Our Biggest Attraction is The Houston Space Center

The Houston Space Center is the top tourist attraction in Houston and it is very easy to see why more schools and private visitors come here than any other tourist attraction in this great city.

President Kennedy threw down the challenge for America to reach the moon by the end of the 1960′s and the story of mankind’s first steps on the moon and even further into the depths of space are preserved here at the Space Center.  From the very earliest days of man’s efforts to create a propulsion vehicle that could get itself off the ground to the most advanced and dangerous efforts to send man to other planets in the solar system, the Houston Space Center is the most comprehensive display of its kind in the world with many exhibits having actually been used in space and one of the very few places in the world where you can hold an actual moon rock

The Houston Space Center will take you on a journey through time and space as the equipment and technology that was developed since the days of Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry, are preserved for posterity and your enjoyment

It is not just the huge array of equipment that is on display here as there are numerous opportunities to see and become involved in the training programs that have been used to train and prepare astronauts for their trip into space. Now people from all walks of life and of all ages are able to experience for themselves what it takes to become an astronaut.

Becoming an astronaut is a dream many of us have had from childhood, however the reality is very different from what we imagine; training is stringent and before training can even begin there are minimum mandatory requirements in respect of education, physical fitness and mental aptitude.  Less than 5% of applicants are actually passed for astronaut training but you can gain firsthand knowledge of just what it takes.

At the Houston Space Center you can experience weightlessness and the sensation of lift off from the launch pad of Cape Kennedy while talking to a real life astronaut who has ventured into space. Try your hand at landing the Space Shuttle and experience what it feels like to walk in space wearing a space suit!  Get an inside look at how we are preparing for manned missions to Mars and elsewhere in the solar system too.  There is the Kids Space Place section where children can experience and interact with exhibits and explore the many different facets of space flight and exploration while living on the Space Station of commanding the Space Shuttle.

The Houston Space Center is open throughout the week with extended opening hours during the summer and some holidays so check the website at www.spacecenter.org for more information.  You will find the Houston Space Center at 1601 NASA Parkway, Houston TX 77058 which is about 25 miles south of the downtown area and provides a stunning and memorable day out for you and your family.

The Top 4 Days Out in Houston

Looking for that something special to do when you take a trip to Houston – well here we are going to preview four of the top rated attractions for a family day out which will help you plan your trip and show you what is on offer.

Houston Space Center

The Houston Space Center is repeatedly ranked as the top tourist and visitor attraction in Houston.  The Center allows visitors to get to grips with what it is really like to become an astronaut and where else are you likely to get firsthand knowledge and advice from a real live astronaut?

The exhibits are usually interactive and hands-on and will appeal to all ages but children in particular are going to be engaged all day in what is a very interesting and highly educational learning experience.  You can learn about the very early origins of rocket development, the NASA Space Program which first put men into space and then on the Moon and is now a key component of the International Space Station.  You can also see what tomorrow has in store with the preparations and training for manned missions to Mars.

The Battle of San Jacinto Battleground and Museum

Texas was not always a part of the United States, it actually belonged to Mexico who sought to reassert their rights against settlers in what had become known as the Runaway Scrape territory in what is now modern Texas.  Santa Anna invaded the territory and sought to remove settlers and impose Mexican direct rule on the territory but a revolutionary army of Texans was formed under General Sam Houston who eventually defeated the Mexican army decisively at the Battle of San Jacinto resulting in the capture of Santa Anna and the annexation of Texas by the United States and paving the way for westward expansion of the US to the Pacific shores.

The battlefield site also includes the Battleship Texas floating museum which is formed by the last of the dreadnoughts, The Texas and is also the very first floating museum made from a decommissioned US military warship.

The Houston Museum District

Houston is a vibrant and very fast growing metropolis and has been since it was first formed as a planned city in 1837.  With the abundant wealth that has been produced and the multi-cultural population that has been attracted to this great city has come a huge interest in the arts, history and appreciation of culture generally with the patrons to support the activities.  Houston is one of the world’s global cities precisely because of its standing in cultural terms and has an international reputation for art and natural sciences and not just oil and cowboys.

There are 18 museums comprising the district and more than 11 are completely free the entire year.

American Cowboy Museum

The American Cowboy Museum is based on a ranch at Alameda on the outskirts of Houston and here you can spend a day or longer learning the ropes as a cowboy.  There are plenty of activities to get involved with and all of the family can enjoy a thoroughly enjoyable (and tiring) day out in the open countryside exploring the rich heritage and traditions of Texan cowboys.

A Brief History of Houston

Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and the largest city in Texas and is also credited as a global city.  It is a vibrant metropolis with a broad based economy and an enormous range of cultural activities and recreational opportunities.

Two brothers who had made their fortune in real estate in New York founded Houston in 1836 on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou; Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen purchased approximately 6,500 acres with the intention of creating their own city and named the new settlement after General Sam Houston who had fought and won the decisive battle of San Jacinto close the site.

In 1837, Houston was incorporated and the infrastructure of a city started to form with the creation of a Chamber of Commerce and election of a mayor.  Shipping was the first business to be promoted however, by 1860 Houston had also become a railroad hub which transformed the city into a commercial center for the export of cotton to Europe.  After the Civil War, efforts were undertaken to expand the seaborne activities and especially by works to create a deep water port in sync with the nearby port of Galveston.

Galveston was hit by a terrible hurricane in 1900 which sped the works to create a deep water port out of Houston and growth was further stimulated by the discovery of oil in 1901 at the Spindletop oil field.  1902 saw President Roosevelt approving $1 million allocation for the Houston Ship Channel and this combination of private and government backed initiatives turned Houston into a major growth center with the population doubling between 1900 and 1910 to 78,800.

Finally in 1914, President Wilson opened Port of Houston as a deepwater port and by 1930, Houston was the most heavily populated city in America.

World War 2 saw a decline in the shipping sector as the ports on the East coast dominated trans-Atlantic shipping however, enormous growth in the petrochemical sector more than made up for this.  Enormous new military bases were also constructed including Ellington Field which was reconstructed in order to train bombardiers and navigators while medical facilities were also greatly expanded and research took off.  The end of the ware saw a reversion to deep water port activity as the bases were wound down and moth-balled and the physical area was doubled by the addition of surrounding land and the metropolis started its sprawling growth.

Post-war saw the establishment of the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center (now known as the Lyndon B Johnson Space Center) and with this the aerospace industry came to town.  The city is also home to the Astrodome which was the world’s first indoor domed sporting arena.  In the seventies, population again boomed as the oil industry boomed but by the 1980′s the boom abruptly ended with the aerospace industry also suffered as a consequence of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986.

Today, Houston has fully recovered and now has one of the broadest economies of any city in the United States.  Only New York is home to more Fortune 500 companies while the city is now the largest international port of the United States.  The wealth created has led to Houston also becoming home to a wide range of cultural institutions which now has over 7 million visitors each year while Houston is one of a very few cities offering year round resident companies for all the major performing arts.