The Seven Wonders of Houston

We ’d be lie if we articulate Houston was the prettiest metropolis around . But that ’s mostly due to our lack of lifelike splendor . Take the bayous , which , like the butt chin your grandma always told you was adorable , are more like the variety of beauty you learn to know with time . However , thanks to good ol’ American ingenuity , there are some rightfully incredible body structure out there in the Bayou City . From the city ’s most iconic buildings , to lesser - known treasure , these are the seven man - made wonders of Houston .

The Astrodome

Built in:1964Built by : H. A. Lott , Inc. Designed by architects Hermon Lloyd & W. B. Morgan , and Wilson , Morris , Crain and Anderson of Morris Architects and morphologic locomotive engineer Walter P Moore Engineers and ConsultantsWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : This fabled structure is technically the 8th Wonder … of the World ! While Houstonians may be the only I who in reality feel that way , the Astrodome does lie claim to being the world ’s first ever domed stadium . Side note : it was also the first stadium to use artificial turf , know as AstroTurf ; and the first to have an electronic scoreboard , known as AstroLite ( you ’re welcome , World ) . When the MLB amplify in 1960 , former city manager Roy Hofheinz was yield a enfranchisement on the hope that he ’d build a cover stadium , which would help with Houston ’s semitropical climate . Hofheinz claimed to be inspired to build it after visiting Rome , where he discovered the ancient Colosseum had gargantuan curtain - like awning structures to shield spectators from the Roman sunshine . After getting all types of structural engineers and architects on board , the 18 level - tall , 9.5 - acre dome was erected . It has find out many iterations , including , at one item , an deluxe apartment for Hofheinz that was remove after a remodel in 1988 , but deplorably , the dome ’s time has past . It closed down in 2008 , and though many million dollar renovation plans have been proposed , today it sit vacant , taking up a in spades surly seem but still pretty nerveless hunk of blank at NRG Park .

The Waterworks Underground Cistern

build up in:1927Built by : The City of HoustonWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : We’re unforced to bet most Houstonians do n’t even know this place even be , mainly because it ’s entirely underground . In fact , the 87,500sqft , 25ft - magniloquent water tank – which is only accessible via hatches that opened to 14 ft ladder not open to the public – was mostly leave after it recoil a leak that could n’t be located or contained . That is , until the Buffalo Bayou Partnership discovered the cathedral - like magnificence after beginning the Shepherd to Sabine labor in 2010 . They ’ve since acquired the sincerely dope cavern , and with 3D projection from the Houston - base SmartGeoMetrics and a $ 1.2 million assignment from The Brown Foundation , they plan to translate the highly strange pip into a public art space in the time to come . Until then , you ’ll have to be vicariously through this sick3D fly through .

The Beer Can House

build up in:1968Built by : John MilkovischWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : Because it ’s a house , dead plastered in CANS OF BEER . In 1968 , retired Southern Pacific Railroad upholsterer John Milkovisch “ got gruesome of mowing the grass ” and began playing around with thousands of pieces of marble , rock’n’roll , and metallic element , plant them into concrete and sequoia to form singular landscape painting structures . When he essentially cover the entire front and back cubic yard , Milkovisch moved to the household , adding aluminum sidetrack comprised of beer butt . Fast forward 18 years and the house was a employment of nontextual matter , beer art to be exact . Ripley ’s conceive It or Not estimates over 50,000 cans invest the home , which conceive it or not , ol’ Johnny boy – with avail from his neighbors and wife , Mary – drank the stern himself .

The San Jacinto Monument

Built in:1936 - 39Built by : WS Bellows ConstructionWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : Topped by a splendiferous 220 ton star , this towering memorial commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto . If that mean nothing to you , here ’s a little chronicle : that battle is wide known as the critical engagement of the Texas Revolution . Since we substantiate that may also mean nothing to you , here ’s some more : Texas was once a Mexican responsibility , and in 1835 , American colonists in that province – jazz as Texans – rebel against the increasingly centralistic Mexican politics in a year foresighted revolution that ended with the Republic of Texas being an independent country and eventually becoming a part of the US . We may have skip a few things here and there , but you get the point . This monument is cool as hell . In 1897 , after a survey fastidiously set the bound of the original battle site , terra firma was buy for the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site . But it was n’t until 1936 that primer coat was broken to reconstruct the repository . Three years and $ 1.5 million later , the octagonal pillar , its outside confront with limestone from a quarry near the Texas State Capitol , was complete . At 567.31 ft , it stands as the tall repository chromatography column in the world .

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

ramp up in:2004Built by : VolunteersWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : This traditional Hindu tabernacle in Stafford was set up like a jigsaw puzzle using 33,000 pieces of hand - carved Italian marble and Turkish limestone , make it wayyyyy cooler than that “ Rows and Rows of Sailboats ” puzzle you eat up with your grandpa last summertime . Even cooler , it was built in just 16 month by – wait for it even though we already said it above – volunteers ! Yes , there are sound people in this world who believe in the true look ofseva(selfless volunteering ) , the mantrap of which shine through every meticulously placed hired hand - crafted musical composition of art . But it ’s not just sweet on the outside . Step inside and you ’ll witness the ancient wisdom of Hinduism represented through a brilliant regalia of paintings , tableaux and traditional craftwork .

Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Palace

Built in:1994Built by : Wu - Wei Tien Tao AssociationWhy it ’s one of the seven wonders : bet like something out of anAustin Powersfilm where Dr. Evil takes Epcot , this fort crown by a 40 ft gold domed stadium sits right on smack in the middle of a neighborhood on the westside . It ’s one of the unmated complex body part in Houston , a fun effect of our entirely bonkers zoning laws . Dubbed the “ Palace of the Golden Orbs , ” the $ 6 million Chong Hua Sheng Mu Holy Palace was build up by members of the Wu - Wei Tien Tao Association back in the ' 90s . accord to theHouston Press , the East Asian universalist spiritual organization had grand architectural plan to make the temple complex the epicentre of their 11 - acre situation , but things fell apart after the sect ’s drawing card draw an oopsie and got herself deported in 1999 . Today , it sit unfinished and unused , but at least it bring in good eye candy when you ’re walking your dog .

Rothko Chapel

build in:1971Built by : John and Dominique de Menil , Mark Rothko , Philip Johnson , Howard Barnstone , Eugene AubryWhy it ’s one of the seven wonderment : This totally zen chapel – largely designed by lionise American artist Mark Rothko – is considered one of the most holy spot on the planet , even earning a spot onNational Geographic ’s “ Sacred Places of a Lifetime : 500 of the World ’s Most Peaceful and Powerful address . ” The building itself is an octangular brick social organisation inscribed in a Greek cross , with a complete inside and eight movable benches at which people of all religions are encouraged to get their meditation on . The contemplative space is lined by fourteen massive , colored canvases Rothko created specially for the place , and across the shopping center , Barnett Newman ’s beautiful Broken Obelisk sits on a pensive pool in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. All in all , the spiritual watershed is fairly impressive , so much so that around 80,000 mass per year come from all over the human beings to take in its majesty .

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple is Stafford, Houston, Texas