University of North Carolina Athletics
A Tar Heel Fan's Guide To Houston
March 31, 2016 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
We're going to assume that it's Thursday, and if you're going to Houston, you already have travel arrangements. It's not exactly the kind of place you can just swing by. Why can't everything be in Greensboro?
If you're still pondering a last-minute trip, though, consider flying into San Antonio or Dallas. Both are roughly three-hour drives from Houston and airfares, at last check, were more reasonable.
Where to Stay
The Carolina team hotel is the Hilton Houston Post Oak. Other than flights, hotels are the next-biggest problem for any kind of Final Four trip. You can get a room downtown, but you'd have to be willing to pay $400 and up for a middle of the road hotel and $750 and up for one of Houston's best.
But remember: the stadium isn't downtown anyway. You're going to have to drive at some point, so a downtown hotel won't eliminate all your travel.
How to Get Around
Have a car or make friends with someone who has one. It might be worth familiarizing yourself with the Houston Metro system. They're selling a special four-day pass for $12. You can also buy parking in advance if you absolutely must drive into the area of the stadium, which sounds like terrible punishment. Here's another prepaid parking option.
Things to Do
Unlike in some cities, the FanFest and the arena are not in proximity to each other. You can buy FanFest tickets in advance and get a slight discount. All the sendoffs for the team will take place at the team hotel (see above). If you stop at the Hilton for any of those events, you'll be in the Galleria area, which is basically a giant--really giant--mall. Here's the official Final Four fan guide that has more Houston events.
Carolina has an open practice from 3-3:50 on Friday at NRG Stadium. There's a full schedule of events on Friday in and around the arena. As part of the Final Four festivities, there's also a three-day music festival in Houston.
If you need some non-basketball activity, the Space Center (again, not close to anything--about a 35-minute drive) is open every day and has some cool exhibits. The Houston Museum of Natural Science gets good reviews, and there's an Astros exhibition game at Minute Maid Park on Friday.
Where to Eat
You should probably find some Tex-Mex, and here's a list of some of the city's best. Here's a second opinion: when you find a place that shows up on both lists, you've probably got a winner.
And while we know North Carolina barbecue is superior to the Texas version, you'll likely encounter at least one native who declares you need to try their style. Again, here's one opinion on the best in town, and here's a second take.
At the Game
If you're planning to buy tickets outside NRG Stadium, you'll want to take a seating chart that specifically lists the Final Four seating arrangement, like this one. You also need to familiarize yourself with Houston's security procedures, which include clear bags only.
