Not to miss

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Delve into excellent traveling shows - often with shiny themes (treasures of Tsarist Russia, gold of Afghanistan) - at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Dinosaurs, fossils, gems and mineral exhibits, chemistry and interactive experiments are all part of the permanent collections.

Rothko Chapel

For lovers of 20th century art the Rothko Chapel is a special place of beauty. Fourteen paintings by abstract master Mark Rothko specifically painted for this non-denominational space create a meditative sanctuary that seems light years away from the traffic and buzz of Houston. The chapel also holds meditation sessions and sponsors an annual human rights award.

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art

Beer cans, welded-steel oranges and plastic flowers as folk art? Conservative Houston has a wacky art streak. The late Jeff McKissack molded his house into a junk-art tribute to his favorite fruit until his passing. Today it's the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, off I-45 S, which fosters the folk-art vision by offering tours and keeping up the 50,000-can exterior of the Beer Can House (222 Malone St), off Memorial Dr. The center can give directions to other arty houses around town.

The Foundation also keeps up the Beer Can House (222 Malone St, off Memorial Dr), a house, or is it a sculpture, covered with more than 50,000 aluminum cans.