George R. Brown Convention Center facts for kids

The George R. Brown Convention Center is a huge building in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It opened on September 26, 1987.

This center is named after George Rufus Brown (1898-1983). He was a famous businessman, engineer, and a kind person who helped his community in Houston. George and his brother, Herman, built a very large construction company called Brown & Root. Later, George and some friends started the Texas Eastern Transmission Company. This company gave six of the 11 city blocks needed to build the convention center.

The City of Houston owns the center, and Houston First Corporation manages it. Building the center cost about $104.9 million and took 30 months, with over 1,200 workers. This tall, red, white, and blue building, which is 100 feet (30 meters) high, replaced an older convention center. The George R. Brown Convention Center was also the first convention center in the world to have a special machine called a Bitcoin ATM. You can easily get to the convention center using the METRORail light rail service at the Convention District station.

History of the Convention Center

Early Days and Location

The George R. Brown Convention Center stands where the Pillot House used to be. This house belonged to the family who started the Henke & Pillot supermarket chain. The Pillot House was moved to Sam Houston Park in 1965. The convention center was designed by John S. Chase, who was the first licensed African American architect in Texas.

The very first big meeting held at the George R. Brown Convention Center was for the American Society of Travel Agents. This happened on October 11, 1987.

Major Expansions and Upgrades

A big renovation project started on July 28, 2001. The goal was to make the convention center much larger and build a new hotel next to it. This project cost $165 million and took 27 months to finish. The new hotel is called the Hilton Americas-Houston. It connects to the convention center with two skywalks, which are like bridges in the air.

This expansion made the center much bigger, from about 1,150,000 square feet to 1,800,000 square feet. They added three new exhibit halls, increasing the space for shows and displays. They also added 62 new meeting rooms, bringing the total to 105. The project was completed in November 2003, just a few months before a big football game, Super Bowl XXXVIII, was held in Houston.

The center also has a large theater with 3,600 seats. This theater can be used for concerts, Broadway shows, and big meetings. One of the exhibit halls can even turn into a 6,500-seat indoor arena for more concerts and sports events, using special moving seats.

Growth and Surrounding Attractions

Around the same time, the METRORail light rail system was finished. This connected downtown Houston to important places like the Houston Museum District and the Texas Medical Center. These improvements helped Houston attract more conventions. For example, the Texas Democratic Convention was held at the GRB in 2004 and 2008.

Every year, the International Quilt Festival and International Quilt Market bring about 50,000 people to the center. In 2008, a beautiful 12-acre park called Discovery Green was built right across the street. Also, the Houston Pavilions, a shopping and entertainment area, opened a few blocks away. A new parking garage was built under Discovery Green to replace old parking lots.

The convention center is also located near major sports venues. The Toyota Center is home to the Houston Rockets basketball team, and Minute Maid Park is where the Houston Astros baseball team plays. With all these improvements, the George R. Brown Convention Center became one of the 10 largest in the United States.

Recent Updates and Future Plans

In November 2014, work began again to prepare for Super Bowl LI. This latest expansion included turning several lanes of traffic and five city blocks into ADLA Plaza. This is a large, open outdoor space where people can walk and gather.

A new Grand Lobby was also built, reaching 10 stories high. It features a huge 60-foot sculpture called "Soaring in the Clouds" hanging from the ceiling. This new lobby makes it easier for visitors to get to the large exhibition spaces. Construction for this phase was completed in the Fall of 2016.

Also in Fall 2016, the Marriott Marquis hotel opened at the north end of the GRB. It connects to the convention center with another skybridge. This hotel has 1,000 guest rooms and a fun, Texas-shaped lazy river! Many other new hotels have also opened downtown, adding thousands more rooms for visitors.

Community Role and Events

After Hurricane Katrina, about 7,000 people found shelter at the convention center because the Astrodome was full.

In 2009, a TV show called America's Got Talent filmed auditions at the convention center. Also, in 1998, the game show Wheel of Fortune taped two weeks of shows there.

Many local high schools and colleges hold their graduation ceremonies at the convention center. Houston's biggest pop-culture event, Comicpalooza, also takes place here every year, attracting a huge and growing crowd.

Race History

Grand Prix of Houston

The original track layout from 1998-2001.

From 1998 to 2001, a car race called CART was held on the streets of downtown Houston. The race track was right next to the George R. Brown Convention Center. This event was called the Texaco Grand Prix of Houston, sponsored by the Texaco oil company. However, due to construction work in downtown Houston, the race was not held again after 2001.

Gallery

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  A view of downtown Houston from inside the George R. Brown Convention Center

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  A view of the interior second floor

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  Front exterior

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  Front exterior

A view of the George R. Brown Convention Center from Discovery Green

See also

In Spanish: Centro de Convenciones George R. Brown para niños