Hotel at a Glance: Crowne Plaza Houston Med Ctr-Galleria Area

A stay at Crowne Plaza Houston Med Ctr-Galleria Area, an IHG Hotel, places you in the heart of Houston. This hotel is located just a few miles from Children's Museum of Houston and Houston Natural Science Museum.

• Amenities: Make yourself at home in one of the guestrooms featuring mini-refrigerators and complimentary Wi-Fi

• Make a splash in the outdoor pool

• Grab a drink or a snack at the hotel's 2712 Bistro and Bar

• Fitness club is available to all guests who like to stay in shape

Houston, Texas: Space History and Museums in Nation’s Fourth-Largest City

As the nation’s fourth-largest city by population, Houston has established itself as one of the Gulf Coast’s most thriving cultural hubs. The city's museum district has 19 museums covering everything from history to art to science. For art lovers, the Menil Collection—which Frommer’s calls “one of the great private collections of the world”—is a must-see. Here, you’ll browse an array of 20th-century art from Jasper Johns, René Magritte, and Andy Warhol, as well as artifacts from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

You could also spend an entire day exploring Houston’s science institutions. When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell famously stated, “Houston, we have a problem,” he was talking to mission control at Space Center Houston. Here, visitors can tour the historic mission-control room and get a behind-the-scenes look at astronauts training for the International Space Station. Along Houston’s Hermann Park, The Health Museum exhibits a large-scale human body that you can enter to learn about how your organs operate.