The Iowa State Cyclones will travel to Houston this weekend to play football in its first conference game of the season. For all of the die-hard Iowa State fans traveling to see the game, here is a guide of facts and information about the different hot spots in the city and things to see during your weekend trip to Houston.
The city is the fourth most populated in the nation behind New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. It is also one of the most diverse cities in the United States.
To get more acquainted with the city, a hop-on and hop-off bus tour runs through many different landmarks in Houston. There is live commentary from a guide to accompany an 80-minute tour. Tickets can be purchased here.
A spot that cannot be missed in Houston is the NASA Johnson Space Center. Take a tram tour of the 1,600-acre complex that NASA uses as a training base for astronauts and the mission control home base. There is also the option to take a self-guided tour of George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park, where one of only three of the remaining actual Saturn V rockets is displayed. Find out more about tickets and experiences NASA offers at their Houston location here.
For food and drink options, Houston has plenty to offer. Nick’s Place is a bar that features “all sports, all the time,” with over 40 screens running simultaneously. It ranks near the top of bar options to get a sports fix this weekend and watch the Cyclones take on the Cougars.
There are some nicer dinner options in the city, with Brenner’s on the Bayou being ranked as number one for nice restaurants in Houston on Tripadvisor. There will also be food trucks that are dotted all around the city streets throughout the weekend. A guide to some of the best of them is attached here.
The University of Houston campus is worth taking a look around. It is scattered with many beautiful buildings and according to the university website, will be having an art exhibit opening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday night at the Blaffer Art Museum on campus.
For all of the Iowa State fans going to the game, the stadium is one of the main attractions of the day. The TDECU Stadium is just over 10 years old and cost over $128 million dollars to build. It seats around 40,000 people and has become a central piece to sports culture at the University of Houston.
Some other options for what to do in Houston can be found here.
