If you’ve never been to Houston before, you must not leave without visiting the iconic NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. It is a one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor retractable roof and rodeo stadium, covering 125,000 square feet.

Iconic Features of the Stadium

This stadium is a favorite in Houston for professional and amateur sporting events, as well as special events, which are hosted within its four gigantic concourse levels. The stadium roof design offers flexible rigging configurations for both audio and visual presentations. It’s easy to see why it was chosen to host the 2017 Super Bowl games. Aside from the stadium, there’s a Center, Arena, and Astrodome, all of which are bound to have you picking your mouth off the floor with their grandeur. It used to have a natural grass field, but Astroturf replaced this during the 2015 NFL season.

History of the Stadium

The NRG Stadium was opened in 2002, based on plans from 1997 for the first NFL retractable roof stadium. The first game played there was against the Miami Dolphins, who beat the Texans 24-3. It has hosted soccer matches since 2005, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup which has been played in the arena several times.

Things You Must Eat

Houston is well-known for its mouth-watering delicacies, and you’ll want to carry your hunger to enjoy the Houstonian cuisine to the max. You may be wondering where to start, so we’ll give you some local staples you have to try depending on what your palette is craving. Try Bernadine’s for seafood and Killen’s Barbeque for barbeque, Backstreet Café for classic American, Churrasco’s for Latin, Ouisie’s Table for Southern cuisine and The Chocolate Bar for delectable desserts. You can’t leave Houston without trying some Tex Mex – the Original Ninfa’s on Armando’s or Navigation is an excellent place to start!

Getting There

If traveling to Houston by air, choose the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and get yourself a rental car for more effortless mobility. However, there are efficient city and metro railbuses if vehicles are not your style. Be sure to check the forecast and pack comfortable clothes: Houston is well-known for its year-round humidity which can make the city feel warmer than its actual temperatures. For NRG Stadium events, you’ll mostly use Gate 9 at the corner of Kirby and Westridge (enter 8825 Kirby Drive Houston, TX 77054 into your navigator).