Sports Capital of the World

With the success and exposure from 2004's Super Bowl XXXVIII, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, the Tennis Masters Cup and the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, Houston has truly repositioned itself as a sports destination. And the trend will continue. Houston has already secured major future events such as the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four and the 2011 Senior Games (Senior Olympics). Add to this Houston's three stadiums all less than five years old, the newest expansion teams in the NFL and MLS (Major League Soccer) and the 2005 MLB National League Champions. What more could a sports fan ask for?

NFL - Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium
The Houston Texans, Houston's professional football team since 2002, surprised many football fans when they became the first NFL team in 41 years to win their expansion debut, stunning the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 before 69,604 fans at Reliant Stadium on Sept. 8, 2002. Since then, the Texans have continued to improve on the field and grow in popularity. 

Reliant Stadium is the NFL's first indoor/outdoor retractable roof, natural grass stadium. With 200 suites and 71,500 seats, Reliant Stadium is considered one of the finest stadiums in the country.

MLB - Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park
The Houston Astros are truly Houston's hometown team. With hometown hero Roger Clemens and the "Killer B's," Lance Berkman and Craig Biggio, the Astros led their city to back-to-back National League Wild Card victories in 2004 and 2005 and continued on to the World Series after becoming 2005 National League Champions. 

Minute Maid Park, completed in 2000, is the Houston Astros's downtown home. Minute Maid Park's retractable roof technology brought open-air baseball to Houston for the first time in 35 years, and the natural grass surface and classic architecture provided Minute Maid Park the atmosphere of the great ballparks of baseball's Golden age.

NBA - Houston Rockets at Toyota Center
Winners of back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, the Rockets continue to be top competitors in the Western Conference of the NBA. The NBA's tallest All-Star, 7-foot-6-inch Yao Ming, keeps the fans on their feet during the exciting games--from Houston to New York to Beijing!

The Toyota Center in downtown Houston is Houston's newest venue. The 750,000-square-foot arena offers 18,300 seats for basketball, 17,800 for hockey and up to 19,000 for concerts.

AHL - Houston Aeros at Toyota Center
The Houston Aeros, a member of the American Hockey League, brought the International Hockey League's Turner Cup home to Houston in 1999, and then claimed the AHL's Calder Cup in 2003. The Aeros are the primary AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild and the secondary affiliate of the Dallas Stars. At Toyota Center, players like Curtis Murphy and the "Sheriff" Kirby Law keep fans screaming and coming back for more.

MLS - Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium
Houston Dynamo, a member of the American AEG and Major League Soccer, was formed when the AEG-operated San Jose Earthquakes MLS franchise relocated to Houston and played their first game on April 1, 2006. The team retained the 28-man roster of players from the Earthquakes, and added additional players during the MLS SuperDraft held on January 20, 2006, in Philadelphia. The team is led by 2005 MLS Coach of the Year, Dominic Kinnear. Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007.

Live Racing
Place your bets on horses and greyhounds. Houston's two race parks provide plenty of excitement for all sports fans. Gulf Greyhound Park, the world's largest greyhound racing operation, offers live greyhound racing, simulcast horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering year-round, rain or shine. The track's unique appeal includes Texas' largest full-service restaurant.

Sam Houston Race Park celebrates the spirit and elegance of Thoroughbred and Quarter horse racing with live and simulcast racing in northwest Houston. The facility features season live racing on a 7/8-mile turf track and on a one-mile, oval dirt track-touted to be one of the best surfaces in the nation. Watch from a 200,000-square-foot grandstand, a 30,000-square-foot pavilion or one of several luxury suites with trackside views. The park also features three formal dining facilities and general concessions.

City Parks/Hike and Bike Trails
Houston offers more than 100 miles of trails within its 18,000 acres of green space. Memorial Park is home to one of Houston's most popular trails, the Seymour Lieberman Exer-Trail, which includes a 2.9-mile jogging trail and six miles of mountain and recreational bike trails. Also within Memorial Park are the Memorial Park Golf Course, rated among the top municipal golf courses in the nation, and the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.

Discovery Green, a 12-acre park located in downtown Houston, opened April 13, 2008. With its proximity to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, Discovery Green is an ideal location for the city's newest attraction. Park features include a one-acre lake, children's playground, interactive water features, an amphitheater, dog runs, public art works, spacious green lawns and two destination restaurants.

Hermann Park consists of a variety of Houston's best-loved gems, including the Houston Zoo, Houston Museum of Natural Science and Miller Outdoor Theatre. Joggers frequent the two-mile jogging trail, and bicyclists enjoy one of the longest bike trails in the city.

For the more adventurous sports enthusiast, take a canoe trip along Buffalo Bayou. Tours are offered seasonally and are guided by National Parks outfitter Don Green, an award-winning outfitter with more than 28 years of experience working in Houston to preserve Buffalo Bayou.

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