Wednesday, May 21
Downtown Architecture Tour
Plan to arrive in Houston early Wednesday, because you won’t
want to miss this special orientation to the fourth largest city
in the United States.
Put on your walking shoes and get to know Houston from the
underground on up. Join Sandra Lord, the world’s only “Tunnel
Lady” and Discover Houston Tours from 2-4 p.m. for a unique
virtually weather-proof indoor / outdoor above-ground /
below-ground walking tour.
Enjoy a leisurely stroll as she introduces you to Houston's
architecture, stunning vistas, streets, skyways, and tunnels.
Meet in the Doubletree lobby at 1:45 p.m. and prepare to be
entertained as you cross the skyway into Heritage Plaza, hear
the story of the Federal Land Bank building and visit the Julia
Ideson building, art-deco City Hall, and others before soaring
to the 59th floor sky lobby at Wells Fargo Plaza. At Centerpoint
Energy, delve down to return to the hotel via the Underground.
What wonders await you!
Thursday, May 22
On Thursday, join an exclusive on-the-floor tour of NASA’s Historic Mission
Control, as NASA celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2008. This up
close tour at Bldg. 30 has been specially arranged by the Johnson Space Center
archives at University of Houston – Clear Lake, and is not available to the
public, so be sure to sign up early if you are interested (proof of citizenship
and ID required in advance.)
*Thursday afternoon is also your opportunity to get
a personal tour of the major archival repositories in town.
Saturday, May 24
Houston Ship Channel Tour
Saturday afternoon don’t miss this special opportunity to board
the M/V Sam Houston and explore the Port of Houston, a
25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private
facilities located just a few hours sailing time from the Gulf
of Mexico. Opened in 1914, the port is ranked first in the U.S.
in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in the U.S. in total
tonnage, and tenth in the world in total tonnage.
Over 150 private industrial companies exist along the ship
channel, including many oil company refineries. The
petrochemical complex associated with the Port of Houston is one
of the largest in the world.
Our 90-minute tour is the only available method for the general
public to check out international cargo vessels and operations
at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. For security purposes,
photo ID is required when you check in and no cameras are
permitted.
Measuring 95 feet in length and 24 feet in width, the merchant
vessel Sam Houston carries a maximum capacity of 100 passengers
with air-conditioned lounge seating and additional standing room
on the boat's rear deck. Names of our registered guests must be
turned in before our voyage, so talk to your friends and sign up
for this tour!
Houston Heritage
Society Tour
If you enjoy touring historic homes as a way of learning about
local history, then our Saturday afternoon Houston Heritage
Society tour is definitely for you.
The Heritage Society is the city's only outdoor, interactive
historic museum and park. Nestled in 19 acres of beautiful green
parkland in the heart of downtown Houston, The Heritage Society
boasts nine historic structures dating from 1823 to 1905, each
authentically restored to reflect its original magnificence.
Part of Houston’s historic past, preserved in these structures,
lies in Sam Houston Park right across from the Doubletree hotel.
There are seven structures on the tour.
- Kellum-Noble House – the oldest surviving brick house in
Houston built in 1847 on its original site.
- Nichols-Rice-Cherry House – built about 1850 and owned
and occupied by William Marsh Rice. The first house moved to
the park for preservation.
- San Felipe House – built in 1868 by German immigrants on
the then southwestern edge of Houston.
- St. John Church – built in 1891 by a German farmer in
N.W. Harris County.
- The Old Place – thought to be built by an Austin
colonist in about 1823, it is probably the oldest remaining
structure in Harris County.
- Staiti House – an early 20^th century “spec” house owned
and occupied by oil man Henry T. Staiti. Re-designed in 1915
by local architect Alfred Finn following major hurricane
damage.
- Yates House – built by Jack Yates, a prominent member of
the Houston African-American community post-Civil War, in
1870.
The public can only view the inside of these buildings on a
docent led tour. The Pillot House and 4^th Ward Cottage are not
yet open to the public.
