Shopping and dining are definitely the marquee draws for Houston visitors, but there are also plenty more options to take advantage of for enjoyable recreational activities. Houston is a city rich in history, fine arts and cultural diversity, and meeting planners will want to use this confluence of people and ideas to create fun, productive itineraries for their visiting clientele.

Making sure recreation is taken care of is important, because it eases the tension of a lengthy corporate function and can lift the spirits of weary meeting attendees. If a BMP must plan recreation or even if a suggestion of what to do is all that’s needed, it’s best to remember the background of the client when giving advice. A local professional may already do what a visitor has in mind for recreation on a regular basis. To make sure you satisfy the needs of every person in your party, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things visiting professionals will most likely want to see and do and another list of ten things locals may not be as familiar with.

10 Things to Do for Visiting Business Professionals

1. The Galleria
With more than 24 million annual visitors, The Galleria is one of the city’s marquee attractions. The fourth-largest mall in the nation, the compound consists of 2.4 million-square-feet of retail space, two hotels and a plethora of eating establishments. Anchored by flagship department stores such as Neimen Marcus, Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, The Galleria also houses some of the most popular names in retail, including Express, Urban Outfitters and American Eagle. The central mall also houses an indoor skating rink that serves as the base for one of Houston’s largest Christmas trees during the holiday season. www.galleriahouston.com

2. Space Center Houston
There’s plenty to see and do at Houston’s largest repository of space history, but adults will be most interested in the guided tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Areas visited on the tram tour include the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility and the Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park. www.spacecenter.org

3. Galveston and Moody Gardens
Located less than an hour’s drive away from downtown Houston, Galveston Island is home to Moody Gardens, an entertainment complex with an educational bent. Spotlight attractions include the Aquarium Pyramid®, featuring more than 8,000 species of aquatic wildlife, and the Rainforest Pyramid®, home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals from the wild lands of Asia, Africa and the Americas. The recently opened Moody Gardens Golf Course offers professional-level play for corporate events. Galveston is also the site of many Victorian-era houses that showcase the stunning architecture and decorative arts of the 19th century. Must-see structures that are open to the public include the Bishop’s Palace and the Moody Mansion. www.moodygardens.com; www.galveston.com/historichomes

4. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
With a collection featuring more than 57,000 pieces of art that span the ages, from the ancient world to the contemporary landscape in which we live, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) is the largest museum of its kind south of Chicago, west of Washington D.C. and east of Los Angeles. In addition to its world-class permanent collection, the museum also hosts more than 30 traveling exhibitions each year. The museum’s specialty areas include Italian Renaissance painting, French Impressionist painting and American art. www.mfah.org

5. Texas Medical Center
The Texas Medical Center is the largest healthcare district in the world with more than 100 facilities occupying a 650-acre space. Major areas of interest include the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Baylor College of Medicine and the Alkek Institute of Biosciences & Technology of A&M. Two-hour guided tours are available for corporate groups and the district can easily be accessed through the Metrorail system. www.tmc.edu

6. Houston Astros/Minute Maid Park
Visiting sports fans have several great options for watching a great game, but what better way to get in touch with a city’s athletic history than by spending an evening watching America’s favorite pastime: baseball. Minute Maid Park is now the official home of the Bayou City’s famous baseball team and visitors will want to be sure to tour the facility and see firsthand the ballpark’s luxury suites, broadcasting booths, the Astros’ dugout and Union Station. www.astros.mlb.com

7. Downtown Tunnel System
Twenty feet below the streets of downtown lies a completely different city than the one that can be viewed from above. Six miles of pedestrian tunnels and overhead skywalks connect many of the major buildings in the central business district. The tunnels can be reached directly through Wells Fargo Plaza or by entering a building connected to the tunnel and taking the elevator downwards. Tours of this underground city filled with shops and restaurants are available and start at the concierge desk of the Hilton-Americas Hotel. The observation deck on the 60th floor of the Chase building can also be reached by the tunnel system and is free for visitors. www.discoverhoustontours.com

8. The Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most visited museums of any kind in the nation. In addition to its permanent exhibits, the facility includes the Burke Baker Planetarium, the Wortham IMAX and the Cockrell Butterfly Center. Some of the significant permanent exhibits include the Cullen Hall of Gems, Isaac Arnold Hall of Space Science and the John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas. www.hmns.org

9. George Ranch Historical Park
The Texas of yesteryear is only a 45-minute drive away in Richmond, where visitors can experience how life was like during different stages of the state’s history dating all the way back to 1824. The 1830s Jones Stock Farm showcases one of the earliest settlements in the state, when Texas was still a part of Mexico. Post-Civil War era living is captured in the 1860s Ryon Prairie Home while end-of-the-century opulence is represented by the 1890s Davis Victorian Mansion. Finally, the 1930s George Ranch House displays the rugged activities of early twentieth-century cowboys and frontiersman. Historical meals are also available as well as a restaurant featuring sandwiches and salads. www.georgeranch.org

10. Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
For the best in New York-style musical theater, the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is the place to go for a season filled with singing and dancing. The Hobby Center is home to Broadway Houston, Theater Under the Stars and the Masquerade Theatre, each production company putting together its own repertoire of old favorites and new hits. During the past season, the three organizations cumulatively brought productions of Rent, Les Miserables, The Color Purple, Spring Awakening, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Evita and The Producers to the Hobby Center stage.www.thehobbycenter.org

10 Things to Do for local Business Professionals

1. Discovery Green
Opened just over a year ago, this 12-acre park in the middle of downtown gives adults a multitude of options for a complete recreational and dining experience. The park includes a lawn for events and sports play, a promenade, a lake, an outdoor skating rink and a variety of gardens featuring a number of Texas plants and birdlife. After an evening of live entertainment, guests can enjoy a relaxing evening at the Grove, a fine dining restaurant and bar, or the Lake House, a casual, laid-back eatery specializing in American fast food. www.discoverygreen.com

2. The Alley Theatre
While the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts attracts many tourists with its traveling Broadway productions, the Alley Theatre is known as a local treasure for its continual support of local talent in new and rediscovered dramatic works. Winner of the 1996 Regional Theater Tony Award, the Alley is home to a resident acting company and is known for its annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. www.alleytheatre.org

3.Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Originally the property of famed Texas philanthropist Ima Hogg, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens is now a branch of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. One of Houston’s best kept secrets, the estate houses one of the largest collections of Americana in the nation. Each room in this 1920s mansion reflects a historical period of American decorative arts, from the 1620s to the 1870s. This stunning accumulation of antiques represents the lifelong love of one of Houston’s most interesting public figures. www.mfah.com/bayoubend

4.Museum of Printing History
In this intimate, yet, comprehensive museum space, visitors get to see the development of humanity’s writing process up close and personal. The permanent collection includes artifacts representing the earliest forms of printing from a variety of geographic sources, including William Caxton, the first English printer, and Juan Pablos, the first printer of the Americas. www.printingmuseum.org

5.Buffalo Bayou
The heart of the city of Houston is its 52-mile waterway system known as Buffalo Bayou. The downtown portion of the bayou has become a place of frequent visitation due to the city’s beautification efforts, including the construction of a promenade and a decorative lighting system. Boat tours are available for enjoying 30-minute rides through Houston’s inner city waters. www.buffalobayou.org

6. Hermann Park/Japanese Garden
Houston’s Hermann Park is the largest outdoor recreational space the city has to offer. It’s a great place for corporate groups to meet together and enjoy a picnic, a game of organized sports or an afternoon of fishing and paddle boating. Hermann Park’s Japanese Garden is a beautiful area that replicates the outdoor ambience of the East. The garden’s ponds are filled with koi fish and the flower beds are populated by authentic plant life from across the ocean. Japanese gazebos make for wonderful group photo opportunities.
www.hermannpark.org

7. Glenwood Cemetery
Not the morbid attraction the name suggests, Glenwood Cemetery is an impressive repository of invaluable Houston history with dozens of notable figures interred within the premises, including Hollywood mogul and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Visitors can enjoy a walk through the idyllic grounds amidst outstanding examples of burial architecture while contemplating the life contributions of those that have made Glenwood their final resting place, including four governors and some twenty Houston majors. Docent-led group tours are available.

8. The Jung Center of Houston
This center of learning is devoted to the subjects of psychology and mental wellness. The Jung Center of Houston’s bookstore and library offer further reading in these areas, including material on how to continue personal growth while working in the corporate world. The Carolyn Grant Hay building features year-round exhibits of artists both established and new, local and national. www.junghouston.org

9. Chinatown Karaoke
A great way for local business professionals to spend time together is by exploring the city they live in. Houston’s New Chinatown, located in the southwest part of Houston, is a wonderful place to observe the cultural life of the city’s ever-expanding Asian-American community. Chinatown is also the place to find the latest trends in karaoke, as venues like Yes KTV and Genji Japanese Restaurant are outfitted with the latest audio and microphone technology. Rooms are often available for private group events.

10. Montrose
The Montrose area can easily be pigeon-holed as an area strictly for the college liberal arts twenty-something, with older or savvier individuals skipping right through it to the Midtown or Kirby areas. However, Montrose presents limitless possibilities for a day of casual fun with many resale stores, vintage clothing shops, sushi bars, wine bars and cafes filling the area. Montrose is also home to many of Houston’s favorite international restaurants, including La Strada, La Dolce Vita, Indika, Niko Niko’s and Aladdin’s Mediterranean Cuisine.