Sports Tours
We offer four sports tours. Please read the descriptions below to select the best one for you. All of the tours will enlighten you to the current, past, and demolished stadiums and arenas, and the current and past major and minor league teams. Learn about the sports history, leagues and mergers, the teams, owners, star players, the highlights and lowlights, and the stadiums. Bring money for a lunch stop on Tours C and D. Lunch is typically at a sports bar, a restaurant in one of the stadiums, or in a restaurant close in proximity to an athletic field.
Tour A
This tour is three (3) hours. It is a short driving tour with opportunities to get out and look at stadiums/parks/arenas and take photos. It does not include any tours of stadiums. It takes you to the four currently active major league stadiums, as well as to six (6) past stadiums and areas. Lastly, the tour includes going to the Houston Sports Association Museum on the site of the former Houston Buffaloes (Buff) Stadium AKA Busch Stadium for the minor league baseball team, the Buffs, from 1928 to 1961. This is available everyday.
Tour B
This tour is four (4) hours. It includes touring 2 major league stadiums/parks/arenas and driving to see the other two major league sports venues. This tour is only available on Monday through Thursday. The Toyota Center can only be included on Tuesday and Thursday.
Tour C
This tour is five (5) hours. It includes tours of the basketball and hockey stadium, baseball park, and football stadium. It is only available on Tuesday and Thursday.
Tour D
This tour is six (6) hours. It includes tours of 2 major league stadiums/parks/arenas, driving to see the two other sports venues, seeing all of the former stadiums/parks/arenas, going to the sites of the demolished stadiums/parks/arenas, and touring the Houston Sports Association Museum. This is available Monday through Thursday.
All tours start at the Visitors Center, located on the first floor of City Hall at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002. Parking for a fee is available under Tranquility Park, located at 510 Rusk Street, Houston, Texas 77002.
The current major league stadiums are:
- BBVA Compass Stadium – home of the Houston Dynamo soccer team and Texas Southern University (TSU) Tigers football team since 2012.
- Minute Maid Park AKA The Ballpark at Union Station – home of the Houston Astros baseball team since 2000. This was formerly known as Enron Field from 2000 to 2001. It was Astros Field until July 2002.
- Reliant Park – home of the Houston Texans football team since 2002 and the 2004 Super Bowl.
- The Toyota Center – home of the Houston Rockets basketball team, the Houston Comets WNBA basketball team from 2004 to 2007, and the minor league Houston Aeros hockey team since 2003.
The former homes of major league sporting teams include:
- Astrodome – the home of the Houston Astros from 1965 to 1999, the Houston Oilers from 1967 to 1996, the 1974 Houston Texans in the WFL, the Houston Hurricane soccer team from 1978 to 1980, and the Houston Gamblers in the USFL from 1984 to 1985.
- Hofheinz Pavilion – the original home of the Houston Rockets from 1971 to 1975.
- Lakewood Church – formerly known as The Summit from 1975 to 1998 and the Compaq Center from 1998 to 2003. It was the home of the Houston Rockets from 1975 to 2003, the Houston Aeros of the WHA from 1975 to 1979, the Houston Texas Terror/Houston Thunderbears of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 2001, and the Houston Comets of the WNBA from 1997 to 2003.
- Reliant Arena – home of the Houston Comets in 2008.
- Rice Stadium – home of the Rice Owls football team, the AFL Houston Oilers football team from 1965 to 1967, and the 1974 Super Bowl.
- Robertson Stadium AKA Jeppesen Stadium – the original home of the AFL Houston Oilers football team from 1960 to 1964, the Houston Dynamo soccer team from 2006 to 2011, the Texas Southern University (TSU) Tigers football team, and the University of Houston (UH) Cougars football team.
Lastly, the tour includes going to the Houston Sports Association Museum on the site of the former Houston Buffaloes (Buff) Stadium AKA Busch Stadium for the minor league baseball team, the Buffs, from 1928 to 1961.
