Rothko Chapel is not oriented with any particular faith tradition. It is located in downtown Houston. It was founded by John and Dominique de Menil. But to call this just a chapel would be to undervalue the work of art which is this place. It was one of the first true ecumenical structures in the world. It is open for all faith traditions of the world to use and appreciate. In its history, it has been a proverbial Mecca for international culture and religious tolerance and exchange. It is also the spot for many performances. The center is also used as a house of prayer for many faith traditions.

The shape of the building is octagonal in nature. It also sits inside a Greek cross. The walls of the chapel hold 14 paintings done by Mark Rothko. In the year 2000, it was added to the National Registry for Historic Places. This in itself is quite the achievement, because buildings are typically not added to the NRHP until they are at east fifty years old.

This Museum was the proverbial swan song for the illustrious artistic career for Dominique de Menil. It opened to the general public in 1997. It is a work of art in its own right, and displays the very spiritual nature of the all the work de Menil did in her lifetime.

The chapel was designed to be a permanent home for some 13th Century Byzantine frescoes that were taken from their original home in Cyprus. As a result, it is now the only home to a display of intact Byzantine frescoes in the Western Hemisphere. She worked with the small church in Cyprus to gain control of the stolen pieces, and then designed the chapel to be the new home. She wanted it to be more than just another museum, so she built a place that would reflect the religious nature of the pieces.

The chapel is open to the public from Wednesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

This chapel is located on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. You will find it on the north side of the area, near the Academic Mall. It sits directly across from the Doherty Library. The whole complex of buildings has been designed to represent various aspects of academic endeavor.

The church is easy to spot for the beautiful golden dome located on top. It was completed in 1997, and was designed by the famous architect Philip Johnson. Designer himself has described this type of architecture used in the design as “deconstructionist.” You may also be struck by the dark material used in the outer building, it stands out well.

The design of the building accentuates the concave “stations of the cross” display on the inside. The altar is also quite stunning to see. The patron saint is St. Basil, who was the Bishop of Caesarea in Pontus about 100 years after the death of Jesus Christ. He was also a very famous theologian. His teachings formed the basis of the rules used by the monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The Eleanor K. Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library of the Houston Public Library system is housed in a former church and is near a bakery and a pub. The Houston Press ranked the library the best public library branch in Houston in 2009. The paper said that there was "something so urban and civilized about the Montrose branch" and that it was "a great place for parents and kids," as it hosts a multitude of child-friendly events each week.

The First Presbyterian Church is a very famous house of worship in Houston. It is perhaps best known by the fact that Sam Houston used to attend services here. It was started in 1845. Back then, it was just a small pine church that used whale oil lamps for lighting. A more formal structure was built in 1896. The church was badly damaged by fire in 1932, but was completely renovated in short order. The church has a colonial look, but has a Byzantine style dome and a beautiful bell tower.

In modern times, the church has over 4700 members. It is located in the Museum District of town. Besides being a house of worship, it also houses a school for children ages 2 through the 8th grade of education. The congregation has also historically been very active in other local charities in the area. Dr. Allen Hutcheson of this church was also one of the first medical missionaries to China. So, there is a rich history of service here.

If you only get time to visit one place in Houston, you may want to make that Hermann Park. It is the premiere location in town. It is located on 490 acres of ground that is just south of the downtown area. It houses an award winning zoo, a Science Museum, gardens, and lots of family attractions. You can find everything from Japanese Gardens to Mini Trains for the kids to ride. There is something here for everybody.

For many years now, the city has been working on making this the best park of its kind in the nation. Over 3,000,000 people visit the park every year. The park was started in 1914, when George Hermann (the name sake for the park) donated the first 284 acres. The rest of the acreage was purchased a year later by the city, at the urging of then Mayor Ben Campbell.

You can find Hermann Park between the Museum District and Rice University. It is very close to the Texas Medical Center. It is just a few minutes’ drive out of downtown Houston.

The Miller Outdoor Theatre is located in the Hermann Park Historic District. It is an outdoor performance complex, and is one of the most popular in all of Houston. It has been a popular part of the downtown area for over 80 years now. It sits on a little over seven acres of ground. The location is home to musical performances, as well as dance and theatre performances.

The complex seats over 1700 people. It also has 20 spots up front for handicap chairs. Admission to the outdoor theatre cannot be beaten. It is free to all ages. The performances go from March through October of each year.

The theatre is managed by the Society for the Performing Arts of Houston. It is a nonprofit organization that represents vocal, dance, and stage performers. The A.D. Players also use the theatre. It is a part time acting troupe.

The Houston Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in town. It gets over two million visitors each year. The zoo sits on 55 acres of ground, and has over 4,000 live animals on display. It is part of the Museum District at Hermann Park.

Inside the zoo you can see exhibits of all kinds. The most current project is the African Forest Addition to the property. The new addition cost over $100 million dollars, and opened in late 2010. There is also a wonderful Children’s Zoo here, the Kipp Aquarium, and the Natural Encounters Building. The elephant display and reptile house are among the best in the nation.

The zoo is open 364 days a year. It is only closed on Christmas Day. Admission for children under the age of two is free. Children ages two to eleven is $7. Adults twelve to sixty four can get in for $11. Seniors are $6. Members of the Houston Zoo get free admission.

William Marsh Rice University (commonly known as Rice University) was opened in 1912 as The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science and Art. It is a private coeducational research university, located near the Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. In 1911, the cornerstone was laid for the Institute's first building, the Administration Building, now known as Lovett Hall, in honor of the founding president. The Founder's Memorial Statue, a seated bronze statue of William Marsh Rice, holding the original plans for the campus, was dedicated in 1930 and is located in the central academic quad, facing Lovett Hall.