Texas Medical Center | About Houston, Texas (2024)

Houston is where the world comes for treatment

The Texas Medical Center is the largest life sciences destination in the world. With 106,000 employees, 61 institutions, and thousands of volunteers and patient visits, over 160,000 people visitTexas Medical Centereach day. Over the course of the year, the campus welcomes more than 7.2 million visitors.

Today, people come from across the country and all over the world to receive care from the best doctors in their field at Texas Medical Center. Incredible breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment happen at the campus' eight different academic and research institutions, not to mention the 21 different hospitals.

The TMC is home to the renownedM.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the No. 1 cancer hospital in the world. Other major institutions include Texas Children's Hospital, tied for the No. 3children's hospital in the nation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, St. Luke's Health,Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center,The Texas Heart Instituteand the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, just to name a few. Did you know that more heart surgeries are performed in the TMC than anywhere else on the globe?

In fact, the annual survey conducted by US News and World Report on "America's Best Hospitals" has ranked at least one Texas Medical Center institution in all 19 categories of care for adults and all 10 care categories in pediatrics. Pioneering medical discoveries and procedures in cardiac care and organ transplants, space medicine, spinal cord surgery and the decoding of the human DNA genome which is leading to a new era of personalized medicine all occurred in Houston. It is little wonder that more than 18,000 international patients come to our city for care each year.

When people come for extended treatment at TMC, often they have to stay for a period of time. That may mean friends and family need to secure hotels and other accommodations.Click here for a list of hotels in and around the TMC.

Houston's MetroRail Red line runs right through the center of the TMC, making it easy for people to travel from the campus to Downtown, the Museum District, NRG Park and other parts of the city. Many people also use the rail line when visiting TMC for appointments.Click here for a map of the rail lineand what's at each stop.

Visitors to the Medical Center can also learn about the amazing human body, the history of medicine and much more by spending some time at three museums, theHealth Museum, theWallace D. Wilson Museumat the Texas Heart Institute and theDeBakey Library and Museum. Or journey to thesecond largest medical libraryand peruse their rare books and special collections, such as the records of the Atomic Bomb Causality Commission and NASA Space Life Sciences Archives.

Want to learn more?Engage in life science educational activities in policy, ethics, medicine and spirituality, nutrition, scientific breakthroughs, new discoveries and much more through the academic institutions that teach more than 30,000 students each year. In fact, there are four medical schools, eightnursing schools, two full universities, twopharmacy schools a community college and even a high school that focuses on the life sciences! You can attend one or more of the thousands of educational seminars that are available through the various institutions at the Texas Medical Center.Click here for a partial calendar of events.

Near the Texas Medical Center

Between appointments at the TMC, patients and guests will find plenty to do, all within minutes of the world’s largest medical complex. Read on for the area’s tried and true favorites.

co*ckrell Butterfly Center
Located inside the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the co*ckrell Butterfly Center is worth the price of admission. Guests are able to step inside a living habitat that’s home to hundreds of vibrant butterflies. The three-story glass structure features a 50-foot waterfall, exotic plants and some of the world’s largest and strangest arthropods.

Learn more aboutco*ckrell Butterfly Center

Hermann Park

Between pedal boating, golfing and riding the Hermann Park Railroad, there’s plenty to see and do in Houston’s 445-acre urban park. If it’s tranquility you’re after, stop by the Japanese Garden. The lushly-landscaped hideaway is a peaceful escape, marked by a teahouse, waterfalls, bridges and shaded seating. The garden is open daily and admission is free.

Learn more aboutHermann Park

Houston Zoo

More than 6,000 exotic animals, representing more than 800 species, call the Houston Zoo home. While you’re exploring the 55-acre expanse, experience the wonders of Africa at the Houston Zoo’s African Forest exhibit. The new 6.5 acre, $40 million addition is home to chimps, rhinos and giraffes.

Learn more aboutHouston Zoo

James Turrell Skyspace

James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyspace

Rice University revealed its newest on-campus art installation, James Turrell’s “Twilight Epiphany” Skyspace, in mid-June 2012. It is the 73rd in a series of structures by the American artist that have been built in more than 20 countries worldwide. Each installation is unique, though all use light and space to alter the viewer’s perception of the sky.

Learn more aboutJames Turrell Skyspace

Miller Outdoor Theatre

Miller Outdoor Theater

Since 1923, Miller Outdoor Theatre has been a local (and national) favorite for free outdoor performances. Located within Hermann Park, the venue offers a seven month season—April to November—of professional shows by Theatre Under the Stars, the Houston Symphony and the University of Houston, among others.

Learn more aboutMiller Outdoor Theatre

Houston Museum District

From the activity-packed Children’s Museum to the expansive Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the city’s Museum District appeals to visitors of all ages. Meditate at the Rothko Chapel, celebrate science at The Health Museum, peruse world-renowned exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston or visit one of the other cultural institutions in the pedestrian-friendly district.

Learn more aboutHouston Museum District

For moreinformationvisit theTexas Medical Center website.