ARTS & CULTURE ITINERARY (3 Days)
Day 1
Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS)
Exciting permanent features including the Wortham IMAX Theatre, Burke Baker Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center, and the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals (the top gemological collection in the world) make this the fourth most attended museum in the United States. HMNS also offers world-class traveling exhibits. Currently featured is BODY WORLDS 3, created by world renowned German scientist and physician Dr. Gunther von Hagens. Like the proceeding BODY WORLDS exhibits, BODY WORLDS 3 features more than 200 authentic human organs and whole body specimens, preserved by Plastination-von Hagens' groundbreaking method of halting decomposition after death for medical study which he invented in 1977. The Houston exhibit captures the evolution and refinement of von Hagens's invention to its outer limits. February 25 - September 4, 2006 www.hmns.org
Lunch and exhibits at the Downtown Aquarium an entertainment and dining complex featuring: over 500,000 gallons of fresh and saltwater aquariums with more than 300 species of fish; White Tigers of the Maharaja's Temple; the Aquarium Restaurant; a 6,000-square-foot Nautilus Ballroom; The Dive Lounge; a Shark Voyage and Exhibit; an aquatic-themed carousel and Ferris wheel and C. P. Huntington train; and open-air plazas and amusements for the entire family. www.downtownaquariumhouston.com
Children's Museum of Houston
Ranked among the top two children's museums in the country by Child magazine and No. 1 by MSN.com, this joyous venue with its whimsical garden has been cited by Texas Monthly as the best cultural attraction for kids in Texas (December 2001). The museum offers hands-on, innovative, fun and educational exhibits designed for kids of all ages in the areas of science, culture, technology and more. Special exhibit: Alice's Wonderland: a most curious adventure - May 20 to Sept 4, 2006. www.cmhouston.org
Houston Ballet
Classical expertise makes the Houston Ballet one of the world's finest dance companies. It also makes the 2005-06 season one of the most exciting on record. Highlighted by the world premiere of Stanton Welch's full-length Swan Lake, the season features several new works- including one by Christopher Bruce- and the company premier of the epic Russian love story Onegin, John Cranko's twentieth century masterpiece. This is a season that could only happen in a company with the depth of Houston Ballet. For more information: http://www.houstonballet.org/
Day 2
Johnson Space Center Houston-NASA is a place where people can experience space - from its dramatic history and exciting present to its compelling future. Space Center Houston is the only place on Earth that gives guests an out-of-this-world journey through human adventures into space. Space Center Houston's unparalleled exhibits, attractions, special presentations and hands-on activities tell the story of NASA's manned space flight program. Space Center Houston is the only place in the world where visitors can see astronauts train for missions, touch a real moon rock, land a shuttle, and take a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA. At Space Center Houston, guests can understand the past, experience the present, and be a part of the future of the space Program. http://www.spacecenter.org/
Kemah Boardwalk, developed in 1997 by Landry's Restaurants Inc., is an ideal 40-acre destination for family-oriented entertainment. With its carnival-like atmosphere, attractive design, and beautifully well-maintained grounds, Kemah Boardwalk is an unrivaled tourism destination in Texas. Just one step inside the Kemah Boardwalk entrance welcomes visitors to a relaxing and enjoyable experience. As Kemah is located less than 20 miles from downtown Houston, it has long been a destination for generations of Houstonians seeking an easy getaway for boating, fishing, dining, or shopping for crafts, collectibles and other unique items.
With the recent addition of Kemah Boardwalk, visitors are finding much more to enhance their enjoyment and fun. Located on the south side of Clear Creek Channel, connecting Clear Lake with Galveston Bay, Kemah was founded in 1898 by John Henry Kipp, a veteran of the Magnolia Rangers, and James H. Bradford. Kemah, which was incorporated in 1965, means "wind in the face" and comes from the Karankawa Indians, who once inhabited the area. Today, 1,500 residents live in Kemah. http://www.landrysseafoodhouse.com/
Houston Zoo
An exciting live animal adventure set in a 55-acre tropical landscape, the Houston Zoo adds an animal magnetism to the Museum District. A popular feature, the Wildlife Carousel, has 64 hand-carved animals representing endangered species. Make sure to visit Natural Encounters, the highly anticipated $4 million renovation of the Zoo's small mammals building, which reopened in February 2005. Natural Encounters features meerkats, otters, and more including the long awaited return of the Zoo's vampire bats. www.houstonzoo.org
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is a must-see, must-attend, state-of-the-art entertainment complex. Designed by Robert A. M. Stern, this $102 million shining star illuminates Houston's Theater District. The Hobby Center provides the ultimate experience for cultural-connoisseurs with two opulent, acoustically distinguished theaters - Sarofim Hall and Zilkha Hall, Michael Cordua's restaurant Artista, and its own above-ground 800-car parking garage. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown, the Hobby's sweeping architecture plays up its fabulous location. The glistening facade features 60-foot-high glass walls affording exciting vistas of Houston's skyscrapers, interspersed with the lush greenery of Tranquility Park and the distinguished deco-era City Hall.For more information:
http://www.thehobbycenter.org/hobbyprod/homedisplay.aspx
Day 3
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is the largest art museum in the United States south of Chicago, west of Washington, D.C., and east of Los Angeles. At the MFAH a total of 300,000 square feet of space are dedicated to the display of art. The collection contains more than 51,000 artworks, which date from antiquity to the present and feature a vide variety of pieces including: Italian Renaissance paintings, French Impressionist works, photographs, American & European decorative arts, African and Pre-Columbian gold, European & American paintings, and sculpture from post-1945. The major civilizations of Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa are also represented, and the museum and the Glassell School of Art presents more than thirty changing exhibitions annually.
More than 2.5 million people visit the MFAH each year, and community outreach programs touch the lives of more than 670,000 people annually. In addition to its collections, the MFAH also features the Glassell School of Art, the Studio School for Adults and the Glassell Junior School; the Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens; the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden; and 18 acres of public gardens. The MFAH Hirsch Library is also one of the largest art libraries in the Southwest, and the MFAH has published more than forty scholarly books in the last decade. For more information: http://mfah.org/main.asp?target=home
John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science
The whole family can learn about health, wellness and the marvels of the human anatomy in the most visited health museum in the country. Stroll through its Jim Hickox Amazing Body Pavilion, a 7,400-square foot gargantuanly-scaled model of the human body that lets you discover the need-to-know inner workings of your insides, from teeth to toes. www.mhms.org
Lunch at 17 Restaurant (at Alden Houston Hotel)
17 is dedicated to offering guests bold, unpretentious food while focusing on the freshness, seasonality and origin of the ingredients. Since opening, the restaurant has received outstanding local, regional and national recognition from publications such as: Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Town & Country, Travel and Leisure, and USA Today and was named "Best New Restaurants ‘04" by Esquire Magazine. Executive Chef Ryan Pera, formerly of Bijoux in Paris and restaurants Marais and Zydeco in Charlotte, North Carolina, brings extensive culinary background to the table. Now, as Executive Chef of 17, one of Pera's paradigms of a successful restaurant: "High quality and fresh ingredients equal great food. Add in superior service and-voilà-you have the perfect recipe to drive guests through the door and keep them coming back for more." For more information: http://www.17food.com
Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is internationally renowned for its unique, delicately balanced approach to programming. The company is committed to the commissioning and performing of new works (33 world premieres and six American premieres), the development and nurturing of American artists and composers, the imaginative presentation of masterpieces from the traditional operatic repertoire, and to reaching out to new audiences with such productions as Porgy and Bess, Treemonisha, Harvey Milk, Frida, Florencia en el Amazonas, The Little Prince, and Jackie O. HGO tours extensively, having brought productions to Japan, Italy, Egypt, Scotland and France. The company is also the only one in the world to win a Tony, two Grammy awards and two Emmy awards. For more information: http://www.houstongrandopera.org/
Green Houston 
