification Plant campus, WaterWorks is a learning tool both on the outside and interior. Adjacent to the entry, large metal cisterns collect rainwater runoff for future use and inside, guests are guided through an immersing corridor, where they take on the role of a water molecule-venturing from water source to purification to consumption. The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but by appointment only. Call (832) 395-3791 or email waterworks@houstontx.gov to schedule a visit.
		Space Center Houston Space Center Houston, the official visitors center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, is the only place on earth where guests can embark on an out-of-this-world journey through human adventures in space. Space Center Houston features a multitude of permanent exhibits, attractions and theaters. In addition, the venue presents an array of traveling exhibits and events created exclusively by Space Center Houston's creative exhibit team.
Permanent Exhibits Blast Off Blast-Off is an unparalleled multi-media sensory experience. Visitors encounter a dramatic high-definition audio/video extravaganza culminating in a dynamic space shuttle blast off. Living in Space Living in Space is a hands-on exhibit where guests can test their skills at landing the shuttle or retrieving a satellite through interactive computer simulators. A Mission Briefing Officer receives help from an audience participant in a live presentation showing how astronauts handle daily activities like showering, sleeping and preparing meals in space.
		NASA Tram Tour The NEW Discount Tire NASA Tram Tour highlights astronaut training for the International Space Station, development of deep space manned missions and the latest space robotic technologies. See the exciting new exploration vehicles being developed behind the scenes at NASA! Be a part of history in the making as you witness engineers, scientists, and astronauts shaping the future of space exploration. With this behind-the-scenes journey through NASA's Johnson Space Center, you may visit the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, or the current Mission Control Center. Before returning to Space Center Houston, you can visit the "all new" Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park. Occasionally, the tour may visit other facilities, such as the Sonny Carter Training Facility or Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. You may even get to see astronauts training for upcoming missions. *The buildings visited on the tram tour are real working areas of Johnson Space Center and are subject to close without notice.
		Minute Maid Park Tours Minute Maid Park tours give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the home of the Houston Astros. Located in downtown Houston at Union Station, Minute Maid Park was built to reflect Houston's historical relationship with the railroads and features a vintage, full-sized locomotive that runs along 800 feet of track on the left-field wall. Minute Maid Park beautifully incorporates modern conveniences like a retractable roof, yet exudes a truly classic atmosphere complete with red brick masonry and natural grass. Pictures furnished by Greater Houston CVB Fans may visit such places as: Historic Union Station Broadcasting booth or press boxes Astros' or Visitors' Dugout Luxury suites Tours last approximately one hour. Fans should be prepared to climb stairs and ramps and to walk approximately one mile. However, all tours are wheelchair and stroller accessible. Tours are offered at the following times: Monday-Saturday: 10am, noon, and 2 pm Early-bird tours are also offered one-hour prior to the doors opening for most evening games. Walk-up tour prices: Adults $9.00 Seniors (65+) $7.00 Children (Ages 3-14) $5.00 Children (Under 2) Free Early bird tour prices: Adults $12.00 Seniors (65+) $10.00 Children (3-14) $8.00 Children (Under 2) Free
		Houston Zoo Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Houston Zoo is home to more than 4,500 exotic animals representing more than 900 species. The Houston Zoo was named one of the top 10 zoos in the U.S. by Parents magazine in 2009
		Downtown Houston Aquarium The 500,000-gallon under-water adventure complex includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger exhibit and a restaurant. Houston's first public aquarium, the Downtown Aquarium was designed to entertain the masses. The world-class complex, perched on the redeveloped 400 block of Bagby, boasts 500,000 gallons of visible underwater tanks with more than 200 species of marine life - and that's just skimming the surface.
		Houston Museum District With more than seven million annual visits, the Houston Museum District is one of the top cultural districts in the country. Eighteen institutions make up the Houston Museum District, and 11 are free all the time.
		Houston Theater District Houston is one of only five cities with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines—opera, ballet, music, and theater. Home to nine world-class performing arts organizations, the Theater District is second only to New York in the number of theater seats in a concentrated area.
		The Galleria The Galleria, an international shopping destination that hosts more than 24 million visitors annually, offers world-class shopping with more than 375 stores, 30 restaurants, two hotels, and a full-sized ice rink. The Galleria is home to a who's who list of designers, including Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, and Ralph Lauren, among many others. Sitting alongside the upscale boutiques are anchor stores Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and two Macy's department stores, adding up to more than two million square feet of shopping thrills.
		Bayou Place Downtown dining and entertainment destination Bayou Place is experiencing a renaissance Sundance Cinemas Downtown movie-goers have a new place to see indie flicks now that Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas has opened at Bayou Place. Set in the now-defunct Angelika Film Center location, Sundance plays movies culled from film festivals and the best in general release.