Things to do in Houston

Houston is a city with a lot of popular attractions and a plethora of things to do. Even many of the locals have never managed to see and do everything, and most of them have spent a lifetime here. Several buildings, such as the Texas Commerce Tower and the Texaco Plaza, have observation floors from where it is possible to see the vast flat area over which the city sprawls. A ten-kilometre system of underground pedestrian tunnels and sky walks adds an extra dimension to the street guide.

Bayou Bend

The magnificent muted pink mansion in the marshy elbow of Buffalo Bayou in Houstons River Oaks area was the home of Miss Ima Hogg, a woman much loved in the community until her death at the age of 93 in 1975. She left her home and the gardens that surround it as a legacy for the city. The house contains a remarkable collection of Americana, and is regarded as a cultural treasure, with several thousand objects displayed in 28 period room settings in the mansion. Miss Hogg designed the gardens as outdoor living rooms, fed by bayou waters, and today they continue to provide a peaceful oasis in the heart of the metropolis. Open from 10:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday; 13:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. Phone: +1 713 639 7750.

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Houstons most popular tourist attraction is located at Clear Lake, 32kms southeast of downtown, off the Gulf freeway I-45. There are numerous wonders to behold at this facility, which both entertains and educates. Exhibits include the Gemini and Apollo capsules, other space flight hardware, including a full-size mock-up of a space shuttle and astronaut memorabilia. Visitors can enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour, hands-on space simulators, IMAX films and they can even watch astronauts train for upcoming shuttle missions. Open from 10:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, and from 10:00 to 18:00, Saturdays and Sundays (September to May); 10:00 to 19:00 daily in July; 10:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, and 10:00 to 19:00, Saturdays and Sundays (August); winter hours are 10:00 to 17:00, closing at 18:00 on weekends. Phone: +1 281 244 2100; website: www.spacecenter.org

Downtown aquarium

An opportunity to experience an underwater world brimming with hundreds of exotic species in naturalistic ecosystems, all from the safety of the Shark Voyage train which travels through the middle of the tank. Sea life is recreated around various exhibits of different sea life habitats including a sunken galleon, a coral reef, the Amazon rainforest and the swamplands of Louisiana. In addition, there are a number of funfair rides, all with a marine theme. Open from 10:00 to 22:00, Sundays to Thursdays, and from 10:00 to 23:00, Fridays and Saturdays. Phone: +1 713 223 3474; website: www.downtownaquarium.com

Sam Houston Historical Park

The Sam Houston Historical Park in Bagby Street provides visitors with a large-as-life look at Houston's history. The 19-acre park features seven of the citys oldest buildings that have been restored and relocated here. The oldest building is a small 1826 cabin that originally stood at Clear Lake, while one of the more recent is the 17-room home built in 1905 for oil field pioneer Henry T. Staiti. The museum is open from 10:00 to 16:00, Tuesday to Saturday; 13:00 to 16:00 on Sundays. The historic house tours are at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 14:30, Tuesdays to Fridays; 10:00 to 15:00 on the hour on Saturdays, and 13:00 to 15:00 on the hour on Sundays. Phone: +1 713 655 1912; website: www.heritagesociety.org

Orange show

Drop by the Orange Show to see how an obsession can become art. A former postman spent 26 years of his life assembling a collection of weird and wonderful objects and meshing them together into a labyrinth of passages and staircases, almost all of it orange. The result is a quirky curiosity, which is billed as 'folk art'. Open from 09:00 to 13:00, Wednesdays to Fridays, and from 12:00 to 17:00, Saturdays and Sundays (31 May to 6 September); 12:00 to 17:00, Saturdays and Sundays (20 March to 31 May, and 6 September to mid-December). Phone: +1 713 926 6368; website: www.orangeshow.org

Houston Zoo

A very popular visitor attraction, the Houston Zoo covers 22 hectares and is home to over 700 species of animals, reptiles and amphibians. The zoo was established in Hermann Park in 1922 with only a handful of animals and has grown steadily since the federal government gave the city zoo a bison named Earl in 1920. It is now an important centre for conservation and research. Most days, there are opportunities to view the feeding of certain animals such as vampire bats and also to see demonstrations by sea lions. The Wortham World of Primates is a lush replication of the natural rainforest habitat for the thirteen species of monkeys and apes on show here. Other popular attractions are the big cats, which include white tigers, leopards and jaguars. Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. Phone: +1 713 533 6500; website: www.houstonzoo.org

National Museum of Funeral History

This rather unique attraction houses memorabilia from the funerals of celebrity figures such as John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Judy Garland, John Wayne and Elvis Presley. A recent addition is the original equipment for the John F Kennedy Eternal Flame, which was used between 1967 and 1998. The collection also includes a funeral sleigh, a Packard mourning bus, a 1941 hearse/ambulance and embalming artefacts. Open from 10:00 to 16:00, Mondays to Fridays; 12:00 to 16:00, Saturdays and Sundays. Phone: +1 281 876 3063; website: www.nmfh.org

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

Visitors who wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the city can enjoy the native plants and wildlife at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, located next to Memorial Park. The centre has eight kilometres of nature trails covering various habitats such as forest and prairie, which cater for the different requirements of the animals living there. Grounds open daily from 08:30 to 18:00; Building from 09:00 to 17:00; Discovery Room from 10:00 to 16:00, Tuesdays to Sundays. Phone: +1 713 681 8433; www.neosoft.com/~arbor