Houston Pictures

Houston's picturesque skyline is framed by the miles-long Buffalo Bayou waterway. Tim Levison / EyeEm Getty Images

One of the exhibits at Space Center Houston features spacesuits dating back to the first American trip to space and a model of the International Space Station.  Courtesy Space Center Houston

The Art Car Museum is a dedicated to contemporary art with an emphasis on art cars. Each year they their annual parade draws thousands of fans and plenty of decorated cars.  Courtesy Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Houston is a very artsy city – it's also one of the few U.S. cities with professional companies in the four performing arts disciplines (ballet, opera, symphony and theater). Courtesy Visit Houston

Heading to Houston for the rodeo? Don't forget to don your best cowboy hat. p_a_h Flickr

Hermann Park contains a number of things to do like the Houston Zoo, the Miller Outdoor Theater and this Japanese Garden. ajamils Getty Images

Houstonians like to travel 50 miles south to Galveston for its gulf sands.  Courtesy of Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

This museum boasts a Hall of Paleontology that contains more than 450 fossils and fossil replicas, offering a vivid look into the 3.5 billion-year story of life on Earth.  Courtesy Visit Houston (Julie Soefer)

This fun museum entertains kids from a few months of age to those in double digits.  Courtesy Visit Houston

Minute Maid Park is home to the Houston Astros. Visitors say the stadium is fun, tickets are reasonably priced and the fireworks shows are impressive. Roy Luck Flickr

Exhibits at the Houston Holocaust Museum include everything from film footage taken during World War II and inside the concentration camps to a 1942 railcar for transporting victims Visit Houston (Julie Soefer)

The Menil Collection houses more than 10,000 works of art on a 30-acre campus southwest of downtown Houston.  Visit Houston

Multiple spots along the Buffalo Bayou offer excellent photo ops of the Houston skyline.  Jonnu Singleton/SWA Group (1) / Jonnu Singleton/SWA Group

The Houston Zoo recently opened an expanded 7,000-square-foot expanded elephant habitat.  Courtesy Houston Zoo

The Children's Museum of Houston is full of interactive exhibits including the Kidtropolis exhibit where children can learn about having a job, mangaging money and buying healthy groceries.  Courtesy Children's Museum of Houston

This memorial, which can be found on Memorial Drive, honors Houston's fallen police officers.  melted plastic Flickr

One of the city's biggest events of the year, the Livestock Show and Rodeo is held every March. Julie Soefer Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Museum District is home to many of the city's most popular learning institutions, including the Musem of Fine Arts, the Museum of Natural Science, the Holocaust Museum and the zoo. Hugh Hargrave Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

When in Texas, you can't forget to sample some barbecue. Goode Company Texas BBQ is quite popular, thanks to smoked brisket and variety of platters. Courtesy Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

The zoo is home to a wide variety of animals, including chimpanzees. Courtesy Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

You'll need a car to get around to the many attractions in Houston.  Thomas Northcut Getty Images

Houston's annual Pride parade, held in June, is one of the country's largest. Visit Houston (Spenser Harrison)

During the annual HUE Mural Festival, local and international artists transform the city's blank walls into eye-catching murals. The festival takes place every October. Lance Childers

A relatively new Houston landmark, the We Heart Houston sign can be found alongside the Katy Freeway. Visit Houston (Julie Soefer)

A little known fact, Houston has the second largest Asian population in the United States (behind Los Angeles). As such, the city is home to a vibrant Chinatown that all food lovers should visit while in the city.  Courtesy Visit Houston